August 14, 2018

Do You Trust God?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make straight your paths.

– Proverbs 3:5-6

A few years ago a friend told me she and her husband had stopped tithing. They just couldn’t afford it, she explained. They own their own business and sales were way off. They were struggling to pay their bills.

I’m not sure why she told me all this. I certainly didn’t ask. And, yes, I kept my mouth shut. It was really none of my business. Some things belong between an individual or couple and God. Period. Still, I wonder if guilt might have played a role in her telling me. I think she wanted me to tell her it was all right. It wasn’t.

God tells us to tithe first. That means before we pay the rent or mortgage, before we pay the electric bill, before we buy groceries. We want to tithe from what’s left over but that’s not what God says to do.

It’s difficult to believe there will always be enough. We don’t see how to stretch our paycheck to cover what’s necessary, much less the extras like school supplies and a new car battery. Still, God says to trust Him.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

– Malachi 3:10

We say we trust God. We do – up to a point. Because when it really comes down to it, we don’t trust Him to provide for our needs and our wants. Wait. Let’s back that up a bit. Our needs and our wants. Ah. There you have it. We want a certain lifestyle and we aren’t sure it’s what God wants for us. So, we figure we’d better handle that for ourselves.

This sweet woman who explained why she couldn’t tithe wasn’t willing to sacrifice her lifestyle for God. She wasn’t willing to give up eating out, vacations or new flooring for her home. It was just easier to short-change God.

I don’t mean to pick on her. She’s a wonderful person. She’s just so much like you and me. No matter how much we want to trust God there’s that little bit inside that tells us we’d better not count too much on God Almighty when it comes to our finances.

Do you remember how Jesus took the five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 men, plus women and children? (Matthew 14:13-21) The disciples didn’t trust Jesus either. They had no idea how He could take the little bit of food offered up and multiply it to feed so many. But He did.

We look at what we can see and decide God will have to wait. We shake our heads in doubt and determine God can’t make our paychecks go farther than we can. We cling to what we have because we don’t believe God will bless us with extras.

So, let me ask you: How much do you trust God? Really? Show it with your actions and watch how He blesses your obedience.

April 22, 2018

Trust God

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

– Proverbs 3:5-6

A few days ago I wrote down a very specific prayer request. I’d prayed in general for this thing to come to pass but this time I got specific. Two days later, God answered my prayer.

I don’t know what surprised me more: That He answered my prayer so quickly or that He answered it at all. I was shocked at my reaction. I know God answers prayer. He does it all the time for me and for others. It’s something I talk about again and again. But this prayer was just so specific and He did it – for me.

What I prayed for doesn’t matter. I will tell you that it wasn’t something major. It was something much smaller. I know that God cares about the details of our lives. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. God has numbered the hairs on our heads. He cares about the little things. But He cared about my little thing and I was just so amazed.

Isn’t that just like God to show up when we really aren’t expecting Him? This is one of those things that had gone on for months. I’d really given up hope. My prayers had been general and maybe a little half-hearted. Did I really expect success in this? But when I got specific, when I really turned it over to Him totally, God showed up in the most glorious way.

Sometimes I think I hold back on my prayer requests because I am so aware of all that God has done for me. I have no right to ask for anything else. He has carried me through the worst of storms. He soothed my battered flesh and lifted my spirits with hope. I am just so very grateful. I didn’t deserve all He has done for me and I certainly don’t deserve anything more.

Yet, God shows up again and again. I implore Him to guard my steps so that I follow His light and not my own desires. I am so thankful for all the times He has told me “no” or “not yet”. Have you ever looked back and thanked God for His protection from something you thought you wanted? He is just so wise!

I am not a trusting person. Life has taught me that the people closest to you can and will betray you in the worst possible ways. Trust is something earned over time. Betrayal can come in an instant, slamming the foundation of what you thought you knew and battering it into tiny pieces.

But God. How trustworthy is He? I am just so grateful, so thankful, that He is always by my side! God loves us with a love we can never fully comprehend. He always wants what is best for us. He always tells the truth. And He never leaves us alone to deal with whatever heartbreak or mess we are facing.

God also celebrates with us. He draws us close as we tell Him our joys, as we smile at the beauty of today. He is never consumed with jealousy or envy. God loves that we are happy. God laughs with us and rejoices on all the good that comes our way.

I don’t know what the days ahead will bring. I have no map that shows the future. But I know that God is with me. I know that whatever comes – the good and the bad – God will guide me through it. My goal, my part, is to stay focused on Him and to trust in His light to show me the way.

