Trust - 3

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

This week I have been looking into the difference between the words 'believe', 'trust' and 'faith'.  In checking them out in Strong's Bible Concordance I find them to be quite similar which is not very surprising, but I thought it worth the exercise.  Believe is to support, confirm, be faithful and uphold.  Trust is to have confidence in, trust in, be bold, be secure. Faith means firmness, fidelity, steadfastness and steadiness.

I thought this picture illustrates quite well the belief, trust and faith of the people who live in these 'island homes' and use this walkway which connects them to the mainland.  To me the bridge/path looks uneven and not particularly safe yet I am sure these people use the path confidently on a regular basis.  They probably don't even think about whether or not it will hold them because they are familiar with it and have gone this way so many times.  If I were to go for a visit, (perish the thought), I know that I would want a walking stick for extra balance and I know that I would have to watch my feet every step of the way, because my confidence in the safety of the path would not be strong.

When Joshua was given the incredible responsibility of leading the Israelites into the promised land God spoke these words to him, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God [is] with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9.
Even though Joshua had spent much time alone with God in the tabernacle and much time in the presence of Moses where miracle after miracle had kept the people alive in the wilderness, God still had to encourage Joshua with these words to build his faith.

There come times in our lives when God requires us to step out on new and unfamiliar paths that will stretch our confidence and even our willingness to trust Him.  Those are the times we need to go back to His promises and support our faith with the faithfulness and truth of His Word.  The Word is the foundation for our belief, faith and trust in Him who is always faithful.  It is our 'walking stick' if you like which aids us greatly in our times of walking in unfamiliar territory.

I have written this before but it is a good illustration from my own experience.  In 1976 when we were preparing to go to Papua New Guinea I asked God to confirm our plans through a specific word to me.  Three times, over a number of weeks, I came across this scripture in different ways (one time it was even on a picture in a house I had not visited before); "If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will lead me, your right hand will hold me." Psalm 139:10.  And He did!

Prayer:  Faithful God, help me to realize that there will be times when I feel you are asking me to go out on shaky ground.  But help me to draw near to you and trust you to bring me safely through.  Amen

Trust - 2

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes.  He is close to those who trust in him.
Nahum 1:7

If you haven't read the previous Daydrops, Trust - 1, please do so now as this is a continuation of the thoughts begun there.  Also you may like to remind yourself of what I wrote last week.  How did you do on bringing God's will to earth?  I know I missed it a few times but let's keep working on it!

There is nothing more comforting, when you are in a place you are not familiar with, to have someone to guide you and give you local information.  Some time ago we were in a huge traffic hold up in North Sydney on our way home and Colin headed off down a side street and wound his way through beautiful leafy suburbs.  I had no idea of the direction we were heading after so much twisting and turning but he knew, because he'd been that way before and he soon brought us out onto the highway past the blockage.

When we get into a tough place and try to rely on our own resources, strength and wisdom, to find a way out instead of inviting Jesus to come and guide us through, we risk 'getting lost' and lengthening our journey.  However, it takes trust to invite him to come and take the steering wheel that we so badly want to keep hold of.

Nahum says "He is close to those who trust in him."  Trust is like a magnet for God.  He is drawn to those who trust in him. In fact he can't resist it.  It releases his power to go to work on our behalf. Think of the response of a loving father whose child says, "Daddy, please show me what to do," or "please can you help me with this...".  The heart of a father is drawn to give help and guidance and is delighted to do so. 

James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  This verse tells me that God is simply 'hanging out' for us to call on him for help and he is ready with open-handed liberality.  

Not all of us have had a good father role model and this can be a hindrance to our being able to trust God as a father.  If this is an issue for you try and find a good 'earthly father', look at how he relates to his family in love, protection, provision, kindness and wisdom and then realize that this is what God our heavenly Father is like, and so much more.  Then ask yourself why you should not trust such a One.  He is worthy of our full trust.  Draw near to him in faith and enjoy Him. God is good.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for being the very essence of  love and goodness.  Please help me to trust you fully with my life in every situation I face and each ordinary day. Amen

Trust - 1

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes.  He is close to those who trust in him. Nahum 1:7

Recently I prayed with a lady whose life is filled with trouble.  Having dealt with breast cancer in the past couple of years, she is now having chemo for lung cancer.  She is a believer but she told me that when she was diagnosed with lung cancer she had drawn away from God but now she was coming back.  It was so good to be able to remind her that God is indeed good and that he had not sent this; that the enemy of our souls, the devil is the one who comes to rob, kill and destroy, and that Jesus came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10).  The devil's mission is to destroy our future, our hope and the purpose that God has put us on earth to fulfil. Jesus mission was to stop the enemy's destruction and to take back the ground that had been given to the devil when Adam and Eve sinned.

