“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage ; I have overcome the world.” ~Jesus

Tags

Courage, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, John 16, Peace, Trust, Victory, Worry

Difficulties are a natural part of the world. Jesus brings me peace and offers courage.

In fact, Jesus promised us me I would have tribulation. That is life in this world.

In Jesus I have peace.

How can Jesus do this? He has overcome the world and I am a new creation that shares in His resurrection.

I can take heart. Jesus is risen and I am seated with Him. The victory belongs to the LORD!!!

May peace be mine. May I have courage today. Why worry?

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage ; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

A tribute to my brother Jerry Wright. First said “Why Worry” to me in 1973. He has been right all these years.

“Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God!” ~King Solomon

Tags

Heart, King Solomon, Proverbs 3, Trust, Wise Sayings

I think I am pretty clever some days. I think I can figure it all out.

AND then I run into the wall with something and I realize I am not as clever as I like to think I am. My understanding is not what our LORD wants.

If the victory is to be His, I have to trust Him with all my heart. I have to emotionally connect with what He wants not what I understand.

May I trust him from the bottom of my heart.

May I do it now.

What is He saying?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! (Proverbs 3:5 The Message Bible)

Scarecrow in a Melon Patch

Tags

Jeremiah 10, Jesus, Matthew 19, Trust

A bonus today for your reading pleasure. This is from my friend Bill and he really nails it. Who will I trust? My 401K? How about Jesus?

4th Quarter Musings

Where is our confidence? Where is our trust? Jesus said, do not worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own. He told us not to worry about what we would wear or what we would eat. Look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field that are beautiful to watch and to look at. We are more valuable to God than all the other parts of creation. Don’t get all hung up over something that will impress others. Who are you living for and what will all these things do for you? They won’t bring you happiness!

Many of us in the Baby Boomer generation are spending a lot of time engaging people who will help us plan to make sure our finances will last as long as we do. Many have accumulated collectibles, homes, toys, etc. that are the result of…

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“I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel.” ~Jesus

Tags

Faith, Jesus, Jesus Saying, Luke 7, Religious, Trust

Bold Faith

The Roman Centurian was very humble and knew that Jesus could give the command and his servant would be healed. He didn’t need to come to Jesus himself or have Jesus come to him.

Imagine having the kind of faith that shocks Jesus. It is simple trust. If I know that Jesus has the authority, that takes care of it.

Jesus was also shocked because the religious community of his day didn’t have this kind of faith. God is great and God can do anything. I need to know and believe that in my heart and soul.

May I have the kind of faith that shocks Jesus. May I have it now.

Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” Luke 7:9 (MSG)

"Don’t listen to them; just trust me." ~~Jesus

Tags

Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Listen, Mark 5, Trust

Trust

One day Jesus took a boat ride. A large crowd met him at the seaside when He arrived. One of the religious leaders named Jairus came to where He was because his daughter was sick. When he saw Jesus, he fell to his knees, beside himself as he begged, “My dear daughter is at death’s door. Come and lay hands on her so she will get well and live.”

Jesus could have done lots of things. He decided to go with him, the whole crowd tagging along, pushing and jostling him. While he was still talking, some people came from the leader’s house and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?” Imagine how devastated he is now. Jesus could have just said the word earlier and this wouldn’t have happened.

Jesus overheard what they were talking about. Jesus knows what to say to get us focused. His message of good news is clear.

It is a question of who I will listen to. It is a question of who I will trust.

Don’t listen to them; just trust me.” ~~Jesus (Mark 5:36 The Message)

“Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.” ~King David

Tags

Celebrities, King David, Psalm 118, Trust, Wise Sayings

We live in a celebrity culture. It permeates our religious life. We flock to the mega church. We revel in the message of the celebrity Pastor.

And then … what about that famous movie star, singer or athlete?

We live in a celebrity culture.

Celebrities won’t save us when we need help, when we are hemmed in and surrounded by a disaster. Celebrities can’t be trusted. They don’t know us and they don’t care.

