Trusting God - REALLY Trusting Him

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22 (NKJ)

The following is a collection of excerpts from my devotion for today. This writer said what is on my heart so much more eloquently than I am able to do.

"Through experience I have come to realize that trials and challenges are inevitable. I must learn to expect them, submit to them and learn from them. All the while, realizing that behind each challenge I find a God who longs to pour out His love on me and to carry my burdens if I let Him.

One thing I am learning is that when we ask our Heavenly Father for something, the journey He takes us on while we wait on Him is often times greater than the answered prayer itself. I hope you will let Him carry your burdens today and trust that He knows what is best for you and those you love.

Do I really expect God to carry my burdens or am I more comfortable carrying them myself?

When I saw this question I remembered what we discussed in small group time this week - we often take things to the alter and lay them down for God. We pray. We seek forgiveness. We find peace with God for that situation. Then we proceed to stand up, pick our burdens back up from the alter and walk away with them in tow.

Why do we do this? What is it about our burdens that make them more comfortable to carry ourselves? I know for myself that as an adult we have a lot of responsibilities and we cannot cast them on others. Perhaps we hold onto so many other responsibilities in other areas that we cannot fathom someone else taking that burden for us.

And... it is one thing to say you believe in God. It is quite another to actually trust Him to act in our world. We often put God's role as sitting up in the clouds looking down, holding his 'thunderbolts of power' to send down whenever there is something He wants or needs to change, or to answer prayer. We don't often think of God as sitting next to us helping us do whatever task is at hand.

God is there with you all the time. He is sitting next to you when you drive. He is the reason you turned that way the other day and avoided trouble up ahead. He is the reason for the fog you were driving slowly through and angry about for slowing you down. This is the same fog that kept you out of the path of the tornado coming in your path. He is the reason you remembered to bring that item with you at the last minute. He reminded you of it before it was too late.

The problem is remembering to listen to Him. We need to spend time learning to recognize His voice so it speaks out over all other noise going on around us. That is acquired during our quiet times with God.

When challenges come my way, who do I run to for help and advice?

I know that I too often think of people who can help me before I take it to God. I often have to remind myself that if I had just taken it to God in the first place, I would feel so much better so much sooner!!!

In what areas of my life do I trust God the least?

Wow. Tough question. I would probably have to say that I trust God the least at work. Not that I have a lack of faith, but I am often going so fast that I do not slow down to think and pray. At home and at church I recognize God's hand and ask for His action. At work I don't think that way. I will have to work on that one. I really need God's help in this assignment I have right now. I love these kids, but they are very trying and take all my energy away. I would like to have some left for my family at the end of the day!

Dear God, You are all powerful, all-knowing, and present in all places at the same time. Your power and strength have no match. You are capable of more things than I would ever begin to fathom. Please help to learn to trust You with my life - every aspect of my life. From my waking hours to my betime, please walk by my side and let me know you are there. Please walk ahead of me and prepare my path and walk behind me to pick up the pieces. I want to remember to come to you when I am unsure of my next words - put those words in my mouth for me. Please consume my body and fill me completely so that when I walk out of the front door today to work I will be Jesus walking around Kirksville, Missouri wearing a costume that looks like Jill. I know that on my own I will fail miserably. Consume me, Lord. Take over. I don't want to drive anymore. I want you to be in complete charge.

AMEN

Psalm 68:19, "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (NIV)

Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (NIV)

The Handiwork of God

My devotion today had a challenge - or maybe a reminder is a better word: Write about God's obvious presence in your life. Acknowledge and be thankful for the good in your life today.

Look to the right - I see my kitchen and my husband in it.
Lord, I am thankful for the abundance of food you provide for us. We have never gone hungry. While there may not have been what we wanted and desired, there has always been nutritious and filling food in our cupboards. Thank you for that.
Lord, I am thankful for my husband, Jeff. He is a kind and loving man. He is not demanding on me and he helps me in all that I do. I thank you for leading me to such a great guy. I not only think of him as my husband and marriage partner, but also my best friend. Nice, funny, smart, strong, and sexy - all rolled into one!

Look to the left - I see the wall in my dining room.
Lord, I thank you for the color of my wall. Having a house that had NOT WHITE walls has been a dream of mine for a long time. Thank you for a church family who asked and provided my heart's desire. And Lord, I thank you for the decorations on my wall, given to me by my mother and sister-in-law as a birthday and housewarming. They fit in our house and put that final touch on it. Thanks for such thoughtful gifts!

Look up - I see the ceiling.
Lord, thank you for the roof over our heads. This house has been a dream-come-true. Even Samantha recognized your gift in this when she said, "God gave us an Extreme Home Makeover!" Thank you for this large house and all the room we want and desire.

Look down - I see the clothes I am wearing.
Lord, thank you for providing us with nice things to wear over the years. I have always had what I needed to put on my body - and often very nice things. Our children have always had enough clothes to wear, and also often very nice things. Thank you for your provision in this area and for all the people you have put in our paths to provide us with such nice things.

