Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Trusting others is hard. Especially with all your heart. We are by and large a very un-trusting people here in America. Dysfunctional families, back biting friends, gossip, hatred, fear and a whole host of other emotions cause us to lack the ability to trust others. For many it is just as hard, or harder to trust God. Poor understanding of who He is, fear of Him, disbelief, and anger can lead to an un-trusting heart. When my Dad was young he attended church faithfully every week for many years. He professed faith in Christ, and was baptized. When he was 16, his Dad passed away. My Dad got very angry with God for taking his Dad from him. He maintained that anger the rest of his life. He saw God as unfair.
To trust in the Lord is to know who He is. He is the Savior, Holy, Righteous, Perfect, Merciful, Compassionate and Kind. To trust in the Lord is to believe in Him in truth. To do this with all your heart means that your loyalties are not divided. You are not sharing your affections between God and the world. You have one master leading your life and it is God, not other things. Leaning on His understanding, not our own brings us to the point of accepting His plan and His perfect will. This is hard for all of us. We typically want to do things our own way. When we acknowledge Him in all we do, we show that we are trusting Him, following Him, not ashamed of Him, not relying on our own plan, and allowing Him to be the ruler of our heart and life. This goes against our human nature, which wants to be in charge. When we allow Him to direct our paths, we can find fullness of joy and peace in spite of difficult circumstances, sorrow, pain and tears.
I cling to this verse every day as my Rhema, or Life verse. It is the passage that helps me to cling to Him when I am struggling and need help. When I need to remember that I am not alone, and that He is worthy of trust.
What circumstances are you going through right now? No matter what they are, when you meditate on these verses, God can help you to reach a place of peace and joy. Make it your goal today to absorb these verses as your own and let them help you grow closer to Jesus who is worthy of your trust.
Day 2
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
God created us to live in community. That community was healthy and strong in the beginning, but because of sin, that community was broken. Adam and Eve lost their community with God, and with each other and their relationships became stressed, and loving each other wasn't quite as easy. All throughout the rest of scripture we see examples of broken community with God, and with our fellow man. Cain and Abel, Noah and his son Ham, Abram and Lot, Esau and Jacob, and the list goes on and on. Broken community, lost fellowship and hatred and angst instead of love for one another.
When Jesus Christ came, He came to redeem us all. We had a broken relationship with God. Jesus came as a Redeemer, to restore that which was lost. Part of that restoration is our fellowship with God and with one another. Through Christ we can actually love one another again. The early church did an amazing thing for a while. They lived together and showed us what it could look like to walk side by side with fellow brothers and sisters and hold all things in common and live in community with one another. We are spread out all over the world. That kind of circumstance isn't as doable today, but we can have a healthy community within our churches. Churches today have come up with ways to keep their members connected. E-groups, small groups, cell groups, what ever a church might call them, are a great way to help their part of the body develop community and love for one another in a more personal way.
We are surrounded by people in life, and yet struggle so hard with loneliness. There is no need to walk through this life lonely. Jesus has called us to community, and to love one another.
What part do you play in the body of Christ? Are you established in a community of believers who are helping you to learn to love those around you? If not, will you reach out to your church and see what is available so that you can become part of their community? It may be that your church doesn't have anything like this and God wants to use you as an agent of change to start it. Will you prayerfully consider His plan for you and willingly help those who are crying out for community where you worship? God is faithful. He is able to provide all you need, and He is waiting for you to ask and obey and follow Him.
