Monday, October 21, 2013

Trust, Trials, and God's Truth

Psalms 33:4
For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything He does.

Trusting others is an issue for lots of people.  Most of us have been hurt by someone we love, and that leaves a mark on our emotions.  We might forgive them for hurting us, but we may never fully trust them again.  God can be trusted.  He doesn’t change.  There are many promises in the Bible that He makes, and He fulfills every one of them.  This week, let’s look at a few of the promises that we can count on.

Philippians 4:19 tells us that God will supply all our needs.  Karen shares the following testimony:
                My husband was laid off from work a few years back.  Just as we were about to sell our house, God gave me two full-time job offers at the newspaper where I worked.  When we weren’t sure we could buy groceries that week, we received two anonymous gift cards to grocery stores in the mail.  On one of our most desperate nights, we noticed a basket on our backyard picnic table.  It appeared to be a basket full of foil-wrapped candy.  As we unwrapped the foil packages, we found they contained, not candy, but money- twenties, tens and fives..again anonymous.  We still don’t know who heard the call of God to care for us in these special ways.

Psalms 34:18 tells us that God is close to the broken-hearted and will rescue us when our spirits are crushed.  Marla shares the following testimony:
                My mother was not healed (on Earth) of her leukemia, even after many prayers, begging and pleading with God.  BUT the hearts of myself, my family members and others (hospital workers, etc.) were forever changed through watching her strength and never failing trust in the Lord.  Maybe God had plans to work on a lot of hearts rather than heal my mom on Earth.  She is healed..in Heaven..and what a much better choice.  Although I miss her terribly, I know we will be together again.

James 1:5 tells us that God will give us wisdom if we ask for it.  Kristy shares the following testimony:
                It’s important for me to trust in Him and not my own fickle heart.  I’m the world’s worst at not thinking things through before acting on them. Or, I’ll over think them so much that I won’t know how to make a decision.  God perfectly paired my husband and me, as he is the logical person in our marriage.  I’m ready to jump all in, and he’s the one to tell me to wait. I can’t really trust in the Lord if I’m jumping into things, can I?

These testimonies are just three pieces of evidence that show the truth of God’s word in our lives.  He provides for us by using people and circumstances to fulfill His promises.  If everything in life stayed on an even keel all the time, we would not change or grow, and probably forget to praise God for our blessings because we would be used to them and begin to take them for granted.

What’s the catch?
You might be asking yourself that question.  You may read the testimonies above, and be wondering why it isn’t working for you. First of all, God works on His timetable, not ours.  He knows our future and He knows the perfect time to deliver on His promise for us. He will never be too late.  God also makes it clear through His word that He requires something from us in order to receive His promises…complete faith.  Check out the following verses for further proof.

Hebrews 11:6  And it is impossible to please God without faith.  Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

James 1:6-7  But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God aloneDo not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

Romans 4:20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise.  In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.

·         Do you believe that God exists?
·         Do you sincerely seek Him?
·         Do you believe that He will reward you?
·         Is your faith in God alone or are you trying to control the situation?
·         Are you wavering between believing and doubting?
·         Are you fully convinced that God is able?
Ask yourself those questions, and allow yourself to believe His promises and trust Him.  That’s all He wants from us.  The humility to believe that He can and will provide His promises.

If you’d like to share further stories from your life of how God has proven His promises to you, we would love to hear from you.  Please comment below or message us at sunflowerseedsforhope@gmail.com.

Contributors:  Karen Bromby, Kim McClure, Marla McDonald, and Kristy Tolley

No comments:

Post a Comment