“Just Trust God”

“Just trust God.” You hear that a lot when you are going through a difficult time in you life. But it is so much easier said than done. What does trusting God look like when you’re facing circumstances that are scarier than you ever could have imagined? Or when you’re in a fearful time of waiting, your mind racing through all the possible unknowns? I hope this minister to anyone who going through a difficult time in their life right now.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things (Ecclesiastes 11:5).

There is no verse in the Bible that says, “Work to understand My plans exactly.” However, we find multiple verses about God’s plans being sovereign and hard for humans to comprehend and even more verses about trusting God.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.”

 

Isaiah 30:15 says, “In quietness and trust is your strength.”

So instead of trying so hard to figure out what God is up to, let’s focus on trusting Him for His best! And the quickest way to trusting God is knowing God. Study His character and His love, and grow deeper in your faith.

How can we know that we are really trusting God? First of all, we are happy to give our worries to Him, because we believe that He is sovereign and good. We invite Him into the mess and surrender our fears, allowing Him to work in his sovereignty. Also, we sense God’s promised peace. In the middle of a storm, we have a deep knowledge that God is there. In the words of Chris Tomlin, “I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side.”

Advertisement

Anxiety Free

This message is about “Being Anxiety Free” for everyone to reflect on. We could keep from having a lot of anxiety, grief and heartache that we encounter if we would seek the Lord in prayer about everything we do; if we would pray before we make any move or decision; and if we would pray when we are seeking a solution to a situation that we are facing. 

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”~ Philippians 4:6 

You may say “But I have prayed”. Did you? How did you pray? Did you pray with your mind already made up? Was your prayer a request asking God to bless what you had already decided to do? Was your prayer more of an effort to try to convince God that this was the right thing, or were you earnestly and sincerely seeking His will and guidance? More often than not, so many people when they pray about a matter they have already decided what they are going to do and they are just trying to get God on board with their plans. 

As long as you continue to pray like this you will continue to keep making mistakes and doing the wrong thing. And the result will be anxiety, grief, suffering, confusion and a myriad of other things. There was a reason why He said to acknowledge Him in all our ways. We don’t have the ability to direct our own steps. We don’t know the outcome before the beginning. We don’t know what is around the corner or in the future. But God does and He has a promise attached to acknowledging Him in all our ways– He will direct our paths. 

If you want to have the right answer, go in the right direction, do the right thing, have peace in your decisions, then stop going to God in prayer with your own plans and preconceived ideas of His answer. Humbly and sincerely seek Him, laying your own answers aside to hear from Him. If you will, you will stop anxiety from entering into your life.

Do you Need Rest from the Burdens that you are Carrying?

This message is for anyone who needs rest from their burdens that they are carrying. Are you soul weary?  Are you having a difficult time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?  Is your heart heavy for someone right now?  Do you just need a moment of rest, a moment to breathe, a moment to escape the downpour in your life?  Jesus has the answer.  He has made a way for you then just thank Him for always being there for us and giving us the rest we need to move forward. 

 “Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ~~Matthew 11:28

Do you ever feel like the world is crashing down around you? Like, if one more thing goes wrong you will collapse under the weight of it all? Where you are so stressed out, it just seemed like everything was going wrong. It really wasn’t, but it sure did feel like it was. This is a reminder that you are suppose to look to Him when you are weary, but with everything that was going on, it just seemed like you couldn’t. Does this make sense?

Have you ever felt that way or is that how you’re feeling at this moment? Where it seems like your life is all planned out for you and you don’t feel like you can live up to expectations. Or maybe it’s something different, but equally as weighty. It doesn’t matter what it is, Jesus calls us to come to Him when we are weary and burdened. We shouldn’t wait until it feels like we have the time, we need to make the time.

So do you feel weary or burdened at this moment? Just take a few moments to pray, or open your Bible and read His Word. As soon you do this and take that time today and turn to Christ you will feel so much better. You see, when we take that time to come to Him, He gives us rest. Right now, in the midst of that worry or issue or concern, the God of the universe is asking you to turn it over to Him. Let Him work it out in His timing and His perfect way. He lifts the weight off of our shoulders, and reminds us that it really is in His hands and that we need to trust Him. That doesn’t mean that everything will be downhill from there, it just reminds us that no matter how many bad things happen, He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Surrendering to the Lord!

Total Surrendering to Jesus is the Answer!

A Safe Harbor is Jesus

The heart of worship is surrender. Surrender is an unpopular word, disliked almost as much as the word submission. It implies losing, and no one wants to be a loser. Yet, the Bible teaches us that rather than trying to win, succeed, overcome, and conquer, we should instead yield, submit, obey, and surrender.

