Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Trust God

The words that Frank used in his lesson Sunday have just rolled around in my head and my heart over the past few days. I know his words made an impact on many because I have seen many others post on this subject. His lesson was based around an intention he set for himself this year and really challenged us as a congregation to set for ourselves as well.

Trust God No Matter What, No Matter What Trust God

These words kind of flow off the tongue and sound so beautiful but as most of us know we live in the real world and the real world is messy and tough and just downright painful sometimes and for some of us most of the time if we are being totally honest. He made it clear that he understood that and he wasn't saying this as a person who hasn't seen and been privy to many of those moments where trust gets tested and the times get real. He gets it and we as humans get it don't we? Those hard moments that you get a lump in your throat and think....THIS is what I am trusting God for? THIS moment right here? How, why, what? Even as I type this I can think of those moments in my life and they all to quickly come rushing back as I get tears in my eyes. I bet you have some that come to the surface as well. Through the tears though I know that those times I chose to trust God in he never failed me. He gave me what I needed daily to get through them and to help me grow. He is so good and if we want a sure bet to place our trust in God is it. He will never fail us.

I guess the intent of this post is not to dwell on those times that the trust part came into play so much as to see what it would look like or take for us to live every day with that mantra. This looks at it from a slightly different angle that he took Sunday.

So from there we are left with what next? What is it going to look like to TRUST GOD in a no matter what kind of way? What is it that he is asking you and me to TRUST him for today? In the past? We have plenty of scriptures that tell us where we need to place our trust and why. We know them and for most of us those are written on our hearts but when times get tough we still have a tough time relating the scripture to the real life question we have, decision that needs to be made or turmoil that we are going through at the time.

Today I came across a word that I felt like summed up what he is asking us to do in one word and kind of connected the dots for me. That word is ABIDE. If I had done that thing at the beginning of the year where I picked a word I think this would have been my word. Even just saying it gives me a peace. Abide basically means to remain. So when we abide in Christ we remain in him. I mean that sounds easy enough but what does that require from us? It requires an authentic relationship with Christ. This looks like someone who is constantly placing his or her trust in God by talking daily to him through prayer and just casual talking to God like you do your friends. I know that it may seem weird or odd (especially) if you are in the car but just talk to him. Sometimes I talk out loud with my kids in the car and they get so confused asking who I am talking to. I just say mommy is praying and talking to God. They don't get it now really but one day they will appreciate those moments....hopefully. God is our ultimate advisor and although you won't get an audible answer I guarantee if you look around you will get answers to what you are looking for. Through a person who says exactly what you need to hear to just a little God-wink is what I call them. God has so many ways of communicating things to us if our hearts are open and we are abiding in him.

One article that I read on this subject said its like being inseparable when you are abiding in Christ and that you are a visible extension of HIM. Think of your best friend in the world and how you can't wait to text that person when something good happens and likewise when something bad happens. They are almost an extension of you in a way. If someone wants to know something and they know you are that good of friends they may ask you something about the other person and usually you can answer that question. Because you know each other so well! That is the kind of relationship I believe it takes to TRUST GOD the way that we were challenged to trust. God has to be our default in all times and all situations not just the tough ones. When we are happy, when we are sad and all the times in between. So when those moments come that are tough to swallow and tough to bear we literally have Christ shining through us because we are so strong in the spirit and we have no doubt that we are trusting him wholeheartedly and that trust will bring us closer to him and his will for our lives.

That is powerful stuff to me and I pray to you too. I wax and wane like anyone else but this week has inspired me to go back to my prayer journal. Every so often I take a break from it thinking I have this whole relationship with God thing nailed which is absolutely the most absurd but I am human and sometimes we think we have just "got this down". The truth is I don't and we don't. We have to choose to abide in Him every day of our lives. When he is in us (really in us) those decisions we pray over, those answers we so desperately seek and those quiet moments that hurt so much will all be satisfied. Our needs will be met and we will so clearly hear in our hearts that it is going to be ok and all we have to do is

Trust God No Matter What, No Matter What Trust God


Today as I think about all my friends who are going through hard things I just challenge you like I challenged myself this week to find what way works for you to help you ABIDE in HIM. For you it may not be a prayer journal but seek out what speaks to you and engages you. It may be post it notes of scriptures all around your house that when you see them it prompts a conversation. It may be a physical prayer partner. Someone you spend real time in prayer with every week. Whatever it is....I urge you to seek out what will bring you to this abiding type relationship with Christ and ultimately lead to the trust we want to have and Christ so lovingly wants for us. 



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