Trust

Change is inevitable; right? I mean we all know this and even to some point expect it. So why when we stand face-to-face and eye-ball to eye-ball to it do we get angry? Maybe this is just me. It seems lately there is little to no consistency in anything. Why does change seem to happen in waves? If you're waiting for the answer I don't have one but I did want to share a few things with you and let you know if you are facing change don't kill yourself trying to figure it out.

Today during my time in prayer and scripture with God I just laid it all out there and asked God, "Why, all this change? What are you trying to do?" I ask this as if I can honestly comprehend the reasoning's of an all-knowing God, but still I asked. Just then the roof of my house opened up and I saw twelve angels hovering right in front of me....Yeah, right!? That's what we all want to happen when we talk with God, right? So no, the skies didn't part but I did feel a prompting to pick up the Bible. I landed smack dab on John 14:27 in the amplified translation and it reads:

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

Now I've read through this scripture dozens of times but in this translation I was floored by the text that read, "Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled." Was I allowing myself to be agitated and disturbed by the change happening around me? Was I permitting myself to be fearful, intimidated, cowardly and unsettled in the face of change? Yes, yes, yes and yes to all these questions. I was allowing this to happen.

You see we that have decided to follow Christ and live our lives according to the Bible have hope amongst a slew of other peace-giving truths. So when change or anything else for that matter comes in and tries to steal our hope, joy, and peace we must fight it with the only thing that NEVER changes...God's Word (The Bible). 

Through His Word I realized that I wasn't fully trusting in Him and I was allowing the decisions of others to steal my joy. I would see change happen around me and almost immediately I'd feel an uneasy feeling and I'd feel anger welling up inside me. Why?? Well because instead of putting all my trust in God and truly believing that HE knows best I was putting my trust in others and the bottom line is we are all human and we will let each other down (see Isaiah 55:8), but God and His Word are never-changing and His promises are true.

Someone out there needed to hear this because I know that change is happening all over lately. It seems that I can't go a week before hearing that some life-altering changes are coming or have just taken place. So if you find yourself getting angry, hurt, or discouraged because of the decisions of others stop and ask yourself a question, "Is my trust in God right now or in someone (or something) else?" If you are feeling anything other than peace it's a good barometer that your faith and trust may not be wholeheartedly focused on God and his never-changing Word. 

Go Deeper:
Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 55:8, 2 Samuel 22:31-33, Psalm 18:2-3, Psalm 31:13-15, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 62:8, Hebrews 2:13

Take Care & God Bless

-E

I Forgive Me

Recently I've been dealing with a new aspect of the battle in being a follower of Christ and I felt led to share. So along the road I've made some mistakes and poor decisions, I know, you are utterly shocked by that, but yes it is true. With that God has been faithful and His Word reigned and forgiveness was there waiting for me. Psalm 103:10-12 tells us that He doesn't treat us as we deserve and that our sins are cast as far as the east is to the west (see Psalm 103:10-12) but knowing this promise there is still a hurdle that we must overcome when we fall down. We must learn to forgive ourselves.

I've dealt with so much guilt and shame from past decisions and the funny thing is I KNOW that I am right-standing with God but it's my mind where the attacks come. I find thoughts that just pop into my mind that thrust me right back into the mess that I put myself in and the guilt and shame come flooding back. So how do we fight against this? Well, first and foremost we can't do it on our own. We have to get completely honest and transparent and ask God to show us how to forgive ourselves, get in the Bible, and just release the past into the past and into God's hands.

I can hear you all now, "Yeah, easy for you to say you don't know where I've been and what I've done." Very true I don't know that but I know it's all the same in God's eyes, sin is sin and one is not greater than the other. A white lie holds the same weight as adultery. It's all the same. The key is that when the Holy Spirit reveals sin in our own lives that we repent; the definition of the word repent is: feeling of such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it. Once we have done this, and this is between you and God, then it's time to ask Him to help you forgive yourself and for some this might be instant and others it may be a process. For me it has been a process and one that I continue to walk out with God's help on a daily basis. Forgiveness from God is there and is something that He will freely give; however, we need to allow Him work in us and show us how to forgive ourselves if we are to be all that He has called us to be.

Take Care & God Bless,

-E