 

“Give yourselves to God … surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.” ~~Romans 6:13 

 

And by surrendering to God, we enter into the heart of worship. This is true worship: bringing pleasure to God as we give ourselves completely to him.

Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience, cooperating with your Creator. You say “Yes, Lord” to whatever he asks of you. In fact, “No, Lord” is a contradiction. You can’t claim Jesus as your Lord when you refuse to obey him. God is not a cruel slave…

View original post 93 more words

FINDING STRENGTH IN THE LONELY PLACES!

God loves you!

A Safe Harbor is Jesus

Whatever is overwhelming you in your life right now has a purpose to bring you closer to God. The winds of trouble and the storms of your life must all submit to the will of God for you. Our battle will never be stronger than the refuge and strength of your God! The bible tells us, “Weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. (Psalm 30:5) That means that every painful struggle has a timing for it to end. And it is only then that you will understand the power of God whose love for you never failed.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life (Psalm 138:7)

 

Have you ever been in a painful trial in life , which made you feel like you were all alone? The storms you face in this world can sometimes make you feel isolated…

View original post 297 more words

John 14:21

Looking for fishermen! Please help me find more followers for Jesus! Share this with someone! God bless you!

A Safe Harbor is Jesus

I often hear from people saying they long to have an intimate relationship with God, but they feel like whenever they pray and try to talk to God, all they got was silence. They would say the nature of God that was revealed in the Scriptures didn’t match up with what they were seeing in their own lives. They would ask me how are they supposed to know God’s will for their lives and follow His direction, if they couldn’t even hear His voice? “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”~ John 14:21

The thing we have remember that even though God loves each and every one of us, not all of us will experience that love. (That’s our choice)…

View original post 268 more words

Food for Thought

Please help me to reach more for Jesus and to help them know the freedom He can give one! Share!

A Safe Harbor is Jesus

These passages of scripture talk about two things…. giving to the needy and do not worry. It made me think this….. When it says that we are not worry because if God provides for the birds then why should we worry about Him providing for us? Think about this God doesn’t come by and drop the worm in the birds’ mouths..does He build their nests for them.. no! He gave them wings to fly about this world and find the worms that He provides. We as Christians who are saved are not saved to sit around and just wait on God’s provisions at times, but that we should get out and do what He has called us to do. If you are called to ministry then start ministering, you don’t need a church. God will bring and provide that church whether it be a building or a nation. Why did…

View original post 534 more words

Suffering….

Day-in-and-day-out pain or suffering is a difficult aspect of life. Whether that pain is physical or mental, there are people that live with daily pain. How do you do that? Why does God allow it? I’m surely not a theologian. I am just one of God’s children who is seeking His Way and His Truth in all facets of my life. My faith grows stronger as I talk daily with my LORD. He teaches me that every day is an opportunity to learn something more from Him.

Suffering for ………

“For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.”~ Psalm 22:24

The more I read the Bible the more I see that God is always looking at His children and His Kingdom. “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”  (James 4:14). It is the eternal life that God tries to teach us is the priority.

 

Throughout His Word, we can hear God’s assurance that He does see our pain and it does touch His heart. Paul, in speaking about his own suffering, tells us that hardship and pain bring perseverance and hope (Romans 5:2-5). James even says that the testing of our faith produces perseverance (James 1: 3-5). Most of us would not raise our hands to have the testing of our faith through pain and suffering. However, what these apostles have said is true.

 

It may be that when pain is a daily companion, it is even more important that God is an even closer companion. The understanding of how to continue to pray, like the persistent widow (Luke 18), for God to heal and yet continue to live with pain, is certainly an opportunity to spend a lot of time with God and grow in our relationship with Him. Answers may be slow to come and in their ability to provide peace to our spirit. But God is faithful and He will speak to our spirit with His Spirit and that can be a great relief.

 

Facing difficulties….

When we are in a crisis or are facing difficulties of some kind, or when we simply need direction in a matter, there are some things we can ask the Lord for which will help us to receive His very best.

First, we can ask the Lord for His perspective. Oftentimes, our view of a situation can be distorted by our emotions or strong desires. That’s one of the reasons why the apostle James instructed us to pray for wisdom whenever we are in a trial. He wrote: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV) The Lord will tell us the plain truth about our situation, and about our best options, if we ask Him to. Having God’s perspective in a situation is essential because it will help to determine our response. And our response is critical because it will determine our outcome.