Day 3
"The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord"
We tend to establish in our minds places we feel are safe zones. Our homes, churches, and workplaces are usually part of that list. Homes feel safe until we experience, or someone we know experiences a home invasion of some kind. Workplaces are usually considered fairly safe until we hear about someone coming into one with an axe to grind and hurting or killing people. Many no longer trust the safety of the workplace. The third area is the church. Many churches have open door policies and the doors are not locked against strangers, for after all our Lord came to seek and save that which was lost and how can we do that if our doors are locked against them? While many churches still have open door policies, more and more are having to keep those doors locked because of intruders who have only destruction and terror in their hearts. We are becoming a people filled with fear at our lack of safety. Our lack of safety in this world is a given. We walk a path that is narrow, and follow a guide who is only gives us the light we need to take the next step. He calls us to faith and to trust Him. He is our only true place of safety. It doesn't matter how much we fortify our walls, prepare for battle, try and stand against the foes in our midst, there is no true safety apart from Christ. Also God defines safety differently from us. We are in no way guaranteed safety in this life. Instead we are told exactly the opposite. We are told the world will hate us, seek to murder us, persecute us, and that our only true safety, eternal safety is through and in Christ. It is time to remember the truth and to let go of clinging to something we can never fully have in this life. We should do our best to protect our loved ones, but remember that God is sovereign, able to protect and save, but also to take hands off and let us pass from this life into His presence when it is our time.
Are we truly willing to trust Him with our safety, recognizing that ultimately that safety being talked about isn't keeping us safe from every bad thing in this life?
This is not intended to say any of us should just give up and let bad people do anything they want to us, but it is intended to point to the reality that the safety God is talking about isn't necessarily physical. Jim Elliott was safe in Jesus as he ministered to tha Auca Indians, but he laid down his life for Christ and the gospel's sake. Even in his death, he was safe in Jesus and that is all we are promised.
Day 4
From the Throne to Your Knees
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Rev. 19:4
Our yearning is to be in control of our own lives. We want to rule. We climb upon the throne and do all that we can to stay there. We decide so many decisions for ourselves without ever seeking the Lord's direction. When we do seek His direction, how long do we wait for an answer? I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but I know I usually do not wait long for a word from my Lord. I started searching the scriptures to see how often throne is talked about. In all instances but a few it is all about GOD on His throne, not us. It is all about His ruler-ship, His kingdom, and not ours. Our hearts are far from pure, our minds filled with self. We come by in quite honestly for wasn't that what the fall was all about? Eve wanted what she hadn't been given, and then so did Adam. They climbed up on God's throne and sat down. At the temptation they should have been crying out to the One who walked with them in the garden in the cool of the day. Instead, they ate, and passed on to us the sin and the consequences. I would like to think I wouldn't have done what they did, but the honesty in me recognizes that if it had been me I would have made the same mistake. I would have sinned the same way. We all yearn to rule ourselves. What we need to do instead is what these elders and living creatures are going to do. We read this in the past tense, but it actually hasn't happened yet. One day they will fall down and worship God on His throne. We should be climbing off the thrones of our lives now, and getting on our knees to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our knees is a great place to live. From our knees we can look up remembering our Lord is enthroned in the heavens. From our knees we remember that we are dust, not worthy of grace, but receiving it because of His great love. From our knees we learn that we are not in control, but follow the One who is.
If you were to make a list of the different areas of your life, how many of them would you find yourself contending with God about so that you can be in control of them? Who is the real ruler of your heart? Remember to answer this honestly within yourself. Don't give the answer you think you ought to say, but speak the truth. What will you do to move from the throne to your knees so that you can worship Him, remember who He is, and learn at His feet?
Day 5
A Place Prepared
John 14:1-3
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you will be also."
Trusting others is hard. Especially with all your heart. We are by and large a very un-trusting people here in America. Dysfunctional families, back biting friends, gossip, hatred, fear and a whole host of other emotions cause us to lack the ability to trust others. For many it is just as hard, or harder to trust God. Poor understanding of who He is, fear of Him, disbelief, and anger can lead to an un-trusting heart. When my Dad was young he attended church faithfully every week for many years. He professed faith in Christ, and was baptized. When he was 16, his Dad passed away. My Dad got very angry with God for taking his Dad from him. He maintained that anger the rest of his life. He saw God as unfair.
