Trust
...now browsing by tag
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
“I’m nobody.” “I’m inadequate.” “I have no status.” “I have no talents or skills.” “I have nothing to bring to the table.” And the penultimate: “I can’t.”
Those are often short little comebacks we use when asked to do something out of our comfort zone, or when challenged by something out of our wheelhouse. We often shrink in fear because we just don’t think “we got it” or to put it another way: we think we don’t have the “it” factor (whatever “it” is).
Step back for a moment and take a breath. Imagine if some of the Bible characters said that and were paralyzed by fear:
- David was the runt of the litter. Not even his dad thought he could be a candidate for the next king.
- Gideon was hiding, crushing grain while in hiding out of fear of the Philistines, when the angel appeared to him and called him a “mighty man of valor.” 🙂
- Deborah became the only female judge because she was willing to trust God (unlike Barak, her counterpart).
- Peter was a blue-collar fisherman trying to keep his head above water (pun intended) making a living.
- Caleb and Joshua stood against the odds (10 other spies) to say, “We can do this. We can take this land.” They spent the next 40 years wandering the wilderness because the other 10 spies were able to convince millions of people to be afraid.
This brings to mind verses in I Corinthians 1. Verses 27-29 say, “Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” (NLT)
The world see humility and trust in God as silly, as a sign of weakness. Foolish is the word Paul uses. Little do they know God’s presence and power make all the difference in a believer’s life.
So…step out today in faith. Take that step which seems so scary, so unsure. Your nothingness, your inadequacy, becomes much in God’s hands.
Besides…can’t never did anything.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith, God's Plan, Inadequacy, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Story, Surrender, Trust
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024
Getting started is hard.
I suspect I am not alone. A long weekend that includes a holiday makes for a great escape from the norm. Mine was a little extra because Jo & I went to Ohio to watch our grandson play high school football on Friday night. After lunch with him on Saturday, we went back to the hotel room and basically vegged. We got together with Janna and Mike Saturday night and ate Mexican. After attending church with some long time friends on Sunday morning, we had lunch with them and then headed back home. I believe I chose correctly to come home Sunday and not wait until Monday. Monday, Labor Day, I went to the office to get my week started and then spent several hours in a storage that I want emptied by the time of my knee replacement in November. I made some headway but the holiday was appropriately named: I labored and probably sweat off a few pounds. We are giving away stuff in the storage. FREE always attracts attention. Today and tomorrow I am meeting some folks to get rid of some of that stuff. I know money can be made but why? It goes much quicker and I avoid the headache of pricing things. Besides, I have been blessed. Why not bless someone else?
But today is another story. I was tired last night when I went to bed. My body was saying, “Why did you do this to me today?” My knee was screaming at me and this morning it continued to whine. Cry baby! Oh, but the coup de grace was the skunk that decided to infiltrate my Mancave and make its way through the house. Did you ever wonder why God made certain animals? Then you remember they like mice and other insects. Do they like moles? They could live off the ones in my yard and never want for food. Then as I was getting my ice water the ice maker decided to overflow all over the kitchen floor. Anyway, you get the picture of my morning. Oh…did I tell you about the section of my drive here to the office that a skunk has decided to call his territory?
Needless to say I was not all that chipper this morning as I made my way to the office. I didn’t even feel like writing this devotion from home. But as God would have it I had started playing a song for Tami last night that we sang on Sunday morning. I didn’t finish but it was in the cue on Spotify when I got in my Pathfinder this morning. Let’s just say it was just what the Doctor ordered for my morning. I heard this song just a few weeks ago when Honor and Glory/Disciple showed up singing this song on Spotify. I had not heard it before even though I understand others have sung it. Here is the link to the song that slayed me this morning. The lyrics are in the video. Think about these verses from Psalm 62:6-8- “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. Oh my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.” (NLT)
My prayer is that it encourages you today as it did me.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's faithfulness, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Refuge, Rock, Trust
Thursday, July 25th, 2024
Besides sin, there is a trait common to all of us. This trait may not be all the time. It may not even be most of the time. In fact, it may only make its appearance occasionally. It strikes old and young; rich and poor; male and female; famous and not-so famous; white collar and blue collar; you name it.