Looking all around me I see your hand moving in my life. I see how you have provided for us over the years and have given us an abundance.

I choose thankfulness over grumbling and I will see you, Lord.

Who do we think we are?

Luke 7:7 -9 says, "When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, "Master, you don't have to go to all this trouble. I'm not that good a person, you know. I'd be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I'm a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, 'Go,' and he goes; another, 'Come,' and he comes; my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." 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."

So many people in the church seem to think that they know all about God. They have been studying and learning for years and they know how it all works.

But look at this passage. Here is a man who is not a Jew, not a believer. He lives among the Jews as a Roman soldier, and he probably knows a lot about them, but he is not a Jew. He asks for healing for someone else, and also recognizes the authority of Jesus unlike anyone Jesus had encountered! Jesus knew even back then - people on the 'outside' are watching. They are always watching what we say and do. By observing and listening, they probably understand more about God and how He works than many of us realize.

When a person who was not raised in the church is saved, their lives are brand new. They truly live out the verse about being a new creation. You can see the changes and they embrace this new sense of security and freedom.

But when someone who has lived all thier lives in the church is saved, it's not that much of a change. They already know the lingo and all the regular liturgy of the church. I think sometimes we do (mostly younger) new believer a disservice when we don't treat them like a new believer from the 'outside'. How many of these kids and young people fall away because they never go through a life-changing event? They may say all the right words and do all the right things, but how many of them are put into a position to really have to make the choice?

How do we do that? I don't know. But we cannot just assume that they know it. They must be given words and actions to use in situations. They must be given alternatives to do and say in place of the things they know in the world. They must learn to go out and tell. New believers usually go out and tell all their friends, the change is that drastic. But I rarely hear a young person do the same. How can we make the change that drastic so that they cannot help but tell?

Floods and Trickles

John 6:19 says Everyone was trying to touch him - so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! MSG
This is how ministry feels! Everyone wants to be right by the pastor - close quarters - intimate. I remember how I felt when Jeff wasn't the senior pastor. I wanted to be noticed as someone special by the person who, really and truly, represented Christ in the church I attended.

We represent Christ. All Christians represent Christ, but those in the pastoral ministry are put in a position to be that earthly figure that people look at when they are looking for Christ.

What a responsibility!

Jesus was putting out energy all over the place as the crowds pressed in on him and he healed them!

How do we handle the stress of all those around us pressing in on us? We know that all the things we do make a difference - that's not the point. I know that Jeff and I love to know how God has worked through some small thing we have said or done. That's what we are passionate about. That's what keeps us going. But there are so many things that we could be doing and saying. There are so many things we WANT to do and say! How do we handle that stress and keep going?

Prayer is the answer. We need to stay pray-up.

But do we do it? I know I have not been the best at it. I know in my head and I teach in my classes that Jesus must come first (JOY - Jesus first, Others second, myself last)
I have translated that as: work for Jesus first, help others second, find quiet time for myself last. And last it usually is. Even now, as I spend some quality quiet time with God and the Bible I find that it is time for bed. I have to teach tomorrow and need all the physical rest I can get! So how do I find time for all of it like Jesus did?

I need to put time with God first. I need to get up and spend quiet time with God every morning before the rest of the house wakes up.

I will do that tomorrow. I will get up when I plan to.
I will pray before I go to work.
My day has to be better! It can't get much worse!
And I will pray throughout the day.
Jesus did it.
He was human.
I can do it with God's help!!!!!

BE!

As I read my devotional this morning, I kept asking myself - how do you lead people to take Jesus from their heads and 'to do' lists and soften their hearts so He can enter and grow? Doing for Christ is not being in Christ. Being in Christ leads to doing for Christ, but doing does not guarantee being. There are so many people out there doing and doing and doing, but they don't know they need to BE IN Christ to get to heaven. Doing won't get you there! You can KNOW all you want. You can DO all you want. You can SAY all you want. None of these three will help me see you in heaven! You have to ask Christ to enter your body and clean in up. You have to let go of your control issues and your pride and allow Christ to clean. Once Christ enters, you will have desire to DO, KNOW, and SAY, but it will be with such less effort that you DO KNOW and SAY that you will be amazed at how much simpler and easier it is!

If you are a doer, but not a be-er, then I urge you to give over your life right now. Get out of the driver's seat of the car of your life and let Jesus drive. At first you'll be a totally annoying backseat driver, but as you watch and learn, you will see that Jesus's way is the best way, even if you don't know where he is going at the time. Let him lead you. Let him guide you. Let him drive! I have yet to meet anyone who is sorry they ever did that. I only hear laments about not doing it sooner.

