Thursday, May 28, 2009

Trust Him at all Times

Just trust God. We hear that phrase all the time, but do we really know what it means? Recently my 4 year old daughter, Holly, and I were swimming in a hotel pool. One thing you must know about Holly is that she is very timid in the water. This particular time, she cautiously held on to the side of the pool or sat on the steps; venturing out was not on her to do list. Living in Florida, I thought it was important for her to learn to swim, so what better time than now. I tried talking her into letting go of the pool wall; although, she wouldn’t trust me enough to let go. Eventually with a little persuasion, I got her to let go and trust me.

When we tell God that we trust Him, do we really mean it or do we stay clinging to our problem? Saying and doing are two completely different things. Many times we will say we trust God, but our actions contradict our confession. Real trust is not just a verbal statement. It requires “doing” on our part.

Real trust starts with letting go of our problem. This is the hardest part of trusting. We want to work out our own problems rather than intrusting them to God. We read in (Proverbs 3:5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; When we lean on our own understanding we are trusting in our own ability to deal with our problems. God is asking us to lean on Him for the answer to our problems. We were never created to carry the burdens of life alone.

When we learn to trust God with our lives, there is a place of rest that we come into. In Psalm 91:1 the Psalmist refers to it as a secret place. He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Where is this secret place? The secret place of God is a place where no harm can come. It is a safe haven that God’s people run to and find rest. It’s not a physical place but instead a state of mind. It’s when we fully give our burdens to the Lord and we have a deep peace abiding inside. (v.2) I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” This scripture refers to God as a refuge. A refuge is a safe place. What are we being saved from? No anxiety, fear or stress is welcome in the refuge God provides. Anxiety has a way of creeping in when we become burdened, but when we trust God and enter His secret place, not fear can overwhelm us.

God never said life would be easy. Although He did say He would be with us through it. Keep your eyes on Jesus and your trust in God. If fear and anxiety find an open door into your life, call out to God and run to His secret place, where fear and worry must flee.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Giving with a Pure Heart

2 Corinthians 9:7
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.