Trust in the Lord with all Your Heart

Is anything impossible for God?  He promised Abraham and Sarah a child.  He didn’t promise them that it would happen soon, but He did promise them that it would happen.  Did they wait upon the Lord’s timing for this child?  Not really, they had a human response to a God promise.  God will never promise something to us and not deliver it.  What we have to remember is that the promises God makes to us are in His timing not in our own.  Abraham and Sarah had to wait 14 years for the promise God had made them of a child to be fulfilled. 

As we read our Bible we see the many references to trust in God.  To be filled with hope, joy and peace as you trust in Him.  But how often do we truly trust in Him as we should?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud,  to those who turn aside to false gods.  Psalm 40:4

If God has promised that you would have what it is you desire He will not withhold it from you, but you have to wait for His perfect timing.   If you think about the 14 years that Abraham and Sarah had to wait for the child God promised a lot of thing probably happened in that time.  Doubts would have inevitably entered into their thoughts.  Look at how later on when their visitors told them that there would be a baby next year and Sarah laughed.  After 14 years of waiting for the promise who wouldn’t? 

This shows the doubt that was in her heart towards the promise.  That doubt leads us in a downward spiral that takes on a life of its own at times.  The doubt enters into our hearts.  God hasn’t listened to our prayers.    The doubt is the catalyst for the frustration that inevitably follows.  That frustration then leads us to abandon our trust in the Lord completely and take matters into our own hands.  Isn’t that what Abraham and Sarah did by Sarah bringing Hagar to Abraham to have a child with? 

Think about how after that 14 years of waiting for a child, Abraham and Sarah can finally hold the baby in their arms.  Think about the joy and the absolute faith they have now that God has fulfilled His promise.  It gave Abraham enough faith and trust, that when God called on Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him at the alter, he did it with the full belief that God would provide the sacrifice. 

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide  the lamb  for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.   Genesis 22:8

We need to have child like faith that God, our Father, loves us with an everlasting love.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  He will never not deliver on a promise He has made to us!  By trusting in God our hope is renewed.  So don’t loose hope in Him, don’t let doubt enter your heart and mind.  Ask God for the strength to wait for His perfect time and remember that if what you are asking for is of His will it will be done!

Obedience with a Joyful Heart

As I am reading in Genesis 2, I get to the part where God tells man that he can’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In the back of my mind I think to myself why was this tree even in the Garden of Eden?  It seems to me that by God saying don’t eat of it we as humans would be more curious and therefore tempted by it.

Since my Bible is a Study Bible I looked to the notes on it as to what question and answers they may have on the topic.  The light bulb so to speak went off in my head.  It wasn’t so much there as something just randomly out of place.  It was a test!  God didn’t want blind obedience or love from us.  He wants us to make the conscious decision to obey Him.  He wants us to make the conscious decision to love Him as a father, as someone who loves us unconditionally.

We find it easiest to love God and be obedient when He doesn’t ask us for something that is outside our comfort zone.  But what about when God asks us for something that is outside of our comfort zone?  Do we let Him stretch us and grow into a more mature relationship with Him in obedience and love?  Or do we turn our back and run the opposite direction thinking that it is too much for us?

God can do all things… and if we have a relationship with God then we know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!  So why are we fearful of the changes?  Why are we so scared to step out in faith?  Especially when it is that faith that will be seen by others and could bring them to God?  Is it because when we take that step of faith we forget to take God on the journey with us and feel that it is all on our shoulders to do what needs to be done?   I often times marvel at how hard I make things for myself.   I didn’t go into it with a joyful heart to do God’s will… but I did it with obedience.  But growing in my relationship with God I have and am still learning that by doing it with a joyful heart that doesn’t murmur, “why me?”  I am being more obedient and showing my faith better than just going through whatever it is that God has set before me.

What I need to remember is that if God is for me who can stand against me and be victorious?  So what do I need to worry about?  Making the right choices of obedience and love!  So how did I start that this year?  I started by reading my Bible at least an hour a day.  Spending time with Him and letting Him speak to me.  Listening to what He wants for me and of me!  It’s as simple and as hard as that.

As I am writing this out I have this lyric running through my head that our worship leader sings … “I walk by faith, each step I take, I put my trust in You!”  I just need to keep singing and praising Him through all the ways that He grows me so that I can show my faith, trust and obedience to Him.  He will never let me go!!