This verse from Nahum tells us that the Lord is good, and that he is a strong refuge when trouble comes.  We all need a strong place to run to when trouble comes; why then do we often turn away from the One who can help us?  I believe that the simple answer to this is that we believe the lies that the enemy puts into our vulnerable mind.  Lies which Christians often buy into so easily.  Lies like, 'God doesn't really love me or he wouldn't have let this happen to me', God has sent this to teach me a lesson', 'God wants me to glorify him in my suffering'.  Lies which we may not actually give voice to, but which we allow to niggle in the back of our mind.  Doubts!

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).  How did he demonstrate this during his time on earth?  He went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). He came to show us what God wanted us to continue.  "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.." We can pray those words without really thinking into them, but if we stop a moment and consider them, it will change our way of doing things.  Selah.... pause and reflect.

I was going to keep writing but I feel that I need to leave you to reflect on those words this week and I will continue with part 2 in my next Daydrops.

Prayer:  Lord help me to reflect on these simple yet very important words.  Keep me mindful of your desire to bring heaven to earth, so that I become an active part in the answer to my prayer, recognizing that Jesus lives and works in and through me.  Amen

Keys to Growth - 9

I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

This photo was taken at the cellar door of a vineyard in the Hunter Valley. This grapevine was trained up a veranda post and was only there for decoration but it was preparing to bear fruit just like its cousins in the vineyard nearby because fruit bearing is in its DNA.  Given the right conditions of nutrients and climate it couldn't help but bear fruit.

Jesus likened our relationship with him, and our ability to bear fruit, to a vine.  He said that if we stay connected to him and allow his life to flow into us we cannot help but bear his kind of fruit.  How do we do that? Further on in verse 7 he says it again with an addition... "...if you abide in me and my words abide (remain) in you, you may ask for anything you want and it will be given to you." (NLT).  That seems like such a simple promise but sometimes we misunderstand it.  That's why we have to read in context and compare scripture with scripture so that we get understanding.  God is not just going to give us whatever we ask for, like a father spoiling his child.  There is a purpose to his giving, and that is found in the following verse (8), to bring glory to God.

The key to this is in the abiding which is to be vitally connected to Jesus and having his words residing within us, not just in a head knowledge way but in a way that gives us intimate understanding of His ways and desires for His children.  Proverbs, the book of wisdom. speaks a lot about getting understanding.  Get wisdom but also get understanding (Prov 4:7).

 I think we all like that verse in Psalms 37:4 which says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart."   The promise is conditional; we first have to delight, make merry, rejoice, in the Lord.  To do that we need to know him, have a relationship with him which means we have to spend time with him, get to know him and how wonderful he is, then we take pleasure in him.

It is an ongoing challenge for me to spend meaningful time with Jesus.  It's not easy to quiet myself  and my mind for long enough to hear him clearly but when I take the time to nestle into his presence and allow his words to soak into my being and become a very part of me, I truly become delighted with him.  When I am delighted with him, he becomes my heart's desire.  Fruit bearing then just happens.  Just like the vine, we don't have to struggle and push and try hard to bear fruit, it will come naturally.  The struggle is about making the decision to spend time with God, alone in his presence.
Will you join me in a new season of actively pursuing his presence to allow the nutrients of his Word and Spirit to bring forth a harvest in us that will bring him glory?  It will be worth it.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, help me to take the time to delight myself in you so that I will bear much fruit for your glory, for I cannot do it without abiding in you.  Amen

 

Keys to Growth - 8

.....let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.  Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

At the time Colin and I were married we were not walking closely with God but we chose 1 Corinthians 13 (commonly known as "the love chapter") to be read at our wedding.  That's what many people do.  The challenge is then to walk that out in life, through thick and thin.  Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail.

For Christians, love should be the hallmark of our lives. Not the romantic, ooey, gooey kind but the strong love that comes from God.  If we will allow Him, God will pour his love into our hearts.  I know that I need His love in me because my own love is flawed and weak and kind of like this picture of the word written on the seashore, easily washed away.

I love this letter of John because John wrote from his own revelation of the great love that God had for him.  Until we truly feel secure in love it is very difficult to love others.  The world is so hungry for love because we are made in the image of God whose very nature is love. We are made to be lovers - of God first and then of people.  The world has turned that hunger for love into something cheap and nasty, trying to fill the gap in the wrong way.  It's a love that is selfish and wants to receive for itself.