God is my strength. Jesus cares about me.

Jesus is the one who will rescue me. I will trust in Him.

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
    from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
    who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion;
    I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
    when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
    and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
    in the camp of the saved?
        “The hand of God has turned the tide!
        The hand of God is raised in victory!
        The hand of God has turned the tide!

Source: Psalm 118:5-6 MSG – Pushed to the wall, I called to GOD; – Bible Gateway

Celebrity Culture

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.” ~Jesus

Tags

Heart, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, John 16, Messiah, Peace, Trust

The peace of Jesus

Jesus knows me. He knows everything about me. I have no secrets from Jesus.

Jesus knows what I am about to do. Many times, I don’t know what I am about to do. Jesus does and he wants me to trust him.

Jesus knows I am self-centered. He knows I will look after my own interest and not seek to know what Jesus wants me to do.

Jesus knows himself. Jesus knows he is the son of God and that God has his best interests at heart. Jesus is God-confident.

Jesus challenges me to trust him. That is the main thing about the main thing. I must find a way to trust Jesus.

Jesus promises me, if I trust him, that I will be unshakable and at peace. Peace can be mine. If I don’t have it, it is probably due to a lack of trust in Jesus.

Jesus promises me that I am going to experience difficulty. It is going to come my way. It is right around the corner.

Jesus assures me he has conquered the world. I should take heart and trust Jesus.

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.

Source: John 16:33 MSG – Jesus answered them, “Do you finally – Bible Gateway

To do list for today … Keep on believing

Tags

Faith, Positive, Trust

1. Keep on believing
2. Keep looking forward
3. Trust God

“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” ~King Solomon

Tags

Fear, Jesus, Proverbs 29, Trust, Wise Sayings

There is a fear that paralyzes me. It is the concern about what you think of me.

Will I post this on Facebook and Twitter?

Will I speak out at work?

Why am I afraid?

The answer is staggering. I don’t trust God is why. If I did trust God, I wouldn’t care what others thought of me. The only opinion that would matter would be God’s.

God has promised to be with me. If God is with me, who can be against me?

The fear of human opinion disables;
    trusting in God protects you from that.

Source: Proverbs 29:25 MSG – The fear of human opinion disables; – Bible Gateway

God knows exactly how much you can handle. Trust your struggle. God is in a good mood.

Tags

God is God, God is Good, God is Great, Jesus, Trust

I am God

God knows exactly how much I can handle. God is God and God is Great. God will see me through to the end. There is no doubt about it. It is all about God and has nothing to do with me.

I need to trust my struggle. Jesus struggled. Jesus cried out to God. Jesus trusted God and trusted God would see him through to the end. Jesus promised us that in the world we would have trouble.

God is in a good mood. God is my heavenly Father and loves us. God has nothing but good in mind for me.

“I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.” ~Apostle Paul

Tags

2 Timothy 1, Jesus, Message, Regret, Teacher, Trust

Trust

God has a goal for me. It is God’s plan not mine. He has set me apart to make sure it gets done.

It is not always easy. Doing what God wants can (may) get us in trouble. God is clear about what we should do.

Like Paul, can I say I have no regrets? I know some days I live in the land of regrets. It is the story I tell myself about why things are so bad. If only I had done something different. What I do doesn’t change God’s goal for me.

I can trust.

I can be sure of what I am doing.

God will take care of the details.

God will do it right up to the end.

This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.

Source: 2 Timothy 1:11-12 (The Message Bible)

“All things are possible with God.” ~Jesus

Tags

God is God, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Mark 10, Money, Trust

Money

Jesus had been talking with a rich man about some difficult things. He wasn’t willing to give up his possessions to follow Jesus. He left a very sad man.

Jesus commented about how hard it is for the rich to really get into God’s world. The disciples were stunned and were wondering how anyone could get in. All things are possible with God is the simple but profound answer.