January 31, 2016

One Step At A Time

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. -- Proverbs 3:5-6

It was a rough time. A loved one’s health crisis hit unexpectedly and overnight the hospital became my home. I never knew what each hour would bring. It was a tough season.

Have you ever been there?

Most of you have. I have a sweet friend gripped with cancer (again) and severe depression. Her husband stands faithfully by her side, devastated by his inability to fix this. Another friend struggles to manage health issues that make each day seem as though she has the flu.

It seems like it is always something. Finances and health issues, family drama and work stress, troubles with children and daily chores that never seem to end. Sometimes it’s difficult to know the point and purpose of it all. We’re just so weary and we don’t understand.

That is when we most need to trust God. He has a plan -- a good plan -- for each of us. He will turn whatever is happening to something good if you just turn it over to Him. His ways are not our ways. We know that. It’s just so hard to let it go and take one step at a time.

But that’s the journey of faith: One step at a time. Frequently God doesn’t lay it all out before us. He simply asks that we trust Him. He’ll reveal the path one step at a time.

It’s not always a pleasant journey. Last month a friend buried her son. This young man was stricken with cancer shortly after he graduated from high school. He fought so hard. She did too. We all expected a miracle. We are grateful he’s no longer is pain and that he is now in heaven with Jesus. His faith was rock solid. But his mother will grieve his loss for the rest of her life. How can we understand that?

We can’t. It circles right back around to faith. We know that God is good. We know that God didn’t will this horrific death for this young man but He did allow it. That’s hard. But we cling to the promises of Jesus, to the resurrection and the certainty that we’ll see this young man again.

Trust in the Lord. He will direct your paths. It’s not for us to understand. It’s for us to believe. One step at a time.

January 28, 2016

Control Your Words

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. -- Proverbs 13:3

Yesterday God gave me a wonderful opportunity to observe the Wonderful Wednesday programs at my church. This terrific program welcomes children in elementary school to church to participate in Bible time, music and recreation. Through it all they learn about God and life lessons.

It was interesting to hear the children talk about self-control, choosing our words carefully and learning to control what words come out of our mouths. They can be so honest sometimes. It’s amazing how they usually know what they should do even if they don’t always do it.

One example was in sports. What happens if you lose the game by 1 point? Do you stomp off and talk bad about the other team, blaming the refs and everybody else? Or do you congratulate the other players and take the loss as an opportunity to learn?

All the kids seem to know what they should do. Most of them admitted it’s probably not what they would do. How about you? How would you handle it? I live in a state that is horribly divided when it comes to college football. It sure can get ugly sometimes. Sometimes I hear or read some of the comments coming from some of those Christian fans and I am amazed that they don’t see how their words don’t match up with the beliefs they claim.

In my Bible reference, the above verse was listed under “words” and under “self-control.” When we control our words, we can control our lives. That matters. As one of the volunteer teachers said today, treating people with kindness will take you much further in this world than being ugly to them. It’s a lesson we adults should learn.

January 7, 2016

Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

-- Proverbs 3:5-6

I wasn’t planning on having a special word this year. The word I was drawn to last year was “peace.” It was a really, really rough year.

But God has a different plan. Trust is my word.

I am not a trusting person, even under the best of circumstances. I’ve experienced too many letdowns from people who have knifed me in the back. I know. I should choose better but sometimes the people in your life as there from birth and they are your worst enemies. But that’s for another time.

I want to trust. I do. And, yes, I have trustworthy people in my life now. There’s something about walking through the fire. You learn who your real friends and family are.

And, yet, there’s a part of me that holds back. I am afraid. Here’s the thing: There are no guarantees. People mess up. They betray us. They lie. They get jealous and deceive. They let us down.

I am so thankful that my God is mighty and trustworthy and strong. He is so wise and caring. I put my trust in Him, knowing that I’ll never be betrayed and He’ll never, ever let me down.

This last year when my world was crumbling around my feet, I would repeat this verse silently as I begged sleep to come. Over and over again. Eventually sleep would come.

Trust. It’s a hard thing. But not impossible with God.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Trust God With Firstfruits

Honor the LORD with your wealth,

With the first fruits of all your crops;

Then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

And your vats will brim over with new wine.

-- Proverbs 3:9-10

We seem to trust God with just about everything. We trust Him with our health. We trust Him with our families. We trust Him to hear us when we cry out and when we rejoice. We trust God. We do. Just not with our money.

