Trusting Through Troubles

The inscription on U.S. coins which we carry in our pocket or purse contain the words “In God We Trust.”  Question: Do you really put your trust in God?  Trusting God when times are good is easy for anyone.  However, it is a bit more difficult to trust God when things do not turn out the way you thought they would.

The Biblical Christmas story tells of two individuals who trusted God – Mary and Joseph.  They were engaged to be married, had a commitment to each other, and a commitment to God’s Word.  They wholeheartedly believed what God said.  An angel appeared to Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33).  Mary was shocked about the situation because she asked the angel, “How will this be … since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).  The angel explained, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).  Even though Mary was confused, her implicit trust in God was shown when she said to the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).

Joseph was extremely distressed when he discovered that his fiancé was pregnant.  However, he was a righteous young man and he did not want to expose Mary to public grace.  So his plan, which he felt would cause the least hurt to Mary, was to divorce her in a quiet manner.  However, an angel appeared to him and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).  Like Mary, Joseph’s action to the communication from the angel showed his unconditional trust in God.  Scripture tells us, “he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).  Obviously, things did not work out the way this young couple had planned.  However, both of them obediently followed God’s direction and allowed God to work in their lives.

When things do not work out for you as you thought they would, do you find yourself trusting God through obedience and courage like Mary and Joseph?  Are you willing to put your life completely in God’s hands?   Remember, God is big enough, strong enough, and powerful enough to meet every need that you have.  The Bible says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). During this Christmas season and in coming New Year, why not step out in faith and make “In God We Trust” a reality no matter what your circumstances?

Following Directions

A helpful modern-day instrument that gives location and directions for travel is a GPS.  The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system which is made up of a network of 24 satellites.  These satellites were originally placed in orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense for military use.  However, in the 1980s, the government made this system available for use by civilians.  When a destination address is placed in a GPS it does not matter where the person is located.  The system automatically calculates the route from where you are to the intended destination.  All you must do is follow directions.

When Jesus invites us to follow Him, He wants us to start from where we are.  We do not need to clean up our lives.  We do not have to complete a bunch of good deeds.  We do not need to do anything to change.  He simply wants us to start following.  After we decide to follow Jesus and begin the wonderful journey of walking with Him, He will teach us and guide us and give us what we need to serve Him.  The Bible tells us about Simon and Andrew who were invited to follow Jesus.  We are told, “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:16-19).

Notice these aspects of this story:

1. Jesus gave an Invitation. “Come, follow me.”  Jesus had a task for the disciples to accomplish.  This invitation was more than a simple request by Jesus; it was a command.  The call that came to the disciples was one that not only needed to be heard, it needed to be followed.
2. Jesus Made a commitment to provide Training.  “I will make you fishers of men.”  Jesus knew that the task He was going to ask the disciples to do was extremely important.  And, if that task was to be accomplished He was willing to invest time with the disciples to teach, train, encourage and guide them.
3. Jesus expected a Response.  “At once they left their nets and followed him.”  The disciples accepted the invitation and immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus.  There was no hesitation on their part to respond positively to Jesus.

Are you willing to heed the call of Jesus to follow Him?  Are you ready for the training that He will give you for the task He wants you to do?  Are you willing to respond to Jesus though immediate obedience?

The Love Factor

Since February is the “love month” let’s take time to examine this important subject and determine what kind of a love factor we have.  Many people think of love in terms of cozy affection or passionate devotion – what we might call “warm fuzzy feelings.”  However, when the Bible speaks about Christian love it speaks of a determined and active interest in the true welfare of others.  Love is not a feeling; love is an action word.  Christian love – the kind of love that should characterize the actions of those who name the Name of Christ – is a special kind of love.  It emanates from the love that God has for all people.  Christian love acts in godly ways.  Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). 

The action this kind of love takes is described in these words: “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:4-8).

A person who has this kind of love will not pass by someone in need but will reach out to help meet that need.  Examples of love-motivated action include such things as sharing a word of encouragement with someone, spending time listening to someone over a cup of coffee, provision of needed finances for those who are hurting, helping someone get to a doctor appointment, helping a neighbor with yard work, or helping an elderly person move down the hallway.  Whatever God prompts a Christian to do, love will help them respond willing, cheerfully and with great care.  When true love is the motive, the action is not carried out because of a duty to perform.  Duty is quick to obey rules; love seizes the opportunities.  Duty acts under certain limits; love is spontaneous and gracious.  Duty desires recognition or reward; love does not expect anything in return.  As you examine your life, what would you say is your love factor?  Make sure your love factor is high and measures up to God’s standard.