May I see God’s power at every turn. God is God. All things are possible with him.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with  God; all things are possible with God.

Source: Mark 10:27

“My help and glory are in God” ~King David

Tags

Glory, Help, King David Sayings, Psalm 62, Safety, Strength, Trust, Wise Sayings

Safe Harbor

Where do I look for help? While I may look to myself, family and friends, God is my help. When I don’t know what to do, God does. God sent his son Jesus to show me the way. I must follow Jesus.

God is my glory. I take great pride in who God is. There is a tremendous beauty to God.

God is strong like granite. God is God. God is strong in ways I can’t imagine. God is great and can do anything.

God is a safe harbor. When I am in trouble, I can sail my ship into his harbor to protect me from the storm. Jesus shields and protects me from the rough waves.

I must trust in God completely and absolutely. Jesus won’t lead me astray. I can trust him with my life.

I must lay my life on the line for Jesus. I have to give Jesus my all. His sacrifice for me demands it. Jesus is my Master.

Psalm 62:7-8 The Message (MSG)

My help and glory are in God
    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
    lay your lives on the line for him.
    God is a safe place to be.

King David — Source: Psalm 62:7 MSG – My help and glory are in God – Bible Gateway

“Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!” ~King Solomon

Tags

Evil, Jesus, King Solomon, Trust, Wise Sayings

Run to God

I like to think I know a lot. Some days, I think I know it all.

I don’t know very much, in reality. I certainly don’t know what God knows.

Jesus is the author of all knowledge. I must run to God. I must seek him at every turn.

I must run from evil. There is nothing good to come from any level of toleration with the source of all evil.

God’s goal is for me to listen to him and to trust his son Jesus, my Master.

Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!

~King Solomon – Source: Proverbs 3 (The Message Bible)

“Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.” ~King David

Tags

Celebrities, Jesus, King David, Psalm 118, Trust, Wise Sayings

Trust

Who do I trust? When I need help, who do I call? If I need some money to get me through a rough spot, who do I go see?

I trust in friends. I trust my family. I care what the latest celebrity, sports figure or politician thinks about something.

God’s goal for me is that I trust in Jesus, my Master. Jesus is in control God’s country. Jesus is in charge. Jesus is the only one who knows me well enough to prescribe the right solution.

The first thing I should always do is call on God to see what his plans are. Nothing else matters.

Psalm 118:5-16 The Message (MSG)

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
    from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
    who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion;
    I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
    when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
    and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
    in the camp of the saved?
        “The hand of God has turned the tide!
        The hand of God is raised in victory!
        The hand of God has turned the tide!

Source: Psalm 118:5-6 MSG – Pushed to the wall, I called to GOD; – Bible Gateway

"Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence." ~~Democritus

Tags

Character, Democritus, Integrity, Trust

Integrity

It is wise advice to take a peek at someone’s character before trusting them. To do otherwise leads to disastrous results.

Integrity of thought and action is critical for trusted advisers.

Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth; the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence. ~~Democritus

Worrying always results in missing God’s goal

Tags

Fear, Trust, Worry

Why Worry?

Worrying always results in missing God’s goal. Fear paralyzes and keeps us from acting on what God has planned for us right now.

May I trust Him. It is all about trust. We must change our mind (repent) about who is in control. We must trust Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus is the way to God.

We must trust completely.

We must trust always.

“It’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it.” ~Apostle Paul

Tags

Faith, Gift, Jesus, Messiah, Romans 4, Trust

Trust

There are many things we work for and we deserve to be paid for it. Getting paid for what we do is in no way considered a gift.

We can’t work our way into right standing with God. We have clearly missed his goal for our lives. It is only through the gift of God’s son Jesus, the Messiah, that we can come into the presence of God. It is not something we could do for ourselves. It is only something Jesus could do for us.

Our job is to have faith and believe. Our job is to trust God.

If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift. Romans 4:4-5

Trust in, Lean on, rely on… God.

