Month: July 2020

Trusting God Now – Really?

Yes, really. While pondering trust this week, it is apparent that many people may not want to trust God right now. How could He allow this to happen? I can understand this thought process. However, at this time, God is the only one you can trust. Psalm 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

What is trust? Reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence; hope. Also defined as a person on whom or thing on which one relies.These characteristics do speak of our God but don’t even come close to the praise and honor due Him. God is the ultimate definition of integrity, strength, ability and surety. If there was anyone to put your confidence in, it is God. We cannot allow the circumstances to define God. Zechariah 4:6 – Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Of course, we have been through this and much worse with all the wars, bubonic plague, as well as other diseases and natural disasters that have wiped out millions. But God is still God. Our hope in God cannot just be for this earth, but for eternity. We are body, soul and spirit and our soul is eternal. Our body will return to dust and our spirit returns to the Lord. Ecclesiastes 12:7 – “and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.” There is the need here to focus on the priority that is within our control, our eternal soul. That destination is heaven or hell. Everyone may not believe this but I do.

In trusting God, our soul has peace. Isaiah 26:3-4 – “3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” I have been very much at peace during this pandemic because I do trust that God has me, whether I live or die. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to leave at this minute. But it is evident that we all will die one day. There is an allotment of time for each of us and God has the calling card. With that said, it is encouraging that God loves us so much that He provided the means of reconciliation for our souls. How awesome is that!

During this pandemic, I have been more focused on making sure to stay in the Word daily and pray daily. I minimize the news and other media reports that would keep us in fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 – for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.” We cannot keep our trust in God when we fuel ourselves with the negative. I trust that God will bring me through, whatever the situation. God can be trusted because He is faithful, keeps His promises, and loves us beyond what we can imagine.

Psalm 145:13 – “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works.”

Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. This is synonymous with respect; acknowledgment; indebtedness which is a sense of obligation and appreciation; recognition; regard.

Happy 4th of July everyone. We can be thankful we are here to see another one.

The importance of this definition and these synonyms is understanding. It is all about our perspective of God and why He asks us to give thanks. Gratitude is about recognizing the bonus value for favorable things or positive life experiences for which we did not actively work towards or ask for (gifts outweighing exchange). This part speaks to God’s grace. Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”

We can be thankful for being able to give the reverence and awe due His name.

Giving thanks offers appreciation for what one has. It is recognition of values independent of monetary worth. It is affirmation of goodness. It is worth noting here a quote found that truly speaks to what thanks (gratitude) is all about. “It is not happiness that brings us gratitude, but gratitude that brings us happiness.” (Monterey Bay Holistic). Another quote found is “Gratitude teaches us to appreciate the rainbow and the storm.” This one is by Christina G. Hibbert, a psychologist. And last but not least, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We can be thankful for the beauty of nature.

While these quotes are not from me, they speak to the topic at hand. Being grateful even in the midst of the storm, and yes we are in a storm, helps to keep us grounded. It points us toward what is truly important in this climate and any other. What is most important in this day and time is our relationship with Christ, the condition of our hearts and soul. If you are reading this, you have something to be grateful for. You have another day to honor and glorify God. Colossians has several different mentions of what to be thankful for. The following Scripture always moves me because I am so thankful not to be still walking in darkness and without God in this world. Colossans 1:12-13 – “12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

When you feel caught up in what’s wrong with your life, with what you don’t have and start to feel depressed or discouraged, look up. Give thanks for what you do have. If you are breathing, walking, talking, not in the hospitable, not overcome with medical issues, etc., you have something to be grateful for. If you have family and friends, distant and close, you have something to be grateful for. I just want to encourage you today that life is worth living. We don’t have control over everything that happens in our life. We only have control over ourselves. It is time that we exercise that control and give thanks to God Almighty in the name of Jesus Christ.

When we trust Him, we can be thankful.