What God Requires

If someone were to ask you, “Does God require anything of you?” you would probably answer “no.”  Most likely your answer would be based on the fact that you live in America and as a U.S. citizen you have freedom to do as you like.  However, apart from that you may be surprised to know that the correct answer to this question should be “yes.”  God does require something of us.  Those people who call themselves "Christian" so effortlessly think about all the good things that God does for them. However, they so easily forget that God might require something of them.  Here is what the Scripture says. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask (require) of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

This verse contains five excellent attitudes and actions that God required of the Children of Israel.  These requirements are the same things that God wants from everyone.  Let’s examine these five requirements more carefully.

1)    “To Fear the Lord.”  To fear God is to have a deep respect, reverence, and awe for who He is and for His divine power and authority.  Ecclesiastes 12:13 reminds everyone to, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

2)    “To Walk in in obedience to God.”  To walk in God’s ways is to live uprightly by being obedient to what pleases God and by living the way He wants us to live.  Jeremiah made the decision for the people and himself when he said, “We will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us for we will obey the Lord our God” (Jeremiah 42:6).

3)    “To Love God.”  To love God is to do all one can to desire Him above everything else and to intimately know Him by making Him the highest priority in life. Mark 12:30 makes loving God clear when it says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

4)    “To Serve the Lord.”  To serve God is to demonstrate by our actions that we acknowledge Him wholeheartedly and allow everything we do – how we live, what we think, and what we say – to be an act of service to God.  In Luke 4:8 Jesus reminded Satan of the focus of service when he said, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your god and serve him only."

5)    “Observe the Lord’s commands.”  To keep God’s commands is to not only understand what those commands are, but to completely obey everything that God has decreed.  It was God who told Moses, “Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him” (Deuteronomy 8:6).

So, how are you doing with what God requires of you?  As you look at these five requirements which one is easiest for you to carry out?  Which one is hardest for you to do?  I challenge you to ask yourself the following questions about each requirement. (1)   Do I constantly fear God?  (2) Is the way I am living pleasing to God?  (3)  Is it my deepest desire to intimately know God? (4)  How am I demonstrating my service to God?  (5) Do I delight to obey what God says?

 

The Manger Experience

What is it you think of when it comes to the manger of Bethlehem?  Probably the most common thought is of the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  We usually don’t think about the fact that the manger was dirty, dusty, and quite pungent with the smells of the barn animals it contained.  Mary and Joseph experienced all the sights, sounds, as well as the smells of the manger.  In addition to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds had a manger experience.  Scripture tells us, “They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.  The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.  It was just as the angel had told them” (Luke 2:16-20).  Notice these things:

1)     Urgent Action.  They hurried.  They quickly obeyed the word of the angel and the company of heavenly hosts who told them of the Lord’s birth.

2)     Amazing Discovery.  And found.  Their search was richly rewarded as they sought and found the Christ-Child in the manger.

3)     Expectant Observation.  Seeing him.  Reality set in when they came to the manger and actually saw Jesus, just as they were told by the angel.

4)     Immediate Proclamation.  Told everyone.  In spite of their lowly, often despised job, these men of action quickly shared the good news with others.

 5)     Confident Worship.  Glorifying and praising God.  Although unlearned men, they could not contain themselves after having the privilege of experiencing God incarnate.

Don’t go through the Christmas season without having a manger experience.  You may not experience the smells, but you can certainly see Jesus, tell others about him, and spend time worshipping Him.  The Old Testament prophet said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).  “Seeing Him” was not only an event for the shepherds, but the manger experience can be your experience.  Have you had the manger experience yet?

Starting From Where You Are

A helpful modern-day instrument that gives location and directions for travel is a GPS.  The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system which is made up of a network of 24 satellites.  These satellites were placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense for military use.  However, in the 1980s, the government made this system available for use by civilians. 
When I place a destination address in my GPS it doesn’t matter where I am located.  The system automatically calculates the route from where I am to my intended destination.

When Jesus invites us to follow Him, He wants us to start from our current location.  We don’t need to clean up our lives.  We don’t have to do a bunch of good deeds.  We don’t need to do anything first.  He simply wants us to start following Him right from where we are now.  After we decide to follow Jesus and begin that wonderful journey, He will teach us and guide us and gives us what we need to serve Him.  Notice the invitation Jesus gave to two men who were asked to follow Him.  They followed immediately.  Once they followed it was Jesus who would make them into what He wanted them to be.

“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:16-19).

Are you ready to follow Jesus?  You only need to start from where you are right now.