Category Archives: Faith / Trusting God

Faith / Trusting God, Guide, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prayer

I Delight To Do Your Will, O My God

How many of us truly delight in doing the will of Jehovah? To delight in doing His will goes well beyond just knowing and obeying His will. It reflects a deep and passionate relationship and trust in Him. There are times where I delight in doing His will… but there are still times where I am choosing to do His will because I want to serve Him. I do not always delight in doing His will.

Psalm 40

     1I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

      2He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

      3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD.

      4How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

      5Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

      6Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

      7Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

      8I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

      9I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O LORD, You know.

      10I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

      11You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

      12For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.

      13Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
Make haste, O LORD, to help me.

      14Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

      15Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

      16Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The LORD be magnified!”

      17Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Pray with me that Jehovah will help you to understand His will, and want to do His will and even delight in doing His will. I will share this parting thought. The more time I spend with Him in prayer and study and the more I choose willfully to obey His instructions… the more often I truly delight in doing His will. It has a lot to do with continuing to actively develop a relationship with our heavenly Father. It has much less to do with always understanding and agreeing with what He tells us to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer, Speaking, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Sometimes We Must Fight, Even When God Fights For Us

Faithful followers of Jehovah seek to learn His ways and seek to know His voice and obey it. He is our wonderful Creator and He cares for His people. We can turn toward Him and trust in Him even when we come under attack and encounter adversity. Sometimes He will just take care of the situation on our behalf, but often He expects us to demonstrate our faith by participating. He may deliver the victory, but we are expected to show our faith by taking clear and decisive actions that show we trust in Him.

In Exodus 17, Moses did not just pray for Jehovah to wipe out Amalek and then sit and wait for Amalek to come. Moses sent Joshua to go and lead their people in battle physically while Moses than went up on the hill to call upon Jehovah’s power.

Exodus 17:8-16

Amalek Fought

      8Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. 9So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. 13So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

      14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; 16and he said, “The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

In this example, the people still needed to fight. They needed Jehovah for the victory, but they had to take up arms and go to battle. This is a common pattern throughout scripture… Jehovah expects His people to take decisive action demonstrating their faith and then He brings the victory. Gideon, Daniel, Shadrach, Meschac and Abednego all had to make choices about their actions that demonstrated their faith. Jehovah did not spare them the confrontation. Elijah had to leave to escape Ahab and Jezebel, even though Jehovah provided for him. It is not always for us to literally go to war, but we are often called to take decisive action to confront the situation while also seeking Jehovah’s help to win.

We should caution ourselves to avoid the assumption that when we call upon Jehovah to help us somehow we will be spared the confrontation or the battle. We must demonstrate courage and faith, but we can be encouraged knowing He is fully capable of delivering the victory every time.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Miracles, Mockers, Obeying God, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Patience of Our Father

Good parents exhibit patience with their children when they are learning to obey. Jehovah is no different. He is our heavenly Father. He loves His people. When He brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, He understood that they would need to learn to obey Him. He was not surprised. As such, Jehovah exhibited great patience in dealing with them as they complained and whined about Pharaoh’s army and then food and water. Each time, Jehovah protected them and provided for them.

Exodus 17:1-7

Water in the Rock

      1Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. 2Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, “Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “What shall I do to this people? A little more and they will stone me.” 5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”

Though Jehovah was patient and merciful with His people in this example, we should not take His patience for granted and we should not deliberately put Him to the test.

Luke 4:12

12And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”

As we spend time with our children to teach them and help them grow, we eventually expect them to mature in their understanding, obedience, and respect.  Similarly, our Father in heaven expects this from us also. Let us strive to trust and obey our heavenly Father and praise Him for His patience with us as we grow in maturity, faith and understanding.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Suffering / Adversity

When Times Are Tough, Show God’s Stuff… Don’t Pout And Sit It Out

When things go wrong in your life, do you pout and sit it out, getting mad at Jehovah? or Do you let God’s light and love shine through you? Imagine if people lied about you and tried to kill you. Then you were arrested and left in prison without a trial for years. By the, way… you did nothing wrong. Then you are sent to another city for trial and the boat you are on wrecks and you are stranded on an island. And all this happens to you while you are following God’s agenda for your life faithfully. All of this happened to Paul. He could have become upset and bitter or angry at God and refused to continue walking in faith and sharing God’s word, but he did not. He remained faithful to God through it all and God continued to bless him and protect him… though not perhaps in the way most of us would expect if we asked God for a blessing.

