You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘trust’ tag.
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. Hebrews 9:11 (NIV)
Suppose you made a purchase only to bring the item home and find it was defective. You bring it back to the place you purchased it at, dreading the process of a return or exchange. Once back at the store, you are amazed at what happens.
You explain your situation to the person behind the counter. She in turn apologizes profusely and tells you it will be taken care of immediately. Moments later a person comes through the back entrance being followed by several others carrying a replacement to your purchase and several other boxes.
You are introduced to the man leading the procession. He’s the owner of the company that made your purchase. The new, improved item is yours, as are some very nice gifts offered because of your inconvenience.
Pretty cool, huh? Wouldn’t any of us like to be able to go directly to the owner of a company when things don’t go as they should? After all, dealing with go-betweens is adequate at best, but face to face contact is always best!
When God established his system of laws and sacrifice, your only option when we sinned was to go to a high priest, a high priest who was just as susceptible to sin and failure as you were. But when Jesus died, rose again and entered into the throne room of heaven he took a position that allows us direct access to God. Like the simple example above, we no longer need to deal with go-betweens, like the Israelites had to do before Christ.
Now we are no longer dependent on someone else to act as a go between when we need access to the Father. We can approach the throne directly and, better yet, sitting next to the Father, in our defense, is Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord. He knows what it’s like to be human. He knows what it’s like to be tempted. He knows the pain of rejection. He is there to plead our case.
When we fail or are afraid or struggle with any aspect of life, we don’t need to rely on a pastor or some other religious figure or activity to access God. We have direct access through Jesus Christ.
Don’t let this amazing promise escape you. We are no longer bound by a god-in-a-box mentality. We have direct access to the only one who can help us get through whatever it is we are struggling with.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you that because of you I have direct access to the Father. Thank you for being my advocate and for understanding my struggles and failures. Amen.
I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1
Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old
Sometimes I’d like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin’ around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.
The song “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down” by The Carpenters can become our own theme song if we aren’t careful. For some of us everyday seems to fall into the category of a rainy day or a Monday, even in the Christian walk. Why is it that the ‘rainy day’ attitude seems to follow us? There may be several reasons.
An improper view of God’s ability to handle the situation can bring in the clouds in a hurry. It’s easy, when trouble comes, to forget that God has the solution already in place. Our only ‘job’ is to seek his leading and guidance. Not easy to do when the voices of our soul scream for us to act.
We can also be so focused on the present and our own abilities that we lose sight of the bigger picture. The Father brings people and events into our lives to help us grow stronger. The abusive person is there to help us to trust God and help us grow in wisdom to know his plan. Bullies of all ages come into our lives so that we will learn to trust God to give us the wisdom on how to act.
It’s been said that ‘defense is the best offense’. In daily life that means we lash out quickly when cornered or attacked in hopes to catch the enemy off guard. In God’s Kingdom, the best defense is often to sit and wait, ponder the situation and act in a calm, decisive manner. May not work on the sporting field, but life isn’t a game.
Fear can be a great praise stealer as well. Closely tied to our failure to see God for who he is, fear turns the focus of the solution to our own abilities, and not God’s power. Our fear can be self-inflicted, such as when the natural consequences of procrastination strangle us. Our fear can paralyze us as well when we put our own fleshly desires before our relationship with Jesus and others.
So how can we ditch the ‘Rainy Day and Monday’ attitude? That old Carpenter song has the answer to that as well:
“Funny but it seems that it’s the only thing to do; Run and find the one who loves me.”
Ironically, the best way to ditch the ‘Rainy Day’ mindset is to do the very thing we are being kept from doing…PRAISE. When you are feeling blue, when life makes you afraid, confused or its pain seems too much to bear, go to the one who already has the solutions to your problem, whatever that is.
PRAYER: Father, the struggles of my life have kept me from the ultimate purpose of my life, which is praising you. Empower me to rest in your love, especially during those times when fear, worry and people and events scare me. Amen.
On that day when the Law of Moses was read aloud to everyone, it was discovered that Ammonites and Moabites were forbidden to belong to the people of God. Nehemiah 13:1 (CEV)
For those who think there is no hope; who feel that you’ve messed up too bad, that your rebellion has exhausted God’s ability or desire to forgive; who have resigned yourself to the ‘fact’ that the bad choices of your past have will plague you for the rest of your life, take a look behind the scenes of Nehemiah 13:1.
It had been years since the Law of Moses had been read to the people of God. At that time there were no dusty scrolls sitting on the coffee table. The only way to know the word of God was to go to the priest and have them read it to you. With the Israelite exile, and rebuilding the wall, there had been little time for reading.
When the scrolls were opened, the people were awakened to God’s demands for purity among his people. The Israelites had defiled themselves by associating with Moabites and Ammonites. This was a great issue for all those who wanted to follow God.
