LOYAL TRUST-TRUSTING JESUS ALL THE WAY-2022
| During the past two years many were worried about the coronavirus pandemic, scared to be exposed to COVID-19, and quarantined to our houses for months on end. The entire World plunged into deep chaos and our nation was caught up in a deep trouble, that it is still finding itself difficult to extricate from. To say many people still feel a sense of hopeless right now is an understatement. But hopeless or not, there are ways to bring positivity back into your life, no matter your situation. There is an awareness that no matter what the times are like we are trusting God. So even in times of famine, economic turmoil, or a pandemic; no matter what it is we live a life of faith. We are not to live in fear. We must learn to put our faith and trust in God and his ability to take care of us. Our lives are in God’s hands, He is directing us, and He is guiding us. God is Jehovah Jireh; He is our provider! And we look for that provision instead of pulling our hair out and worrying, we look for the provision of God, we look for the direction of God. The Lord is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway (Psalm 119:105). So, when we pray our prayer should reflect that constant belief that we walk in. As Christians, we must continue to believe that God is sovereign, for if we don’t believe in His sovereignty, we don’t actually believe that God is God. And if we believe in the sovereignty of God, we must also believe in the providence of God. Though sovereignty and providence are inseparably related, they are not the same. Simply put, God’s providence is the active outworking of God’s sovereignty in everything. Thus, there are no good providences or bad providences, happy or hard providences, but simply providence. We must recognize that everything that happens in all of creation is in some way the result of God’s providence, Providence is the protective care of God, yet the providence of God also touches on the pains and sufferings of persecution. To the elect whom God foreknew, all things- pleasant or unpleasant- happen for ultimate good (Romans 8:28) Matter of fact, tragic things, calamities, trials, anxiety, evil, and curses happen to Christians too, as well as blessings, in order to become fashioned and molded into the glory of God’s image. As Christ learned from the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), we must also develop patience, refrain from murmuring, and realize that “time and chance” no longer apply to those whom God has called. Whatever it takes to bring God’s purpose to pass, we need to develop the humility, obedience, and faith to accept. I think you will agree with me when I say, almost all who believe in God understand that we are meant to trust in Him, but what reasons do the Scriptures provide to bolster that trust? What do we receive through the simple acts of trusting and following God? This year Hope 1 Ministries is asking that you join in with us as we are going to walk through the bible to discover many Scriptural reasons why all should trust in the Lord, no matter the circumstances! I’ll explain, in Jeremiah 17:6 the man who trusts is like the strong tree, clothed with foliage, that “does not see,” i.e., does not regard or feel, the presence of the heat. Jeremiah 17:8 says, “that those whose confidence is in the LORD are like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” And the best part is, those who make God their Hope, shall flourish like a tree always green, whose leaf does not wither. They shall be fixed in peace and satisfaction of mind; they shall not be anxious in a year of drought. Those who make God their hope, have enough in him that when the droughts and storms of life come, they might bend, but they will not break!!! But “He who places his trust, confidence in man, shall be like the heath in a desert, which is a naked tree, a sorry shrub, the product of barren ground, useless and worthless. Those who trust their own righteousness and strength, and think they can do without Christ, and make flesh their hope, their souls cannot prosper nor find real comfort”. (5-8). It all boils down to this, no matter the trial, or how long the trail is, being rooted in God, they coming out standing, not ceasing from yielding fruit in holiness and good works…God’s Grace Is sufficient. The bible teaches us, that God will always do what he says he will do, whether in prophesy or command If we can trust him in his promise of wrath, we can also trust him in his promise of eternal love and care for all of us. In Jesus’ love, until He comes, M. Tucker Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God. – John R. Stott |
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