Acts 28:1-10

Safe at Malta

      1When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. 3But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 6But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

      7Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. 8And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. 10They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.

God did not release Paul from prison… He used the experience to let Paul witness before rulers and kings. God did not protect Paul from a shipwreck while Paul was traveling where God wanted him to go… He used it to let Paul witness to people he would not have otherwise met. However God did still protect Paul from the snake, to the glory of God’s kingdom. God’s ways are not our ways. We do best to trust Him anyway, even when we do not understand.

Ask yourself in what ways you may be allowing yourself to be angry or bitter or even a bit disappointed in God based on things not working out exactly like you want. Then go humbly before God in prayer to ask forgiveness for this and ask His help for you to live more joyfully even through tough times. It is when things are darkest that God’s light shines brightest through us… if we let it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Protector / Deliverer

Taking The Long Way… On Purpose

After terrorists flew planes into the twin towers in New York years ago, many people were shaken and actually turned toward Jehovah for answers. I know a single mother who has been through a lot of trials, and her faith in God has come out stronger than before she endured them. I have read about a particular online blogger who is doing very well today, but first went through a season of unemployment that seemed to be quite scary. Now, he readily praises God in that that situation in his life prepared and seasoned him to be more faithful and trusting of God in his life. In my personal life, the worst failures I endured have brought me closer to God and strengthened my relationship with Him.

We see this same theme throughout scripture over and over. Joseph and David were seasoned and prepared by God through difficult times to be better able to be faithful to God and obey Him.

The same is true when God led the people out of Egypt and into the wilderness. The journey did not take long because God got lost. God was actively and intentionally preparing His people along the way for what He knew was to come later.

Exodus 13:17-22

God Leads the People

      17Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. 19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

When things do not go the way you expect, when God shows you something He is going to do in your life, but you seem to be taking the long way to get there… prayerfully turn to God and ask Him to help you be patient and learn the lessons He has planned for you. Do not consider it a failure just because something does not happen quickly, in your desired timing.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Suffering / Adversity

I Go To Prepare A Place For You

When I experience pain and suffering in this world I find much comfort and joy in knowing that Jesus has prepared a place for His disciples. Scripture tells us that we will have suffering in this world, but take heart, Jesus has overcome death and prepared the way for all of His disciples to follow when we leave this world.

John 16:33

33“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 14:1-6

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

      1“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And you know the way where I am going.” 5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

There is little comfort in this statement for those who do not submit to and follow after Jesus wholeheartedly. Those who reject Jesus will go to hell when they die. For those who are disciples after Christ, it is life giving water. We will be with Him for eternity in heaven. It is an extremely important choice… and we each have to make that choice. The offer expires for each of us when we die.

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Encouragement, Faith / Trusting God, His Timing Not Ours, Persecution / Glorifying God, Promises, Protector / Deliverer

The Lord Is Good To Those Who Wait For Him

It is easy to get discouraged at times when we feel as though we are doing what God has commanded, but we do not see the results coming as quickly as we expect. We trust Him, but then we also expect to see results and quickly. We may find encouragement in reminding ourselves to be patient and trust in God while we continue to do what He has commanded. His ways are not our ways… they are better.

Isaiah 55:8-9

      8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.

      9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

As we continue to submit to and follow God in our lives, we come to realize that not only does God do things differently than we expect in terms of “how”… but often He does things differently in terms of “when”. We tend to be impatient and look for quick results. It can be discouraging at times, but be encouraged and place your trust in God and in His timing.

Lamentations 3:25-26

25The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.

26It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the LORD.