Tags

Faith, Jesus, Messiah, Trust

God’s Word

We have a faithful God. He is all we need. God is God. His son, Jesus the Messiah, is in charge. We can rest and have peace. We can have it today.

Trust is the key. I must lean in and trust what God has promised me. I must believe God has my best interest at heart.

Trust in, Lean on, rely on… God.

Having a challenge understanding? This is the opportunity to trust God, who is in a good mood.

Tags

God, Opportunity, Trust, Understanding

God is good all the time

There are so many things we can’t understand. Every day. So … what to do?

We have many choices. There are so many ways we can respond or react.

Do we see this challenge as an opportunity?

Having a challenge understanding? This is the opportunity to trust God, who is in a good mood.

“Though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do.” ~Author of Hebrews

Tags

Hebrews 5, Jesus, Messiah, Obedience, Suffering, Trust

How do we learn trusting-obedience? This is not an answer we want to hear. We learn trust and obedience by suffering. That is how our Master Jesus, the Messiah, learned it. That is how we learn it. It is the process God uses.

We surely wish it could be another way. This is the only way however. This is the way of God, our Father. The is by doing what God wants. Do we believe God has our best interests at heart? Once we clear that hurdle, obedience is right around the corner.

Trust and obedience, in God’s world, are linked. We can’t trust if we don’t obey.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who helps us. Thank God our Master Jesus can be trusted. May I be obedient to God.

While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him. (Hebrews 5:7-10)

"You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders." ~~Jesus

Tags

Jesus, Jesus Sayings, John 5, Messiah, Obedience, Trust

Jesus can be trusted. Jesus doesn’t have a self serving bone in His body. Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing. That is it. Jesus is all about loving God. Jesus always realizes God’s goal. Jesus is the perfect Son.

Jesus challenges us to live the same way with the same power of God’s Holy Spirit. We can trust Jesus. Jesus is looking out for our best interests.

Obedience becomes the central issue. Will we carry out orders? Will we obey God?

“You can trust my decision because I’m not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders.” ~~Jesus (John 5:30-33 The Message)

“God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes.” ~Apostle Paul

Tags

1 Corinthians 2, Apostle Paul Sayings, Fog, God, Jesus, Mystery, Plan, Purpose, Trust, Wisdom

Wisdom. We all want it I think. What is the path? How do we get there?

God is GOD. He has, from before the beginning of time, had a plan in mind. God  is executing against it, day by day, year by year, century by century, millennium by millennium.

We seek to understand it all but some days we just can’t. It is a mystery. We are wondering around in a fog to some extent.

What we do know is that God  has a plan in mind. We trust Him that it will all unfold, just as He has planed it out. His purpose will be achieved and we will see His glory. So be it!!

I want to understand God and have the wisdom of his son Jesus. I need to seek out what is His purpose to get there.

God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. (1 Corinthians 2:6 The Message)

"I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama." ~~Jesus

Tags

God's Goal, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, Matthew, Matthew 5, Trust

Jesus has it all together. All the complexity we see. All we don’t understand. Jesus sees it simply. He understands it all. He is putting it all together.

If we want understanding, let us go to Jesus. Jesus is the author of our life in God and He is the one who is going to finish it all out. We have nothing to worry about. He has it all figured out. Our job is to trust Him.

God’s goal for us is to trust his son Jesus. God has given Jesus all power and authority. Jesus is in control.

“I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18 The Message)

Is God too slow? What is a billion years to God?

Tags

Faith, God is God, Jesus, Trust

Trust

Is Jesus slow?

No, not all. God has made certain promises to us. Some days we say, “OK God, when?”

God seems awfully slow to us. But what is a billion years to God?

God is the epitome of patience. He is very patient with us. He wants us all to have the view of life that never ends. He wants us all to change our minds and meet His goals for us. God wants us to trust Him. That is the issue.