Oops! We’re suppose to. We know that. And we’re so sure that God understands. We’ve got bills you see and we’ve only got so much money. There’s just no way it will stretch far enough if we have to give 10 percent to the church.

Besides, why should we have to give money when we don’t agree with everything the church leaders use it for? They can just cut back on a few things. Or, better yet, let someone with extra money give a little more. That’ll make everybody happy.

Everybody but God, that is. See God didn’t hand us a multiple choice question. And He really didn’t provide us with an option. God is honest and direct: Give to God first and then everything will be fine.

Maybe it comes down to priorities. A dear man recently explained that he simply couldn’t tithe right now. He’s just gone through a divorce and has lost so much financially. God understands, he assured me, adding that he’ll start tithing again as soon as he can.

Not too long afterward, the man purchased a small building and had it torn apart and rebuilt on his property. He always seems to have plenty of money to go out to eat and to spoil his grandchildren. But he doesn’t have enough money for God.

A number of years ago I gave up a lucrative job and made a life-changing move to the other side of the country. I didn’t plan to stay, but here I am. I earn enough money but nowhere near what I was accustomed to earning. Still, I give God the first 10 percent from everything I earn. Sometimes I have no idea how I’ll pay for insurance and other necessities. The funny thing about it is that I’ve always had enough.

Our God is beyond amazing. He takes care of us in ways we can’t begin to imagine. And He always keeps His promises. Always. So when He tells us that if we give Him our firstfruits, He’ll make sure we have more than enough, we can trust Him to do exactly that.

Monday, April 2, 2012

What Is God’s Will?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. -- Proverbs 3:5-6

How do you view God’s will for your life? There are many different views about this. Oh, we know that God wants only good for His children. But just how does His plan and our free will coexist within our beliefs?

Do you believe that God has written out your days and no matter what you do all He has written will happen? It sounds good, reasonable even. Until we remember that if we believe this, it means God also planned all the horrible things that happened. That doesn’t fit with God’s goodness and love.

God also gave us free will. That means God lets us mess up, even rejecting Him. So if God planned every detail of our lives, we wouldn’t have any free will. He would have predetermined our every move. We’d merely be puppets in His play. We can’t have free will and be puppets.

But what if God has a perfect plan for our lives, but we get free reign to mess it up? That would make sense. He probably looks down on us, sees the train wreck looming in the distance and tries to warn us. We, being stubborn and determined to go our own way, ignore God’s warning. So we crash, cry out to God, and turn toward Him. And He always takes us back. I will never, ever cease to be amazed by that.

It could also be that God has a general outline for our lives but let’s us write the specifics on our own. He guides us through His Word, prayer, the Holy Spirit and Christians in our lives. And, if we’re smart and listening, we don’t make too many bad mistakes.

Perhaps God’s will for our lives is more about our hearts than in the specifics of our choices. Maybe God wants us to care for people He puts in our paths, to live righteously, sharing and caring as we go through life. Maybe God means us to live our faith loudly so that others can see Him in our choices.

Determining God’s will for our lives isn’t always easy. Sometimes we know exactly what He wants and we want to do it. Other times we pretend we didn’t hear Him because it isn’t what we want to do. But I think we are most blessed when God calls us to something way out of our comfort zone and we step out in faith, following His lead and His will.

God doesn’t call us to live our lives in timid fear of what others will think. He calls us to follow Him, putting His teachings into active use in our daily lives. Perhaps the specific road doesn’t matter so much as the faith that leads to action. Maybe, in the end, that is is will for our lives.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Seek Answers From God

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil." -- Proverbs 3:7

Most of the time I don't have a clue. I tell people that and they laugh. But I'm serious. I don't have a magic globe and I rarely know the best course.

Some folks swear that most of life is black and white, right or wrong. I don't see it that way. Sure, some issues are clear. Don't steal. Don't kill anyone. Don't mess around on your spouse.

But what about all the other, smaller decisions in life? Is eating that donut I don't need gluttony? Is taking that promotion what God wants, or is my ego leading me to uproot my family and move across the country? Should I push my teenager to talk or let her simmer and try again later?

We make so many decisions every day. Sometimes we think we're making the correct decision  and it turns out to be the wrong one. Sometimes, strangely enough, it all turns out just fine. Regardless, each decision comes with consequences. It would really be impossible to always know what to do. And that's before we get other flawed humans involved.

So, mostly I don't have a clue. I try to do the right thing. I pray a lot and do all I can to seek and do God's will. And that's really all I can do.