Isaiah 40:31

31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Even Moses was discouraged  when things did not turn out well at first (Exodus 5)… and God actually told Him ahead of time that Pharaoh would not let the people go until God compelled him to do so (Exodus 3:19-20).

Exodus 3:19-20

19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.

Exodus 5

Israel’s Labor Increased

      1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labors!” 5Again Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9“Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

      10So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11‘You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.” 14Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

      15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16“There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17But he said, “You are lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18“So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must not reduce your daily amount of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were waiting for them. 21They said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have made us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

      22Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23“Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”

Often the immediate results we face when we begin a mission for God do not appear to be successful or turn out the way we expect. We do well to remember to be patient and continue to obey God’s instruction, put our faith in Him, and wait upon His timing.

Are there any areas of your life where you are discouraged? Always good to humbly and prayerfully consider if you are obeying what God instructed you to do. If so, continue to come before Him for help and continue to obey His instruction… and wait upon His timing for the results. God is never late… He is never early… He always completes something precisely when He intends to.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Can God Use Me?, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Miracles, Obeying God

If God Calls You To A Mission, He Will Help You Complete It

When God calls us to complete a mission, He will often test and grow our faith by challenging us with something outside of our comfort zone. God does this intentionally. It requires no faith if God asks us to go do what we can do on our own. Imagine if God asked us to tie our shoes… does that have any opportunity to bring glory to God? to build our faith? No. It is something we can do by ourselves without God’s help.

When God calls us to a mission that is obviously stretching us beyond our own ability, we must obey and rely on Him to successfully accomplish it. It can be more than a little intimidating, even for those we think of as heroes or legends of faith.

Exodus 3:10-22

The Mission of Moses

      10“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

      13Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 16“Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17“So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18“They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22“But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses is immediately intimidated by the instructions. He humbly questions if he is the right person for God to send.

11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

God’s response is to reassure Moses that God will be with him and to give specific instructions. God was not upset or surprised that Moses was fearful.

12And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

God continues to reassure Moses that he will not be alone and also shares specific details about what is to come and how Moses will succeed with God’s help.  God will not always share the details with us before the mission begins, but in the case with Moses it was in deed an imposing mission and God took extra care to encourage Moses.

God will not ask each of us to accomplish such an intimidating mission as He asked Moses… but He does call us to obey His word and at times He still gives His people specific missions to accomplish in His name. We can find comfort in knowing that God will be with us and help us to accomplish what He asks of us so long as we obey Him faithfully. We do not have to complete the mission alone on our own strength.

Do you feel like God has called you to accomplish a specific mission, but are afraid to step out in faith and begin the journey? You are not alone. Even Moses was fearful when God asked Him to take on a mission.  Trust in God and obey.

If you don’t believe you have heard from God for a specific mission, then you can start by focusing on the commands He has provided to all of us who follow Him in His word, the Bible.

Identify one specific task you can undertake immediately (today or this week) that is consistent with God’s word, but you have put off because you are intimidated by it. Ask God for help in prayer and get started! (Hint: You do not need to start by confronting Pharaoh, perhaps something simple like sharing your faith with someone or helping someone.)

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Hope, Worry/Anxiety

When Should A Christian Worry?

We are all subject to be tempted to worry about a great many different situations. There are many trials and sorrows in this world. As a Christian, however, Christ calls us to faith in Him rather than to dwell in worry over whatever situation we find ourselves. That does not mean we are pretend bad things do not happen or fail to make wise decisions to seek out positive outcomes… of course we are to plan carefully and make decisions wisely. The Bible, Proverbs in particular, provides much wisdom and guidance for helping us make good decisions and actively honor God with how we live our lives and the choices we make. However, we are not to dwell in worry and give Satan a chance to use it to defeat our walk with Christ. Worry steals our joy and reflects weakness in our faith. We must instead focus our efforts on seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness in our lives. Don’t take my word for it… let us explore what Jesus taught in regards to worry.