God isn’t slow. God is God. God is patient. God knows the right timing. Our job is to understand it is up to God and not up to us. God’s timing is perfect.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom

Tags

Corrie Ten Boom, Future, Trust

Future

God knows us. We know God. We know that God is good and always in a good mood. We know that Jesus and God love us very much. We know that Jesus has the best in mind for us.

We know that we may not know the future but we know that we can trust God.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie Ten Boom

New Year’s resolutions. Are we trusting in ourselves or God this year?

Tags

David Platt, Jesus, New Year, Resolutions, Trust

David Platt cautions us about making new year’s resolutions and striving to keep them by trusting in ourselves rather than God.

Jesus challenges us to trust in God and God alone. This is not about making ourselves better. This about bring honor to God. That is all that counts.

Putting my foot down

Tags

Faith, Generous, Holy Spirit, Trust

Generosity of God. He is in a good mood.

I was a dupe of sin. I was stubborn, refusing to believe Jesus. I went around with a chip on my shoulder. But this is the season of reminder. God, my kind and loving Savior God, stepped in. He saved me from a life of hatred. He saved me from a life of selfishness. He stepped right in!!

It was completely His doing. I had absolutely nothing to do with it. He gave me a good bath and I came out a totally clean man. I was washed on the inside. I was washed on the outside. Clean inside and out!! My Savior Jesus poured out a whole new life for me. It is a generous life. It is a gift of right relationship with my Father. He has given me back my life. AND, woo hoo, there is more to come. An eternity of the glorious life. I can count on it. If is a fact Jack!!

So … I am putting my foot down. I really am. I am taking a firm stand on all of this. I am putting my trust in God and concentrating on the essentials that are good for me. I am staying completely away mindless issues and the fine print. It gets me nowhere. I am radically trusting in Jesus. The HOLY Spirit that raised Him from the dead is in me. And with me.

I am putting my foot down.

“Instead of trusting in our own wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally” ~Apostle Paul

Tags

2 Corinthians 1, Apostle Paul Sayings, Deliverance, Praise, Rescue, Trust

Money Crisis

What happens when we trust our own resources to solve the problem? We solve the problem but we don’t see God.

Money crisis? Whip out the credit card.

Car problem? Call AAA.

Problem solved but no glory to God there.

Trouble can cause us to trust ourselves or to trust God. And under the right circumstances, to trust Him totally. Now that is a good idea since He is the one who raised Jesus from the dead. And we can trust Him.

He will deliver us. He is faithful. He is God. This is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead.

Some times when we think things are so bad it really isn’t. It is an opportunity to trust God.

That is what he wants us to do.

We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” ~Apostle Peter

Tags

1 Peter 5, Anxiety, Fear, Trust

God is in a good mood

Our Father cares for us. He has great things in mind for us. He is doing it. He loves us completely. He is in a good mood.

What we are concerned about is what we are concerned about. God isn’t concerned at all.  He will complete the good work in us. He hasn’t brought us this far to leave us now. We need to stand firm.

He cares for us!! How can anything happen that won’t complete His good work? Everything is working for our good and His glory.

God’s goal for us is to trust Him completely. We must remember that He cares for us.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

May we have absolute trust in Him. May we know how much He cares.

“So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride.” ~Apostle Peter

Tags

1 Peter 4, Faith, God is God, Obedience, Trust

God is God

God is God. That means He knows what He is doing even if I don’t get it. His answer is the right answer. His timing is the right timing. He is God.

My job is give all my difficulties to Him and trust Him. He cares about me in ways I can’t understand. God can do anything He wants to. He is in a good mood and wants the best for us. This is obsession every day. What is in our best interest is God’s every desire.

God’s goal for is for us to trust Him. God doesn’t want to be anxious or live in fear.

Yep, He is God and He isn’t going to stop being God. May I live my life that way.