It won't be easy. It will be difficult and it will be scary. You will end up with different friends a lot of times. You will end up with a whole new life! But it's like a butterfly! The caterpillar has to give up his old self completely before he can become a new creature. You have to do the same. Just like the caterpillar, who turns almost completely to liquid inside the chrysalis, you have to give all of your being to Christ, who will mold you and change you into a beautiful creature unlike anything you could ever imagine!

Let me know how it works out for you!

Promises Promises

Tonight's family devotion was on promises to God. We had to make a promise and write it down. Talk about tough! I promised to spend quiet time with God every day. That's going to be a big one and the kids are going to be watching for it, which makes it even harder.

Why is it harder to keep a promise to God when people are watching?

Isn't that backwards?

Shouldn't it be EASIER when just people are watching? Shouldn't it be more disconcerting when we know God is watching? But God remains silent so much that we tend to blow Him off. People say things we can hear. God is easier to ignore. But shouldn't God's disappointment in us mean more to us? Why do I feel guiltier when people are watching me mess up than when God is watching me mess up? Why do I feel worse when someone here on earth sees my mistakes than I would normally? God sees all my bloopers and blunders - even the ones that are in my head and nobody else can see!

When God makes a promise, He keeps it faithfully. We can trust that there will never be another worldwide flood because God promised and used a rainbow as a reminder of that promise. May I learn to look to God for approval, not man. May my own promises be as faithfully kept as God's promises are!

Love Your Neighbor

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment includes "Love your neighbor as yourself." What does that mean? Someone even asked him "Who is my neighbor" which launched Jesus into the parable of the Good Samaritan. Most of us are familiar with that story. The story focuses on how a man, being beat up and left for dead, doesn't receive help from the religious leaders of the time, but from a Samaritan man, who, from the Jewish point of view, is the scum of the earth.

OK - I would guess that I am the man who was beaten up and left for dead. The lesson is that we should not expect to receive help from the higher-ups, but accept it from the scum. I can live with that.

But I don't think that's the point Jesus was trying to make.

The Jews thought of themselves as better than the Samaritans for a lot of reasons, but Jesus is telling us to be like the Samaritan, not the Jew. Jesus isn't telling us where our help will come from. Jesus is telling us to get down off our high horses - that those so-called 'scum' are better than we are!

Hurts a bit, doesn't it?

Who are the 'scum' today? For a lot of us it's the people who actually look dirty. They often don't have a lot of money to spend on name-brand cleaners or water softeners so their clothes don't come as clean. Their washers and dryers aren't as efficient, or maybe they have to go to the laundrymat and put it off because of the cost. Some are wearing hand-me-downs so old that 'bright' left years ago. Some are working such dirty jobs that getting clean is not a visual possibility, that the stains are permanent, or they are sun-scorched unevenly and therefore look a bit 'dusty' all the time.

I could probably learn to live with that and overlook that to the inner heart like God does.

Then there are those who truly are unclean and smelly. They may have a physical condition that causes the smell or prevents regular bathing. They may be homeless and unable to bathe. Whatever the reason, we need to see that Jesus was talking about them, too.

Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Can you love from afar? We sure want to sometimes, don't we? But can we really do it? Think of your children. Can you show your children your love without ever getting near? Of course not. So what do you do?

We have got to change the way we think.

In our society, we are bombarded regularly with how to move up in the world. A better house, a better car, better furniture, better beds, better cleansers for body and house, and they all lead to better ways to pull away from the people we are supposed to love the most. If we are constantly concerned about making more money to 'get a better something,' then we are working more. If we are working more, then we are home less. If we are home less, then we have less time to make the house as presentable as it should be - like on TV, right? Their houses are never messed up like mine! - and we spend all our time doing that.

We have got to start making time to help those around us - especially as a church. Sending money to far-away places is easy and clean and quick. We need to get down off our own spiritual high horses and get dirty! The man who was beaten in the parable was messy. He was bleeding. He would have made the helper 'unclean' for quite some time. Are you willing to get a little dirty for God?

There are all kinds of ways we can better help those in our community. Every town I've lived in has volunteer opportunities. Where is God calling you to help? Maybe it's not even the organizations you are called to help. Maybe it the crazy man across the street, or the cat lady down the road. Make extra dinner some night and give it away. Invite someone over to eat with you. Take down the walls we erect in our lives and invite people in.

You're afraid, aren't you? Someone might make fun of you when you ask them to come over. Someone might refuse to accept you dinner offering. They might do something wierd at dinner or stay too late. They might be mean or talk about you to their friends later.

Just what are they going to say? "I can't believe that neighbor! She cooked dinner for me! How dare she do that!" No - they might be a little suspicious of you actions, but doing nice things is not a bad thing! Try it 5 times. You'll be hooked before you know it.

Doing nice things for people is the best drug around. Believe it or not, it is God's own pain reliever. Our brains release natural chemicals into our bodies that make us happier and less painful when we do things selflessly.

Train your brain - do something nice for someone else once a week until Christmas. Go even further and do it anonymously! Try to outdo yourself each wee and just see what happens!

I dare you!