That trait? Worry.
Even those who “give off airs” of having a peaceful demeanor and having it all together, deep down struggle with worry from time to time. I do. For the most part, I’m pretty easy going. I’m pretty accepting of my lot in life and accepting God’s ultimate plan (which I, of course, do not know). I do sometimes wonder what my life will be like say…5 years down the road. Will I be alive? Will I and my family members be healthy? Will I be stricken with cancer or some disease like dementia or Alzheimer’s?
Truth is: I don’t know. No one does. So when my mind goes wandering off into uncharted territory, I bring myself back to the present by saying, “Why worry about tomorrow? I certainly can’t change anything. Besides, today has enough trouble of it own.” 🙂 I also try to remember Bible verses that speak to that. Like “God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere men do to me?'” (Heb. 13:5-6). James reminds me that my life is a vapor-a morning fog-it’s here a little while, then its gone. (James 4:14).“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” (Ps.23:1) “The Lord is my light and my salvation-so why should I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1) And many more.
Worry is a killer. True, it can shorten a life. But there is more. It kills the idea of really living. If I’m worried about what will happen next, I can’t really step out in faith and see what God has planned with complete trust that He has me in the palm of His hand. A person can’t be really living if he is always asking, “What if?”
To borrow a cliche’ (which I really don’t like): “I don’t have to worry about the future because I know the One who holds the future.” Worry less; Live more.
{Note: All Scripture is New Living Translation}
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Future, God's Plan, Lifestyle, Opinion, Reflection, Trust, Worry
Wednesday, March 20th, 2024
Have you ever played the “what if?” game? You know how it works. You might make a statement and say, “What if I hadn’t…?” Or you might look back on something you have done, slapped your forehead and said, “I could have had a V-8.” Just kidding. 🙂 You might, however, say, “What if I had or had not done…?”
As an athlete (in my younger, former days) there have been times I was tempted to quit, to give up. to say the pain to continue was too great. I now look back and see that extra practice effort; that extra game effort; that push to get that rebound was worth it. I would have missed out on the prize-whatever it was. What if I had quit a tad bit earlier?
There’s an interesting story in the OT which has always captured my fancy. You can find it in 2 Kings 5. It’s the story of Naaman, the leprous, Gentile, military leader. He had a little Jewish girl as a servant who recommended he go see the prophet Elisha to be healed of his leprosy. Long story short: Naaman gets a letter from his king requesting safe passage for Naaman and an audience with Elisha. Elisha sends his servant to tell Naaman to wash 7 times in the Jordan River. He protests because the Jordan is muddy and, he thinks, inferior to the rivers in his home land. His soldiers basically tell him, “What could it hurt to do what the prophet says?” So he does. Seven times and he comes up clean! No more leprosy!!
Here is your list of “what ifs?”
- What if he had refused to dip in the Jordan?
- What if he had stopped at #6 out of frustration or disbelief?
- What if he had thought this was effort in futility?
- What if he had blown off the servant girl’s suggestion? You know…kids don’t know squat.
We are often hamstrung by the “what ifs” in our life, missing out on blessings God wants to give us by being paralyzed by the “what ifs.” So we short-change ourselves.
Take it from Naaman. The what ifs can be crippling. Break through them and see what God has on the other side.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Scripture look, Trials, Trust
Thursday, August 3rd, 2023
Today is the first day of school in the county in Indiana in which I live. Several of the teachers attend the church I pastor. Some of them are new to our system so there is a little nervousness involved. And even though they may have taught somewhere else, or even here, there is a struggle with confidence. Not necessarily of being able to teach but not being sure of what’s ahead. That is to be expected since we don’t have a crystal ball that will tell us what it will be like. Truth be known: that is in all of us to some extent, but maybe more so with a new teacher in a new grade and new surroundings on the first day.
