TRUSTING GOD

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  -  Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation

     The more we pray the less we worry. Worry, concern, anxiety are all human emotions – reactions to our circumstances. By worldly standards this is normal, but in God’s economy it is needless energy wasted. As followers of Christ we need to train ourselves to trust him more than the reality we see before us. It may seem callous for Paul to say bluntly not to worry about anything, but Paul knows that just like all the times before, God will come thru. 

     If the Lord knows all things, then why do we need to tell him what we need? It’s not for his benefit that we do that, but ours. We are identifying the need aloud. All we then need to do is rest in the arms of God and find peace. That’s not to say that we sit back and do nothing. We seek the wisdom of God regarding the matter and ask very specifically for his guidance in dealing with this worrisome situation.

     The peace that we experience even in the face of trials guard our hearts and minds so that we don’t spend endless hours fretting over that which we cannot change. Paul’s phraseology is perfect as he uses the words “as you live in Christ Jesus”. This is just another example of how we are to live our lives out. Seeking God’s will as we emulate Christ in all phases of our lives. Trust God in all things and be at peace. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

THE DEPTHS OF GOD

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Romans 11:33 New International Version

     If you lack wisdom or knowledge, dip into the deep resource that IS God. The conventional wisdom of this world cannot compare to the wisdom that is God, for He is the embodiment of wisdom and knowledge. His essence is truth. Everything about Him is eternal and everlasting. Nothing else on this earth can be spoken of in such a manner. All of creation is finite … the Creator is not. He was and is and always will be*. The knowledge and wisdom of God far surpasses anything that can be understood by mortal man.

     I don’t pretend to understand a whole lot in this life, but one thing that I believe I DO understand is that God cannot be contained. He cannot be limited. There are no boundaries when it comes to what God is capable of doing. I believe it to be literally true that no matter what situation you find yourself in at this very moment in time, one word from Almighty God CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING!

     There isn’t anything this side of heaven that makes any sense at all when it comes to God and all the riches He has at His disposal. So rest in God … rest in the knowledge that you don’t have to understand. He never asks us to. He only asks us to believe and trust in him. You are safe in His arms, in spite of your circumstances. Allow yourself to be at peace. God will never fail you. He will never abandon you. He will never let you down. Seek His face knowing that he cares for you just the way you are.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

*Psalm 48:14  New International Version - “For that is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die”; Revelation 1:8 English Standard Version - “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

ASK & YOU SHALL RECEIVE

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15 New International Version

     Believers come to a fork in the road when they are dealing with what to ask God for. Some feel, despite what scripture would indicate, that they can ask for whatever pleases them and receive it in the name of Jesus. Others understand that God is not a Genie in a bottle, but rather our Heavenly Father who has promised to meet all our needs. That typically doesn’t include our wants, however; the Lord may give us what we insist on to teach us a lesson. The truth of the matter is that God knows exactly what we need and with pinpoint accuracy, knows exactly when we need. As it turns out, it rarely seems to be when we feel we should have it.

     Notice that John focuses not on our will but the will of God. Our desires will begin to line up with God’s desires for us the more time with spend with him in his word. Feed your spirit man daily and you will best be able to utilize the gifts and blessings the Lord has placed at your disposal. 

     If we ask according to what we know to be God’s will for us then we can have confidence that we will receive an answer. Having confidence in God is something that is based on faith and trust. Over time it also involves an accumulation of answered prayers and non-coincidental circumstances. It’s a simple equation: God knows what he’s doing and we do not. Wouldn’t it be much better to listen to him the first time, rather have having to learn the same lessons over and over again? Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

EXERCISE YOUR FAITH

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”    Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation

     Faith is believing what cannot be seen as if it can be. Seeing thru the eyes of faith is what pleases God the most for it means you are receptive to his existence and his leading in your life. To believe in the existence of God is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. It’s that belief that bneeds to lead you into a deep, dynamic, personal relationship with the Lord. 

     Simply believing is nothing special because even the demons of hell believe (James 2:19-20) as they tremble and quake at the mere sound of his name. Seeking the will of God for your life is the desired result of your faith. If Christ never went to the cross for our sins, mankind would have no hope of redemption. In like manner, if we acknowledge him in our mind alone, yet do not allow him to change our hearts, we will also have no hope of redemption. Mere acknowledgement means little in the face of the great price that was paid. Christ didn’t endure a brutal death just so man could believe in God. What would be the point of that?

     Having faith will likely make little sense to those who do not believe. In this ‘show me’ society, having faith can tend to be nothing more than a buzzword - merely a fashionable thing to say. Just like someone saying they are not religious, they are ‘spiritual’. What does that mean? What we are talking about here is not religion, but a relationship of the most intimate variety. Regardless of your standing with God, draw closer, for you can never be too close to the Lord. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.