Trusting God

"...look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18) All we can see around us will pass way - these bodies, our stuff, our careers. Let's focus on the things that really matter...a perspective we can only get by focusing on the Lord and His Word. There's much we don't understand now, but one day it will all come clear!

Many of us try to fulfill our duty as Christians but never even attempt the delight! "Rejoice in the Lord!" the Bible says. "Delight yourself in the Lord!" Engaging in the duty without ever moving into the delight leaves us feeling put upon and overworked. If you do your yardwork because everyone tells you to, you will always resent it. If you do your yardwork so you can enjoy your yard, then it is part of the enjoyment. Let's slow down and delight in the Lord so the duty does not become drudgery!

Thankfulness is one of those key building blocks for a firm faith foundation. It keeps us remembering what God has done for us in the past, so we will be confident He's going to continue being faithful in the future. Being intentionally thankful is a part of taking your thoughts captive that will keep you grounded in the Lord.

I know there have been times when sought the Lord but still felt empty and unsatisfied. This leads to becoming disillusioned and confused. Why isn't it working? For me, I've realized it's often because I may have come to the Lord, but I've continued to seek satisfaction in the things of this world as well. If I sit at the Lord's table, but continue trying to live on the food of this world, no wonder I continue to languish! It's like bringing fast food to a five-star restaurant! What am I even thinking? Finding satisfaction in the Lord requires seeking our satisfaction in the Lord and the Lord alone.

Fasting isn't something I was raised doing, but in the last few years I've come to see it as a valuable practice in my own spiritual life. It is a way to intentionally turn away from the flesh and toward the spirit - a physical way to say, "I want God more than I want anything - even my necessities." I also think it helps train us for spiritual battles to come. Turning to the Lord when you experience a hunger pang is practice for turning to Him when we face all kinds of earthly difficulties! We need to learn to see God as the only absolute solution for our need!

There are about a million reasons we don't pray, but the Bible says, we "do not have because we do not ask." (James 4:2) So, what are we waiting for?! I talk about some of the things that hindered my own prayer life: 1) It doesn't feel like God is hearing me/it's working. 2) God is sovereign, so He's going to do whatever He's going to do anyway. 3) I feel myself doubting, and the Bible says to pray without doubt, so I might as well give up. 4) I don't think I'm doing it right. The list could go on! But the bottom line is God wants to hear from us, and the more we pray, the more of Him we will see!

"We hope for what we do not yet see...." (Romans 8:25) If this weren't the case, then hope wouldn't even be necessary! God always tells us to hope and wait for the eternal things - the ones that can't be taken away - His Word, His promises, His love, and our eternal inheritance with Him. Too often, we end up putting our hope in the things we can see. Those things will always fade away. Everything in this life is temporary. Everything God wants to give us is eternal! So let's keep our focus on the things He has promised!

Belief is not just an intellectual assent. Real belief - real faith - will change how you live your life. Your every-day decisions will be affected, because you seek to follow God's biblical plan and the Holy Spirit even when you don't understand it, when it seems scary, and when others think you're doing the wrong thing. And acting out this belief requires knowing the Word of God! Because how can we believe Him if we don't know what He says? Belief is also not a feeling. You can be acting in faith even when you feel fear. God responds when we trust Him even when our emotions are in turmoil!

We're starting a new section here! I realized I needed to look at the proactive things we can do to build a firm faith on the front end so all of those obstacles don't overtake us! Faith can be made strong, and we should use all the tools in our arsenal to do so!

The world is constantly telling us all the things we need, and it's easy to listen. The voices are loud. But the still, small voice of the Lord says we only need Him. When we continue to try to fill ourselves with the things of this world, we'll continue to be disillusioned and empty. There's always one more thing to get, one more achievement, one more experience. Contentment cannot come that route, and "godliness with contentment is great gain." (I Timothy 6:6)

Regret will have you looking at yourself and feeling bad about it. Repentance turns your attention to the Lord. We may do things in life that we just can't fix. But we can always start there and get back on the Lord's path. If He redeemed David - a murderous adulterer - and Paul - a persecutor of Christians - then I think He has a place for you. Jesus came to the sick, not the well. If you were already good, you wouldn't need Him! So, don't let your regret keep you wallowing in the past. Give it to God, and move forward into Him!!

God had a lot of people in the Bible do things that didn't fit the societal norm...so why do we seem to think He only wants us to operate within conventional wisdom, the realms of common sense, or what we believe to be possible and achievable under our own strength? "For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." (I John 4:4) God may call us to step out beyond our own understanding, and we should be ready to do it in faith. Following the Lord often requires us to do things that don't make sense to the rest of the world - even other believers!

"Dreams?" you're probably thinking. "But those are good, right?" Yes, but not if we put them above our commitment to the Lord, which our society encourages us to do. We think the pursuit of our dreams is the height of our worth, purpose, and fulfillment. We forget what the Lord says our purpose is: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Too often, our dreams become little gods - and they don't make good ones.