God's love on the other hand is all giving.  It's always there waiting for us to receive.  The difference his love makes to us is that it then causes us to want to love others, whether they love us or not.  We want them to experience the wonder and fulfillment of this love we have found.

You will notice that this verse says, "let us continue to love...".  We can only do that if our hearts are established in His love (Ephesians 3:17).  His love is strong and unchanging, the kind of love that the world is craving.  Having His love will help us to love the unkind, the unlovely and the unloving.  It will test us to the limit at times but as we continue to love, we show that we truly are children of God, with His nature manifesting through us. The kind that drew people to run to Jesus everywhere he went; the kind that resulted in changed lives, healed bodies and mended hearts.  This is our challenge today and everyday - to show that kind of love to our world, starting in our families, our churches and our communities - one person at a time. 

Prayer:  Father God,  I want to receive the fullness of your love so that I can show the world what true love really is, just as Jesus did.  Please fill me afresh and give me opportunities to show your love to others every day, and help me to remember that it won't always be easy.  Amen

Keys To Growth - 7

      Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!  Philippians 4:4

It is easy to read this passage and agree when life is going well and we have plenty to rejoice and be thankful for, but it is quite a different story to rejoice when everything is crashing around you and life seems out of control.  However, I have a feeling that it was for exactly those times that Paul wrote this.  He was a normal person. He wrote in another place that he knew how to "do it tough and how to live well".  He was used to the ups and downs of life.  He suffered more in his life than most of us ever will.

At the time Paul wrote these words he was a prisoner, probably in Rome, not free to come and go, no freedom to travel and encourage the churches as he loved to do.  He didn't know what his future would be and yet he had a key to contentment..... rejoice in the Lord always.  Not now and again, not when things are great, but always, no matter what life's circumstances at that particular time. Though he was in prison Paul didn't let it prevent him from continuing in his ministry.  He wrote letters and received whoever was allowed to come visit him. His life continued to be useful and we still read his 'prison letters' today. 

Why do we need to rejoice? Because to be able to rejoice in a time of trial shows maturity and a level of trust in God's faithfulness.  It means that you are growing, and that's always a good thing! It was in Philippi a few years before, that Paul wrote this letter. He and Silas had been severely beaten and thrown into prison for their faith. Their feet were fastened in stocks - all their freedom taken from them.  Yet in Acts 16:25 we read, "about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."  Here they were in great pain yet they chose to demonstrate trust in God by singing hymns.  In the midst of their songs the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains were loosed.  Go read the story.

When we choose to rejoice (and sing) in a situation that is difficult, we release our faith and our 'chains' are loosed.  Not only that, people around us will see and they too can experience release from bondage and darkness through our demonstration of faith.  It happened then and it can still happen today.  We are urged in Ephesians 4:15 to "grow up in all things", that includes learning to rejoice always.  Let's do it!

Prayer:  Faithful Lord, thank you for the example and the exhortation of your servant Paul.  Help me to rejoice and be thankful even when life deals me difficulties.  Amen

 

 

Keys to Growth - 6

  .... if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:7

Misunderstandings and breakdown in relationships can occur so easily if we are prone to any number of things.  These things can be in the form of dishonesty, unfaithfulness, our own insecurities, jealousy, bigotry, believing lies about ourselves and/or others, and you can probably add your own 'deal-breakers' to my list.  One of the most common ones is possibly a lack of good communication.

There are any number of books written about communication in marriage and how necessary it is, but communication is also necessary to keep any relationship healthy.  Women can tend to have more problems with this than men because generally they seem more inclined to think about relationships more than men do. Also our emotions can be more of a hindrance. That's just how we are.  If a friend, or even a husband, is a bit 'off' with us it is too easy to think we have done something to upset them rather than thinking that perhaps they are not feeling well, or are stressed about something that has nothing to do with us.  When this happens it is the time to pray, but also to gently ask, "Are you okay?". Perhaps you haven't heard from a friend in awhile; instead of thinking that they don't want your friendship and getting upset, a quick call to say "Hi, how are you?" keeps communication open.

It is the same with our relationship with God.  If we make mistakes and beat up on ourselves instead of coming to Him for forgiveness and cleansing, we keep ourselves from freedom and joy.  This affects our whole attitude to others as well.  Believing the lie that God is sick of us sinning so therefore we are unloveable will also block our fellowship with one another.  Allowing ourselves to be forgiven keeps us walking in the light.  It is then so much easier to have fellowship with one another.  The Bible is truth, and so practical for every area of life.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your Word which is truth. Help me to follow the advice it offers for my success and joy in life.  Please show me if there is anyone I need to make contact with today to restore relationship.  Help me to know when I begin to block your light. Amen