Tag Archives: Trust God

Don’t Panic

22 May

Life is full of surprises. Ask me how I know!! But, keep in mind that nothing surprises God. He knows us – our past, present and future.

Naturally, staying calm in a crisis is much easier said than done. But, there are some ways we can prepare ourselves in the event we have to face those surprises in life. Most important is that we do our best to stay in a close relationship with God. His Holy Spirit lives within us and is there to be our comforter, our guide and our teacher.

As we mature in the ways of the Lord, we learn that He has all the answers. He IS the answer. That isn’t just a “churchy” statement. Our first reactions is usually to take matters into our own hands or call everyone we know.  We need to make it a habit to turn to God first, at all times in every situation. Then, it is important that we allow Him to lead us. I realize how difficult this may sound, but if we can discipline ourselves to do this in all things, we’ll be better equipped to handle life’s harder, unexpected events.

God knows not only what is behind us, but what is ahead of us. He can take us on a straight path to the solution of any problem. Look at it this way – if you were lost without a map and had no idea which way to go, and a good Samaritan came along and said he knew the way, he could help you. He could draw you a map and tell you about all the turns and signs along the way, or he could just say, “Follow me”. Following him would be the easiest, quickest way.

That’s what God does for us. He just says, “Follow me”. There is no need for us to waste any  time trying to work out what we are going to on our own, making wrong turns along the way. The quickest, easiest way is just to follow God. The stumbling block is for us to do is get control of our emotions and to keep our minds from imagining all sorts of scenarios.

I heard a story once that is a great illustration. It was told by a police captain who was called to an automobile accident, a really bad one. There were people everywhere – medics – policemen – firemen – and bystanders. The captain was criticized later because he seemed cold, unemotional and too far removed from the events going on around him.

He was later interviewed by a local reporter about his seemingly uncaring attitude. The captain’s reply  to the reporter brought a hush to the crowd and turned their outcry  to one of a quiet hush and tearful eyes. He explained that in order for him to do his job, he had to remain calm and keep his mind alert. There was so much chaos all around him and so much anger and confusion that there had to be someone who could make the hard decisions and direct the others in a manner to keep order. He said that his heart was breaking inside and his mind was racing, but it was mandatory that he keep his mind focused so that he could do his job.

If we all fall apart in a crisis there is confusion and chaos.  There must be order. God is a God of order. We can see all throughout the Scriptures that God had a plan from the very beginning of time. We cannot presume that we know better than He does. We can’t know better. God is our strength and our refuge. He knows the way out. He has the answers.

Some would say that they can’t control their emotions, which is a lie they have believed from satan. Their emotions take over and they can then cause other problems that have to be addressed, adding to the already bad situation and taking up valuable, possibly life-threatening time. Controlling our emotions is a matter of self-control. It’s not that we can’t, it’s that we don’t want to.

It’s not easy to control our emotions when everything within us is screaming and our hearts are racing. We think we don’t have time to talk to God about it. If we proceed without Him, it’s kind of like jumping off the top of a building and calling out to God to save you. We can’t unscramble eggs. We can avoid making our situation worse by taking just a few minutes to ask God for His help. We can ask Him for the peace we need and to direct us as we make decisions. It just takes a moment to call out to Him. And, that moment can change the entire outcome of the situation. The Bible tells us  to acknowledge God in all our ways.

  • Proverbs 3:5-6    5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. NIV

We all want our path to be as straight as possible. The key is to acknowledge God. Put Him first, not last. Don’t be guilty of making Him an afterthought. Don’t take detours, follow God’s path. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

  • Matt 11:28-30    28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  NIV

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God Supplies Our Need Before We Know We Have One!

16 Dec

God just amazes me more every day. Lately I have become aware of just how much more God knows about me than I do. I know I shouldn’t be surprised. His Word does tell us in Psalms 139 that He knew us while we were still in our Mother’s womb. He knew every step we would take, each time we would stand up and sit down and every word that would come out of our mouths, before we speak! So, why in the world should I be surprised at His knowing what I need before I do?