It isn’t surprising then that God would lead me to start reading Proverbs again beginning August 1. Today’s reading-August 3-finds a familiar passage in chapter 3: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Good advice for every teacher. Every student. Every factory worker. Every line worker. Every computer geek. Every dad. Every mom. Every student. Every pastor. In fact as you can see…E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E.
No matter what you do…trust Him. He’s got your day in His hand. He’s got your class/job/family in His hand. He’s got Y.O.U. in His hand.
Posted in InTheShadow | 12 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Plan, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story, Trust
Wednesday, May 31st, 2023
There is a saying you may have heard or will hear from time to time: “You can take that to the bank.” When a person uses that phrase it means “what I have said to you is a sure thing.”
The Bible is filled with “take-it-to-the-bank” moments:
- “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10
- “We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Romans 3:23
Can anyone really argue with the logic-and the TRUTH-of those two statements? I think not. There is not a person on this planet who think someone is perfect and has never sinned or done anything wrong.
There are many other statements you can take to the bank. Let’s give another scenario: You are feeling overwhelmed. You are feeling alone. You are feeling like you are drowning. You are anxious. You feel abandoned, like you are in a boat in the middle of an ocean without a paddle. You are being tossed around by a storm and YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT. But God’s take-it-to-the-bank words come to you in the nick of time to reassure you: “You are not alone. We are in this together. I promised you I would never leave your or forsake you. You belong to me. Trust me. You are safe.” I’ve just given you a different take on the passage that says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” He says, “I am with you, even to the end of time.”
Those words-trusting those words-turn panic into peace; bad news into good news; fear into faith; confusion into calm. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you in my righteous right hand.” (ESV)
And…You can take that to the bank.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Word, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Prayer, Reflection, Suffering, Trust, Truth Telling
Monday, March 6th, 2023
This past Saturday afternoon Jo and I went with some friends to see Jesus Revolution. It has surprised many pundits at the box office, taking in more than they ever predicted or maybe even dreamed of. My purpose here is not to give a review but to make a point about one of the characters.
The movie is about the early “story” of Pastor Greg Laurie’s search for meaning and hope in a world gone mad (some things never change do they?). It was a lesson though that Pastor Greg learned many years later-far removed from those Jesus Movement days-that sticks with me. On July 25, 2008, Greg’s son, Christopher, died in a car accident he was responsible for. As you can imagine, Greg was devastated beyond words. I have 2 daughters and I simply cannot imagine the grief and pain I would feel if they were taken from this life.
But through his pain, Greg received some great words of wisdom from his mentor, Pastor Chuck Smith. Smith said,
“Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
With that in mind, what do I know?
- I know that God loves me.
- I know that God wants what is best for me (even though I can’t see it).
- I know God has a plan for my life and knows the end of my days.
- I know God has promised to never leave me or forsake me.
- I also know God doesn’t always give me what I want and sometimes I have to wait for His answer.
Sometimes God doesn’t answer prayers as quickly as I want or would like Him to. But He will not let me down. Delays are not necessarily denials. Sometimes we have those dark nights of the soul.
So…the next time you or I feel abandoned; the next time you or I feel alone; the next time you or I feel God is not listening “Don’t ever trade what you know for what you don’t know.”
I heard it said recently: “Feelings are a great check engine light, but a terrible GPS.” Don’t trust your feelings. Trust the ONE whom you know.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Ministry, Opinion, Perseverance, Reflection, Story, Suffering, Trials, Trust
Tuesday, August 9th, 2022
Have you ever read a passage of Scripture-least you think you have-and not have it register? Then one time you read it and BAM! the light goes on. This morning was one of those times.
The Scripture in the spotlight: Isaiah 37: 14-20. (Please take a moment and read it).