Matthew 6:25-34

      25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

      34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We are reminded elsewhere in scripture as well to remain firm in our faith even when we face difficult or disappointing circumstances.

Romans 8:28  28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

When we face trials and circumstances where we may feel overwhelmed… trust in God. Our God is bigger than any circumstances we face.

Romans 8:31  31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Psalm 34:4  4I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 42:5  5Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

I never want to trivialize the difficulty of overcoming worry, but rather point to God’s word and remind us of the truth that we are not to worry, but put our faith in God and trust in Him. Part of trusting in Him is studying and obeying His word in making our decisions and how we live our life. We also are called to pray and seek His help with humility and confident faith.

Faith in God is not just collapsing in a ball and doing nothing to improve our circumstances and then blaming God for a poor outcome. Faith in God is obeying His word and then asking for, listening to, and obeying His instruction.  Faith typically requires action on our part. Noah heard God and built the boat. Gideon heard God and led the army, repeatedly sending soldiers home. Moses heard God and then went before Pharaoh.  David demonstrated faith through action even as a youth by coming against Goliath.

None of these Bible heroes asked God sat around taking no action. Noah did not tell God to build the boat for Him. Gideon did not just ask God to defeat the enemy without getting involved. Moses did not tell God to just free the Hebrew people without him going to Pharaoh. David did not just sit down and complain about the giant, Goliath, and ask God to make him go away. Neither did they dwell in worry about the situations they faced. They sought God and then took action consistent with faith in God and God’s word!

Matthew 7:7-8 also provides a good reminder that we are to be active in seeking and obeying God, not passive and filled with worry.

Matthew 7:7-8  7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Thankfulness

Reflections On Life, From One Who Nears The End

Many have rightly observed that as someone approaches the end of their life, they often have increasing insight into what was really most important… about what they did right and what they should have done differently. Sometimes even those who spent their whole lives pursuing some idol, such as money and power, begin to realize how empty that pursuit really was. How much more wisdom can we gain, then, from listening to a righteous man as he reflects on his life and walk with God.

Genesis 48

Israel’s Last Days

      1Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim with him. 2When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. 3Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5“Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. 6“But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their inheritance. 7“Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

      8When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well.” 12Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his face to the ground. 13Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them close to him. 14But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn.

15He blessed Joseph, and said,
“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

      16The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
Bless the lads;
And may my name live on in them,
And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

      17When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20He blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

21Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22“I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

Israel found his relationship with God to be of highest importance. He reflected back on the promises God made and spoke of them in complete confidence that they would come to pass even though he did not yet see it with his own eyes. There is no hint of regret or lack of faith that God’s promises were not yet fulfilled as of the end of Israel’s life. Rather there is a confident faith that they are in the process of being fulfilled.

Israel valued family… in particular the family he had once lost and then had restored. He did not complain to God that Joseph had been lost, but rather gives glory to God that he was able to see not only Joseph again but also his children.

It was of high importance to Jacob to pass along his blessing to Joseph and Joseph’s sons. Once again, this demonstrates strong faith in the multi-generational promise of God.

There is no bitterness or fear in Israel. He reflects on the loss of Rachel and the sorrow he experienced in that, but gives every confidence from this record in scripture that he is prepared for death, prepared to continue his journey with God beyond the confines of this earthly life.

Reflect on your life for a few moments. Do not rush it. Does your life reflect the values that Israel reflected on at the end of his life? Are you satisfied you are living for God and obeying His commands? Does your life reflect God’s will or your own? Do you have a relationship with God in which you hear His specific directions for your life? Do you seek Him in prayer, study His word, and give honor, praise and thanks to Him consistently?

Are you satisfied with your family relationships?

Do you hold any bitterness or resentment toward others or God?

What changes do you think God wants you to make?

Whether you find yourself nearing the end of this life or anticipating decades yet to come, take time to evaluate your life. Humble yourself to be willing to admit, to yourself and to God, that you should make some changes and then go about making those changes while you still have time. None of our tomorrows are promised to us, no matter what are age and health may be.

Are you ready for what comes next after you die in this world?

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.