God’s perspective will also enable us to adopt a thankful heart, to find something to be grateful for in our situation, something to praise Him for. Scripture says: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) A thankful heart not only pleases God, but it opens the door to His miracle-working power.

Secondly, we can ask the Lord for a promise for our situation. Asking Him for His promise is another way we can gain His perspective for our situation. God’s will for us is always victory, and He desires to give us His word of promise for our situation to fill us with hope, and to point us in the right direction. His promise reveals what it is He wants us to believe Him for. He challenges us in this way so that our faith in Him and His Word will grow.

God’s promises give us hope in seemingly hopeless situations. The author of Psalm 119 wrote: “Remember Your promise to me, for it is my only hope. Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” (Psalm 119:49-50 NLT) God’s promises have the power to raise our “hope level”. And having hope in our hearts can make the difference between victory and defeat. One promise that you and I can claim in every situation is Romans 8:28 (NLT): “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” In every trial, I like to declare, “God is good, and He will work this out for my good!”

Lastly, we can ask the Lord for His power. The apostle Paul was the perfect example of a victorious Christian. He lived his life totally dependent upon God and His strength, and some of his most heartfelt prayers asked for power for other believers. “[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy.” (Colossians 1:11 AMP) Once we have God’s perspective and promise for our situation, we can ask for His strength and power to do our part in the process of gaining the victory, even if it’s just to wait upon the Lord in faith until He acts on our behalf. Failing to wait upon God can make matters worse and lead to defeat.

No matter what you are facing today, the Lord has a plan for your good and His glory. Will you cooperate with Him to receive His very best? Thank You for the blessings, rewards, and opportunities I will receive as I wholeheartedly follow Your lead!

Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine!

Jesus knew what was ahead of Him, and He knew the reason, even so the struggle was intense, more wrenching than any struggle we will ever face. We need to say we want your will to be done. It takes firm trust in God’s plan, and prayer and obedience each step of the way. God desires that we pray that HIS will be done in our life. When we change our focus from our will to HIS will, then we put ourselves into the position that we can do great things for HIM. It is hard to be patient for the perfect timing of God, but if we change our focus from living our lives for ourselves, we will soon learn the true meaning of life. It is not what we can do in our own strength, but we have just learned to live when we can say to God, “Your will be done”!

“He went a little further, and bowed with his face to the ground praying, My Father! If it be possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” ~Matthew 26:39.

Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane, one night before HE fulfills God’s purpose for HIS life. Jesus was perfect and never sinned and HE was to be the perfect sacrifice so that we might have fellowship with the Father once again. Jesus knew HE was facing a huge trial. However, Jesus knew that this was HIS purpose in life and as such, HE was focused upon finish that which HE was called to do. Just as we have been promised that God will not bring a trial into our life that we are not able to handle, so also, Jesus was not facing a trial that God had not first given HIM the strength in which to complete.

This was not an easy day for the Son of God. However, HIS response to this trial should be an inspiration to all of us to keep our focus upon fulfilling God’s purpose for our life. Sometimes, in order to fulfill God’s purpose for our life, terrible things will happen to us. Stephen became a martyr so that the good news might spread. A man was born blind so that Jesus could heal him and God could receive the glory. Sarah was barren so that everyone would know that when it is time for God’s perfect will to be done, it does not matter how impossible the situation is, God can bring it to pass.

There are going to be times in our life when our trial sees too great for us. Jesus’ response to HIS trial should be on the forefront of our mind as we face difficult times. Our focus should not be upon ourselves and what we think we can do. Instead, we need to boldly pray, your will be done.

It seems like everyday I hear from someone who was going through a difficult time. and most the time they ask why this difficult thing was happening to them. They are frustrated with their circumstances. I also remind them that God had a purpose for the trial that they are facing. Some will tell me this particular trial they are going through has been going on for years, and I tell them it probably will keep on going until you learn the purpose of why God was allowing this trial to happen.

We do not run until we learn to walk. We do not walk until we learn to crawl. We do not crawl until we learn to roll around. So likewise, in our spiritual walk, God brings trials into our lives to help us grow closer to HIM. Until we learn to overcome the trials that are in front of us, we will never be ready to continue to grow in our walk with the Lord.

We often try to push things forward faster than they need to go because we do not fully understand God’s will for our life. It is important that we spend time seeking the Lord trying to understand what HIS will is so that we do not become impatient when things are not going according to our plans. We need to understand that is not about our plans and our agendas but that the most important thing we can do is submit to the perfect will of God.