Sennacherib (S), the Assyrian king, planned to invade Judah. He sent his lackeys to threaten and badger Hezekiah into surrendering and not trust God. God surely would not save them. Outgunned and out-manned, Hezekiah does something totally unusual: he takes the letter from S, reads it, then heads to the temple and lays it out before God. Then he prays. It was not an “I’m scared spitless and don’t know what to do” kind of prayer. It was simply a prayer that acknowledged God’s power and might, Hezekiah’s weakness against S, and his trust that God would save them.
God answers Hezekiah’s prayer through Isaiah. I like the words Isaiah says in verse 21: “Because you have prayer to me (God) about S…” God is acknowledging Hezekiah’s correct response to the threat.
Now watch the result. Verses 36-38 -> 185,000 Assyrians dead. Not by Hezekiah’s hand or his army. “The angel of the Lord went out and struck…” Hezekiah didn’t lift a finger. S went home in disgrace and was eventually assassinated by his own sons.
Hezekiah averted a disaster by going to God first. What a great lesson! Instead of moving in his own strength (to sure defeat); relying on his own army; or even surrendering to S, he went to God and laid it all out before Him.
There’s gotta be a lesson there! 🙂
“Father, may I not fret and worry and scheme in my own strength. Let me bring it all before You, lay it all before You, and trust You implicitly. “
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, God's Plan, Opinion, Prayer, Reflection, Scripture look, Surrender, Trust
Friday, July 9th, 2021
I apologize for the late entry and also the light entry. We left Ohio early so I could get back for an appointment. After the appointment I did some office work, we went to the Owen County Fair then came home and vegged. So I am sharing something short and late with you this morning. It is from Bob Goff’s book, Live in Grace-Walk in Love:
We don’t need to have all the information to start; we just need courage to take the first step. Don’t worry about next week’s potential problems. Give today everything you’ve got. Our stories are written as we live, so live fully. Our love is refined as we give it away genuinely, so love the people around you authentically. Let the story you’re writing be a page-turner.
Starting out on a task is hard, especially because we can’t see the end. We have no clue what the future holds (even with a DeLorean). 🙂 But we will never know the impact we may make or the influence we may have or the lives we may touch unless we get started.
“Father, help me to trust you in spite of the fact that I don’t know the end. But you do and that should be all I need to know.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Christian Living, God, God's Plan, Opinion, Story, Trust
Thursday, June 17th, 2021
I learned a valuable lesson last night.
Let me explain. Jo and I had a great day together. It was our 48th anniversary and we just took our time and did different things. I’ll not waste your time with that but by the end of the day things had changed. No, I didn’t get mad at her or she me. A glaring checkbook mistake colored my evening. Again, I ‘ll not bore you with details.
But it clouded my evening. That, and a few other “dumb” things, changed my mood. And I’m not a moody person. I went to bed extremely agitated (again highly unusual). I was at fault for the mistake. But so was a local business. I told Jo two things as we lay there waiting for sleep to come: 1) Smart pills are needed-for me for the bone-headed mistake- and also for them for not seeing it and calling; and 2) I told her I was going to have trouble sleeping and may end up going to my chair (which also broke last night). Her words to me were calm and spot-on words, words I needed to hear. As a result of listening I. SLEPT. LIKE. A. BABY! Except for when I needed to turn over to my other side to relieve the hip which now hurts as a result of the hit-n-run while riding back in November of ’16. That pain was also another fun part of my day.
The Bible says not to let the sun go down on your anger. I’d also say we should not allow the sun to go down on our fretting and stewing and worrying. The Bible even speaks to that: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)
It is true the situation is still in front of me, even as I sit here this morning writing this. But even then I cannot even begin to do anything until the business opens in 3 1/2 hours.
“Father, I have a choice: Stew or Trust. With your help, I’m going to trust. Wait. Rely. Give my worries to You.”
Posted in InTheShadow | 2 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God, Opinion, Reflection, Story, Trust