To trust in the Lord is to know who He is. He is the Savior, Holy, Righteous, Perfect, Merciful, Compassionate and Kind. To trust in the Lord is to believe in Him in truth. To do this with all your heart means that your loyalties are not divided. You are not sharing your affections between God and the world. You have one master leading your life and it is God, not other things. Leaning on His understanding, not our own brings us to the point of accepting His plan and His perfect will. This is hard for all of us. We typically want to do things our own way. When we acknowledge Him in all we do, we show that we are trusting Him, following Him, not ashamed of Him, not relying on our own plan, and allowing Him to be the ruler of our heart and life. This goes against our human nature, which wants to be in charge. When we allow Him to direct our paths, we can find fullness of joy and peace in spite of difficult circumstances, sorrow, pain and tears.
I cling to this verse every day as my Rhema, or Life verse. It is the passage that helps me to cling to Him when I am struggling and need help. When I need to remember that I am not alone, and that He is worthy of trust.
What circumstances are you going through right now? No matter what they are, when you meditate on these verses, God can help you to reach a place of peace and joy. Make it your goal today to absorb these verses as your own and let them help you grow closer to Jesus who is worthy of your trust.
Day 2
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
God created us to live in community. That community was healthy and strong in the beginning, but because of sin, that community was broken. Adam and Eve lost their community with God, and with each other and their relationships became stressed, and loving each other wasn't quite as easy. All throughout the rest of scripture we see examples of broken community with God, and with our fellow man. Cain and Abel, Noah and his son Ham, Abram and Lot, Esau and Jacob, and the list goes on and on. Broken community, lost fellowship and hatred and angst instead of love for one another.
When Jesus Christ came, He came to redeem us all. We had a broken relationship with God. Jesus came as a Redeemer, to restore that which was lost. Part of that restoration is our fellowship with God and with one another. Through Christ we can actually love one another again. The early church did an amazing thing for a while. They lived together and showed us what it could look like to walk side by side with fellow brothers and sisters and hold all things in common and live in community with one another. We are spread out all over the world. That kind of circumstance isn't as doable today, but we can have a healthy community within our churches. Churches today have come up with ways to keep their members connected. E-groups, small groups, cell groups, what ever a church might call them, are a great way to help their part of the body develop community and love for one another in a more personal way.
We are surrounded by people in life, and yet struggle so hard with loneliness. There is no need to walk through this life lonely. Jesus has called us to community, and to love one another.
What part do you play in the body of Christ? Are you established in a community of believers who are helping you to learn to love those around you? If not, will you reach out to your church and see what is available so that you can become part of their community? It may be that your church doesn't have anything like this and God wants to use you as an agent of change to start it. Will you prayerfully consider His plan for you and willingly help those who are crying out for community where you worship? God is faithful. He is able to provide all you need, and He is waiting for you to ask and obey and follow Him.
Day 3
"The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord"
We tend to establish in our minds places we feel are safe zones. Our homes, churches, and workplaces are usually part of that list. Homes feel safe until we experience, or someone we know experiences a home invasion of some kind. Workplaces are usually considered fairly safe until we hear about someone coming into one with an axe to grind and hurting or killing people. Many no longer trust the safety of the workplace. The third area is the church. Many churches have open door policies and the doors are not locked against strangers, for after all our Lord came to seek and save that which was lost and how can we do that if our doors are locked against them? While many churches still have open door policies, more and more are having to keep those doors locked because of intruders who have only destruction and terror in their hearts. We are becoming a people filled with fear at our lack of safety. Our lack of safety in this world is a given. We walk a path that is narrow, and follow a guide who is only gives us the light we need to take the next step. He calls us to faith and to trust Him. He is our only true place of safety. It doesn't matter how much we fortify our walls, prepare for battle, try and stand against the foes in our midst, there is no true safety apart from Christ. Also God defines safety differently from us. We are in no way guaranteed safety in this life. Instead we are told exactly the opposite. We are told the world will hate us, seek to murder us, persecute us, and that our only true safety, eternal safety is through and in Christ. It is time to remember the truth and to let go of clinging to something we can never fully have in this life. We should do our best to protect our loved ones, but remember that God is sovereign, able to protect and save, but also to take hands off and let us pass from this life into His presence when it is our time.