When the people found out they were living against God they removed all the ammonites and Moabites. Cruel, you say? Perhaps. But God didn’t forget the Moabites. Turn the clock back a few hundred years.
Picture a young Moabite woman in a strange land. She’s still mourning the death of her young husband. He’d died way too soon. He left no son, no legacy to be remembered by. Now, all she has was memories, the challenges of being a Moabite woman in a strange culture, and a mother-in-law who gave her love, but no guarantees of a future.
Ah, yes, Ruth. Remember her? Young, alone and widowed in a foreign land. Looked down upon by most, pitied by few…that is until Boaz came along. Then her world changed Fear turned to confidence. Loneliness melted into hope. Poverty gave way to wealth. Separation from God dissolved in grace.
The result? A place in the lineage of the Messiah, the son of the Living God! There was nothing she could do to deserve her position of grace. She was unworthy of any sort of blessing or privilege. But God sought her out and blessed her richly.
God sees hope in us regardless of our actions or our past. No matter how alone you feel; how deeply you have been hurt; how forgotten you feel; how hopeless the situation you find yourself in, the God of Heaven has provided a path through the wilderness to bring you home.
PRAYER: Father, I worship you today for the reminder that I am never far from your loving, merciful and guiding hand. I thank you for the provision of Jesus and the hope we have through your grace. Amen.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:21 (NIV)
Father, I rejoice in you today because I can trust you. In an era when trust is hard to find I know I can always come to you and find you.
I know that you will be the same every time I seek you. Your love for me doesn’t change when I rebel against you. Your forgiveness is free for the asking even when my attitude isn’t right.
There are many around me who make claims about the great things they will accomplish, but their words are hollow. When you say something will happen, I know it will be just as you say.
Times change. People change. Yet the principles you set at the foundation of the world remain solid and secure because you have spoken it.
I rejoice in the many blessings you have given us.
I rejoice in the gift of family, of the love between a man and a woman, of the miracle of new birth, of the proud smile of a grandparent as they hold the assurance of their posterity.
I rejoice in the gift of friendships that encourage us to move on, allow us to cry on their shoulders, support us even when they don’t agree with us, and comfort us when we mourn.
I rejoice in your Holy Word, the Bible, for in it we have simple truths that lead us to eternal life along with principles for living that will guide us through the most difficult of times.
I rejoice in your gift of diversity. Just as no snowflake is alike, my world is full of different colors, different people, different cultures and different traditions. All these join together to testify to your greatness.
Most of all, Holy Father, I rejoice in your name. A name tells us about character and integrity. Your name, Jehovah, never changes and has withstood the attacks of time.
And I rejoice in that name that is above all names. The name that brings hope, forgiveness, understanding and patience. The name of your son, Christ Jesus my Lord.
Amen.
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 (NIV)
“Don’t you know me?”
The words are stunning really. It’s a phrase that hurts both the one saying it and the one to whom it’s directed. After all this time we’ve spent together, you don’t know me? After going through all these struggles, you haven’t noticed? I’ve walked by your side. I’ve eaten with you.
When you were sick I comforted you; when you were scared I held your hand; when you were confused, I gave you direction; when you were frustrated, I encouraged you. I stood up for you when you were under attack; I picked you up when you fell; I held the light when the path was dark and an umbrella when it rained.
Like Philip, each of us can get so used to the ‘idea’ of Jesus we tend to really appreciate who he is and what he does for us on a daily basis. Do you KNOW Jesus? Meditate on that question for a moment.
I know the guy at the coffee shop where I get coffee every morning. I know my neighbor across the street. I know the person in the next cubicle at work. But the way I know each of them is completely different from the way I know my wife, or she knows me. After being together all these years it still amazes us how we will be ‘lost in thought’ and blurt out the same idea. Completely random thoughts? Yes, but we know each other so well we often know exactly where our thought processes are going.
But even the intimacy and comfort of knowing my wife as well as I do is nothing compared to how Jesus knows me. Those thoughts I can’t put into words? He knows them. Those fears and doubts I don’t dare tell anyone? He understands.
And during those times when I feel too weak to go on, he turns to me and asks, “Don’t you know me?” Do you remember the storms I’ve calmed, the sick I’ve healed, the broken hearts I’ve mended? I haven’t changed. My love for you is, as it has always been. My power is available to you just as it was to the blind man, the crippled, and a bunch of fishermen being tossed wildly in the boat.
Do you know Jesus? Do you know the Jesus that is ready and willing to walk through the tempest with you? It’s much more than getting acquainted. It’s a life-long journey bathed in prayer and digging deep into his word. Knowing Jesus, really KNOWING him is the best thing for whatever trial you are going through.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I’m as guilty as Philip of not seeing you for who you really are. I depend on myself when I should depend on you. I doubt when I should trust. I am weak when I should tap into your power. Help me from this day forward to see you as you are. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 