So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it. 1 Peter 4:17

 

 

Trust steadily and become more mature in God

Tags

1 Corinthians 13, Extravagant, Faith, Hope, Love, Trust

Maturity in God – Love Him

As I seek to mature in the Lord, one of the big three things to focus on is trusting Him more and more. I need to be steady in my trust. Not trusting one day and then not the next. Maturity is what I need to strive for. It is so easy to slide into trusting anything but God. That is so immature.

So it is focus and consistency. That is the key. Focus on Him who will complete everything. He is leading us toward that consummation. It is His heart’s desire.

God has a goal for us all. It is not to remain children. It is to be mature. It is to grow up and complete the mission. There is no “plan B” when it comes to God’s plan. He wants our heart and our love. That is it. He wants love from us.

But for right now, until that maturity, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. 1 Corinthians 13

Does God know what He is doing?

Tags

1 Peter 4, Difficult, Trust

Life does seem difficult some days. The key question is “Am I doing what God said”? If so, I should take the difficulties in stride. I can trust him that He knows what He is doing. It is His plan, not mine. He knows what He is doing even if it isn’t clear to me.

God has a goal in mind for me. Believing that keeps us on track. Not seeing that can allow us to drift, thinking there is no plan. He just has me doing random things, we think. There is nothing random about God. He is always intentional.

I can trust Him. He will keep on doing it.

So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it. 1 Peter 4

Here are the key ideas:

• God has a goal with a plan in mind for us
• We need to understand that plan
• We should expect that there will be difficulties along the way

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” ~~Nietzsche

Tags

Lie, Nietzsche, Trust

The lie is the act. The result is a lack of trust. Sometimes we get so focused on the act that we lose sight of the result. We all want to be trusted. 

 

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” ~~Nietzsche

Have I missed God’s plan? Have I been really stupid?

Tags

1 Chronicles 21, Goal, Jesus, Plan, Statistics, Stupid, Trust

I know I do it all the time. I look at the facts. Hard to ignore them in my world.

God’s Goal

God’s way is to believe Him and ignore the facts. That is trust. Cancer? No problem. No cancer in Heaven. He wants His way on earth like Heaven. Bank account empty? No problem. He is rich beyond imagination. Facts or faith? Statistics or trust?

God has a goal and plan for us. It is all about trust in Jesus the Messiah.

I should be smart and trust Him. That is all there is to it. May I do what He wants and not miss His goal.

Then David prayed, “I have missed God’s plan badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my missing your goal—I’ve been really stupid.” 1 Chronicles 21:8

After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it!

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God is God, God Thoughts, Jesus, Job 42, Trust

Am I praying for my friends and family? How much time do I spend interceding for them? None? Some? Enough?

Job was in a world of hurt. He had lost everything. It is a painful story to read. Yet, at the end, he didn’t pray for himself, he prayed for his friends. Job had realized he was nothing and God is God. Nothing is impossible for Him. As Job said, “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.”

And so Job quit living on rumors of God and encountered Him directly. “I admit I once lived by rumors of you;  now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!  I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” What a change this made in Job’s life.

After that, he could pray for his friends. And my oh my, how God blessed him. God is God. He is completely in charge and does what He sees fit. The story of Job is a little confounding in that regard because my tendency is “to judge” God for acting so harshly with Job. But God is God. We don’t always understand His ways but He challenges us to trust Him always. And so, in spite of it all, Job was blessed.

After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it! Job 42:10

Can I hope unswervingly?

Tags

God Thoughts, God's Goal, Holy Spirit, Hope, Jesus, Love, Trust

Can I hope unswervingly? With the power of the Holy Spirit, I can.

This is an essential item. Without hope, I am lost every day. In fact, every minute of every day. God’s goal for us is to be hopeful. Without hope, we will fail to fully participate in God’s world (Kingdom). Hope doesn’t not stand on its own though. Coupled with trust and love we are complete.

And so, when I am filled with Him and the power of His HOLY Spirit, I hope unswervingly. I don’t deviate from hope at all. This leads me to maturity. This leads me to completeness.

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. ~~1 Corinthians 13:13