Are we truly willing to trust Him with our safety, recognizing that ultimately that safety being talked about isn't keeping us safe from every bad thing in this life?
This is not intended to say any of us should just give up and let bad people do anything they want to us, but it is intended to point to the reality that the safety God is talking about isn't necessarily physical. Jim Elliott was safe in Jesus as he ministered to tha Auca Indians, but he laid down his life for Christ and the gospel's sake. Even in his death, he was safe in Jesus and that is all we are promised.
Day 4
From the Throne to Your Knees
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Rev. 19:4
Our yearning is to be in control of our own lives. We want to rule. We climb upon the throne and do all that we can to stay there. We decide so many decisions for ourselves without ever seeking the Lord's direction. When we do seek His direction, how long do we wait for an answer? I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but I know I usually do not wait long for a word from my Lord. I started searching the scriptures to see how often throne is talked about. In all instances but a few it is all about GOD on His throne, not us. It is all about His ruler-ship, His kingdom, and not ours. Our hearts are far from pure, our minds filled with self. We come by in quite honestly for wasn't that what the fall was all about? Eve wanted what she hadn't been given, and then so did Adam. They climbed up on God's throne and sat down. At the temptation they should have been crying out to the One who walked with them in the garden in the cool of the day. Instead, they ate, and passed on to us the sin and the consequences. I would like to think I wouldn't have done what they did, but the honesty in me recognizes that if it had been me I would have made the same mistake. I would have sinned the same way. We all yearn to rule ourselves. What we need to do instead is what these elders and living creatures are going to do. We read this in the past tense, but it actually hasn't happened yet. One day they will fall down and worship God on His throne. We should be climbing off the thrones of our lives now, and getting on our knees to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Our knees is a great place to live. From our knees we can look up remembering our Lord is enthroned in the heavens. From our knees we remember that we are dust, not worthy of grace, but receiving it because of His great love. From our knees we learn that we are not in control, but follow the One who is.
If you were to make a list of the different areas of your life, how many of them would you find yourself contending with God about so that you can be in control of them? Who is the real ruler of your heart? Remember to answer this honestly within yourself. Don't give the answer you think you ought to say, but speak the truth. What will you do to move from the throne to your knees so that you can worship Him, remember who He is, and learn at His feet?
Day 5
A Place Prepared
John 14:1-3
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you will be also."
Jesus gave these words to His disciples after telling them that He would soon be going to a place that they couldn't go to yet. These men, who loved Jesus, were fretting about Him leaving them behind. He gave them words meant to comfort them as they waited to join Him where He was going. Isn't it true that we we love people and the are far from us that our desire is to be reunited with them, to be where they are because we miss them? So too here with these men.
So, where was Jesus going to prepare a place for them? He was going to be ascending to the right hand of The Father in Heaven. There He would get a city ready for these men to occupy. In that city each one would receive their own space. This makes me think of sharing a room with my younger sister when we were young. I really wanted my own room! It wasn't because I didn't love my sister, but I just wanted space, a place to call my own. This place would allow me to relax and not worry about my mess, and having conversation when I just wanted to be quiet and still.
Heaven is a place, a real place. Jesus lives there, GOD The Father lives there, and that is the place where all who trust in Jesus as their Savior live too. This is a challenge emotionally for many. Why? Because many people believe that if they do their best, try hard to do right, and are reasonably good that they will go to heaven instead of hell. Many believe they will get there based on their own definition of morality and spirituality. When talking to people who believe this it is hard because it is exactly opposite what The Bible teaches. There is one way, one way only, to enter into God's rest, Heaven. It is through Jesus Christ. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Heaven is where God dwells. People who do not believe in God as He has defined Himself, and those that reject the One He sent to save them will not go to heaven because that is a place for only His children to live.
Jesus went to prepare a place? On what basis do you believe you will enter into that place, Heaven, and live with Him forever? Who do you say Jesus is? If you don't know Jesus yet, will you ask Him to reveal Himself to you so that you can go to live there in that prepared place when your time on Earth is done?
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