A couple of weeks ago my refrigerator starting going out. I pampered it as much as I could but it finally died! I called a repair man and made the dreaded appointment. After all, it’s Christmas. What timing! Anyway, I braced myself for the worst (sad that we do that) and began to wonder how I would manage the repairs or worse, a new refrigerator.

I was talking to my son a couple of days later, before the repair man came. I was kind of whining to my son about my dilemma. He said, “Mom, not to worry. I have a side by side in my store-room, plugged in and ready to go. You can have it if you need it.” Right then I knew my refrigerator was dead and God had already provided what I needed. So, I could face the repairman without so much anxiety.

Sure enough, my refrigerator was dead and the repair was going to cost way more than I could afford. I loved that refrigerator. I was kind of worried about loosing my really nice Amana, stainless, side by side refrigerator to an unknown sitting in a storage unit. Well, beggars can’t be choosers, as they say.

That next Sunday my son came with the refrigerator in tow. I could see it from the front door. It was white. I was a little hesitant to check it out. But, I walked out to the trailer and took a look at it. Hummmm, not too bad.

My sons and I got the old frig out and the new one in. We plugged it in and said our goodbyes. I proceeded to clean the refrigerator and put all the shelves in. Goodness, it cleaned up very well. Wow! I liked it even better than the beautiful Amana stainless. It looked much better in my kitchen than the sparkling stainless.

Once again I had to apologize to my Lord. He never, never lets me down. Who new He’s a decorator? He knew I would like how this white refrigerator looked in my white kitchen much  better than the stainless.  So, why was I so worried about it?

This may seem a little silly as you read about it. But, it really isn’t. The point is God always knows what we need before we do. And, He cares right down to the color. He provided the new refrigerator before I really knew if I needed it or not. And, better yet, my son had bought it because the price was so good and kept it plugged in all this time, not knowing what he would use it for. But God knew all along. He knew way back when my son bought it that I had a need coming up and I would need that refrigerator.

Now, how can we doubt our God’s provision? This wasn’t a silly thing to Him. He loves me (and you) and knows what our needs are. He loves us so much that He gives, and gives and gives. After all, He gave His Son that we might have life – what’s a ‘lil ‘ole refrigerator?

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What Does Acknowledge God Mean?

4 Jan

Acknowledge God in all you do and He will direct your path. What does that mean exactly?

To me acknowledging God means to keep Him in mind with everything you do. Make it a habit to think of Him often. A conversation with God does not have to be a formal, lengthy discussion each time you pray. Simply keeping Him in the loop is what is important. He cares about everything in our lives. If you don’t think God is concerned with details, take a few minutes to read Exodus 25 & 26. God instructs Moses to have the Israelites bring offerings to Him and to make a sanctuary for Him. He describes in detail, down to the color of yarn for embroidery, and the kind of wood to use, how He wants this accomplished.

I remember long ago when I first read these Scriptures. I actually questioned God about why all the detail was necessary. I was young in the Lord and hadn’t read the Bible much yet. I was truly kind of bored about what I was reading and wanting to get to some more interesting things. As I asked God about this He plainly spoke to my heart that He wanted me to know that He is concerned about the smallest details of my life. Wow! How many times do we neglect to go to God with something because it seems too small?

God is the Master of the Universe, King of Kings, Lord or Lords, yet He cares about me – even the small things that are important to me are important to Him. That is true, unconditional love. God wants us to know that everything about us is important to Him. We can go to Him with anything and everything. We may not have anyone else we can feel that safe with – but we have God.

If you don’t have one, find a place where you can kneel when you need to and just “be” with God. I don’t mean for a formal time of prayer. I mean just a place where you can go, sit or kneel, just feel His presence. Know He is there. Feel safe. Feel loved.

Of course, God is with us everywhere. But, sometimes, I need to stop everything and go to my special place, and just acknowledge that He is there and that I trust Him and love Him and that I need to feel His presence. He is faithful. He always meets me there.

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