Worry has us "fretting" though we are commanded to "fret not." The Lord knows and has told us not to be anxious even about what we should eat or drink or wear - our most basic needs. We waste years being anxious about these things and more. Like the disciples in the boat when the storm came, we ask, "God, do you even care?" But He is always there and knows just when His hand is needed. Never despair in the midst of trouble, but take it to the Lord!

It is very easy to begin relying on our earthly blessings when we have them...and really hard to let them go if it comes to it. But if the Lord asks us to give something up (as He did the rich young ruler), it's always because He knows we are trusting in something that will not satisfy. He isn't trying to be cruel and take away the things we love. He's trying to give us the ability to completely trust in Him - the only thing that will never disappoint! Everything in this life fades away. Hold it all loosely, and trust Him whether it is in the "giving or the taking away." (Job 1:21)

Hurry isn't usually a good look. It often makes us rude and impatient - two qualities which are never of the Lord. We can be in a hurry in the small things (late to work) or in the big things (I want that promotion!), but ultimately, hurry is always a lack of trusting in God's sovereignty. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Whoever believes will not be in haste.” Let's slow down and believe!

Laziness looks a LOT like distraction for me. I like to be busy...but sometimes I pick the things that don't stretch me instead of the tasks the Lord has put on my heart. From the outside, it still looks like I'm being resourceful, but inside I know I'm shirking the tough things! And, sometimes, I'm just plain ol' lazy! I want to do what *I* want to do. But I know that whatever I think I want to do with my time will never be as fulfilling as what the Lord would have me do - no matter how difficult that task may be. I want to invest my time wisely and one day hear the words, "Well-done, good and faithful servant."

Our world is so full of distractions. Some seem necessary, and some are simply frivolous, but they all fight for every moment of our attention. I've realized the only way to make the most out of days is to be attuned to the Holy Spirit and give God control of my time. I may not accomplish the things I thought I wanted to, but the days I do this are, without exception, the days I go to bed feeling at peace with what I did no matter how much is still on my to-do list. Jesus did not let others determine His priorities, and neither should we!

Suffering isn't an easy topic. It was my hardest chapter to write. It took me eight tries and about 15,000 words to write a 3,000 word chapter. I touch on some of the hard bits, and mostly what I know is that all the suffering here can't hold a candle to what God has for us in the next life. (Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:17-18) I also know that God has promised to work good from all things for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I never have to worry if my hardship is going to waste. God WILL use it to good!

Sometimes, we fail so badly, we just give up. But I'm here to tell you, there is no "too badly" for Christ to redeem you. Peter denied even knowing Christ after swearing he'd never do such a thing mere hours earlier. But Christ didn't give up on him, but reappeared in Peter's life, calling him back to a life in fellowship with the Savior. Whatever you've done, however badly you've messed up, your first move should be to run back to Christ. He is waiting for you!!

"I'm not enough." Many of us have that fear. The beauty of living in the Lord's path is that we don't have to be because HE IS. The little boy gave 5 loaves and 2 fish - not nearly enough to feed a crowd - but look what Jesus did with it. God doesn't need us to be enough. He only needs us to be obedient!

Wow, how writing this chapter hit me! I found myself recognizing all the ways I didn't trust God to be there for me because of things in my past. And watching Joseph remain faithful through YEARS that must've felt like abandonment was a beautiful reminder that God knows what He's doing! Joseph in sold and betrayed and imprisoned wasn't a mistake...God was putting him in the position to accomplish a great work and save many lives! If you feel abandoned in this life, don't lose heart! God can use us anywhere we are if we let Him!

Like the prodigal son, we often allow short-term pleasures to displace our long-term rewards. If only we could understand the beauty of God's inheritance for us! “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” (I Corinthians 2:9) Whatever we grasp and fight for here in this life will fade away, but God's eternal promises for us will go on forever!

We often doubt because we've stopped looking at God and started looking at the circumstances around us. Like Peter walking on the water, if we keep our eyes on Jesus instead of looking at the waves, we will have a far better chance of living with a consistent faith! But even when we doubt, we can take comfort in the verse: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) We can take even our doubt to the Lord and trust that He will help us with it!

This is one of my big ones. I don't like relying on other people...or on God. Moses probably believed he'd free the Israelites using his position and influence, but God's way was so much more powerful. Even if we lose the abilities we think we need, God can still work in amazing ways as long as we are obedient! Through our weakness, His strength is made perfect.

"Perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18 So many of us live in fear of all the dangers and evils around us. But we don't have to! In this episode, we follow David as he triumphs over fear to defeat Goliath even though he seems to be severely outmatched. God is never outmatched!

I find that my expectations often get in the way of my contentment. I thought I would have this or that by now, and my trust in God's promise begins to waver. Like Abraham and Sarah, I've tried to get what I want my own way, and it never works out well. Our expectations can be good, but they can also become idols we put in front of what the Lord is doing in our lives!

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 I started this book because I wanted to learn how to live every day in that verse. I believe God's promises are true, so why do I continue living stressed out and overwhelmed?