Certain themes come up in my life over and over. Like trusting God. Opportunities to trust Him and invitations to leap from proverbial ledges keep coming up. So, I guess it’s also about faith, right?
Several days ago, my youngest asked for a Bible story. We read of Jesus sleeping in the boat and His disciples wondering why He wasn’t up and bailing water with them. Honestly, they probably also wondered why Jesus wasn’t as worked up as they’d gotten. But Jesus woke and immediately calmed the storm outside, which eased the storm inside of their hearts. Then he asked a simple, heart-felt question: “Why didn’t you trust Me?”
Wow, reading those words aloud hit me. There are concerns in my life where God has made promises to me and for some reason (trust?), it’s challenging to just leave it alone. I want to keep working on the “problem.” How will God solve it? Oh, He could do this, or this, or this. I pray about it over and over and over and over. (Is that importunity or obsessing? ;)
I don’t have everything figured out, but I know these things are true:
~ Worrying doesn’t help. So if I’m obsessing, it’s not helping. Worrying does not equate with meditating. Better to meditate on His Word than stress over the circumstances.
~ Worship changes things. So, rather than focusing on my problem, I should lift my eyes to Jesus and behold His glorious beauty, and delight in Him. Bringing worship of God into a situation changes that situation. So, in the midst of the tough stuff, worship Him.
~ Begging isn’t necessary. This is a good God we’re talking to and about. He knows our needs. He cares for sparrows, and they never stress out. He’ll care for our needs too.
~ God cares. The Bible says to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. (see 1 Peter 5:7) It’d be different if He didn’t care about each of us specifically, personally, individually. But He does. He’s a personal God on a mission to teach us to trust Him and walk by faith.
~ God is able. No matter what we’re facing, what we’re waiting for, the expiration date of our situation and how we’re clinging to Him to answer in time, He is able! Pair that up with the fact that God cares and we have a potent, charged scenario where the Miracle Worker Himself can move. He wants to. Remember that, God wants to move.
~ God is not inactive. He is moving in your situation.
~ God hears. He is near to you, and He hears your heart’s concerns.
As I read that Bible story, it broke my heart to hear Jesus quietly, pleadingly say, “Why didn’t you trust Me?” Wow. Makes me want to dig in my heels and trust Him no matter what. How about you?
6 comments:
Wow timely post for me to read today. I sometimes struggle with the faith and trust issue myself.
I'm glad this ministered to you today CJ3. I'm surprised how often it comes up in my life, but rather than feel shame for the fact I have human doubts, I've decided to love God from here, knowing He's close. :)
CJ3, our conversation here has inspired another blog post, this time over at Net's Bridal Notes www.netsbridalnotes.blogspot.com for next week: Loving God from Here. Have a good weekend and thanks for reading.
Thank you for your comment, "begging isn't necessary." In my prayer life, I sometimes find myself repeating the same requests over and over - essentially begging God to answer my prayer the way I want. And invariably I hear Him say - just like your post - to trust Him. I'm so glad He is in control!
Hi Angie, I so know. I sometimes do that same thing, almost as if in a rote fashion, forgetting with whom I'm talking. But He's our loving, affectionate Father and I know He'll bring something better than we imagined when He does loose the blessing/breakthrough He's storing up for us. At the same time I know God isn't offended when we "beg." He knows our hearts and our desperation does get to Him. He will move. Hugs, my friend.
Great thoughts. I write film reviews from a Christian POV if you're interested.
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