Trust Only in the Lord

Trust must be earned, rather than blindly given; and is more important to a relationship than love. If we spend our time telling little white lies to keep us out of trouble, this undermines the love that others feel for us

When life boils down to the details, we are not even able to trust our self. We often disappoint our self, because we let our self down and then have a hard time forgiving our self.

God is truly the only trustworthy being in the universe. He keeps His Word through generations of time (Psalm 147:13). We can trust in the Lord with our whole heart and refuse to lean on our own human reasoning.

He will always direct our steps and lead us in His will and way (Proverbs 3:5-6). He preserves our life, and inspires us to devote our time and resources in His service. He is our God and He saves His children who trust in Him (Psalm 86:2).

We keep our focus on Him because He never leaves us destitute. He offers us continual refuge under His wings, regardless of how dire our circumstances become (Psalm 46:1-3, 141:8).

God is only a prayer away and provides us with all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Psalm 142:5). He hears our prayers and answers us in His faithfulness and righteous judgment (Psalm 143:1).

Prayer:

Father God, even though our food supply stops producing or our drinking water is contaminated, we know that You will faithfully supply all of our needs. We may suffer persecution and hardships on this earth, but You are the strength of our life (Psalm 46:1-2).

We give You the praise, glory and honor that is due to Your name, even if we face imminent deprivation in this life. You will always see us through any and every trial, because You walk through it with us and in us (Colossians 1:27, Galatians 2:20).

Thought for the Day:
The Lord allows us to hear His promise of unfailing love with each new morning, and calls on us to totally trust His mercy and goodness for our life. - Psalm 143:8

Seeking and Finding God

 

Only by coming to God can we experience His true light within us. It is impossible to have a relationship with God without first repenting of our sins and asking Jesus Christ to be our Savior and King.

If we seek God, we shall find Him. If we knock, He will open a door for us. If we ask Him to abide within us, He will answer us.

If we are convicted of our sin and pray a prayer, it is valid only if we are truly converted. Otherwise, we simply said a prayer with no lasting spiritual fruit.

We know we are converted if we experience a hunger for holiness and God's truth. There is a change in our life that leads to repentance and gradual spiritual maturity.

Justification transfers our sin onto the cross of Christ and the righteousness of Christ into our spirit. God's Spirit begins His sanctifying process in our soul and teaches us that we are a new creation (Romans 8:29).

God sets us free from the destructiveness of sin (Romans 6:22) and calls us to walk worthy of our new name and the calling into His family that we receive (Ephesians 4:1).

 

He implores us to take the narrow road and to forsake the broad road in life (Matthew 7:13-14). We submit to God's will as a living sacrifice and a spiritual act of worship, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).

Prayer:

Father God, as we mature in Christ, we trust You more and completely surrender to Your call on each moment. Remind us to listen when we pray, as well as to praise and make our requests known to You. We do not reap the full benefit of prayer if we do not sit still and contemplate You as the God of our life (Psalm 46:10).

Prevent us from being pulled from Your presence by the lies and temptations of the flesh, the world and the devil. We love You with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). We draw near to You, knowing that You will also draw near to us (James 4:7).

Thought for the Day:

All the riches in the world, which are desirable and sought after, are not even close to comparing to the gift of Christ in our life. - Job 28:15; Psalm 19:10, 119:127

 

Emotional and Mental Health - Eliminating Anxiety

Life is insecure at best and terrifying at its worse. People say that bad things happen in threes, but at times in my life, I have counted five or six stressful catastrophes in a row.

I learned early on in life not to expect anything good to happen. That way, when good did happen, I was mildly pleased; but when it did not occur, I was not overly disappointed either.

As an authentic Believer, we learn to cast all of our anxious thoughts on God's strong shoulders - to leave them in His benevolent heart and to have faith in His faithfulness instead of in people (Mark 10:22; 1 Peter 5:7).

As we turn our attention away from our self and onto helping other people, we continue to heal from anxiety. This brings inner peace because we help to ease another's burdens and we find fulfillment in sharing our abilities and resources.

As we pray during each moment for God's will and direction, we acknowledge that God is in control of our life (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-8). This reduces anxiety quicker than any mantra or affirmation we can repeat.

God orders our steps and gives us the grace to enter into His rest (Hebrews 13:5). His presence in our life allows Him to provide serenity in anxious situations. He helps us to set priorities and to follow them.

This habit is comforting and provides us with a routine to which we can establish and adhere. Routine limits anxious feelings and defines our responsibilities according to the will of God, rather than our own stressful agenda.

I do not hide from life any longer. I know from experience that our Daddy God is faithful, I experience security by walking in His presence and praying without ceasing, and I find fulfillment and peace in the comfort of the shadow of His wings.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that prayer is not created for us to manipulate You or to demand that You do our bidding in our way and timing. Our communication with You is for our benefit, however; and we do not need to wait for a crisis, which we can no longer control before we come to You. We wait in silence until we discover Your will for us during each moment of our day.

Thank You for giving us Your peace, which transcends any comfort the world attempts to provide for us. You are only a prayer away; and yet we fail to avail our self to the intimacy of our union with You. Thank You for abiding within us with Your presence and for filling us with Your Spirit and fruit.

Thought for the Day:

God is not our puppet to manipulate according to our will, but our Savior and King whom we willingly serve according to His will and way; He is not obligated to grant our wishes, but He chooses to give us only the best that we need to live a fulfilling life.