Trust - (Noun) Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something or (Verb) Believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of. Trust sounds like an easy thing to do, right? It should be, but often times, we find it hard to simply, TRUST someone. I know that many times I have trusted people that I shouldn't have. That's something that happens to all of us at one point of time or another. That is why it's so hard to trust people.
Trusting people is one thing, but trusting God, SHOULD be a completely different thing. Many times I find myself treating God like an unreliable friend. When I was debating on what college I wanted to attend, I prayed long and hard about where to apply. Well, God showed me Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee. That's a good ways away from home. I prayed about it, and sent in my application, and when I hit submit on the online application, I told God, if you want me to be here, let me get early acceptance, if you don't, please make them decline me!
Well, I got accepted, and I felt this peace come over me. I don't know how to explain it, but I felt like everything was going to be okay. Then came all the paper work. Man, there is alot of that! I started filling it out and got to thinking, well, can I trust the result I got? I started questioning God! I stopped trusting and started doubting! THAT'S when Satan charges at us!
We all (including myself) need to learn to Let Go and Let GOD! He's in control! Whether our answer is one we want to hear or not, we need to keep in mind that God knows the whole picture, while we see only a tiny glimpse. When we learn to TRUST God even in tough situations, we will be better off!
The challenge this week: To Trust and Obey!
Song: Trust and Obey
Trust and Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
It doesn't take much to freak me out. I am scared of everything. Literally. Some small things that scare me are things like spiders, snakes, lizards, Mrs. Batchelor's essays, and that weird thing that some people do to their eye lids, like the bending back thing. haha. But a few big things that scare me, and probably alot of other seniors in my school, are choosing the right college, leaving home, losing friends when we go off to college, and the big turn our lives are going to take after we graduate this year. There are a billion things I could talk about when it comes to fear.
Do you think it's odd that there are so many things that we are afraid of, but God hasn't given us the spirit of fear? We weren't made to fear anything or anyone other than our Almighty God. The Devil tries to instill that fearful attitude in us so that we can't do what God wants us to. He plants lies in our heads that will take our focus off of the goal God has set for us to reach.
A very personal aspect of my life would be a great example of this...
I absolutely love to sing, play the piano, and talk. That is no secret. My problem is that I am AFRAID to sing, play or talk in front of a crowd... I can just see the shocked looked on yal's faces! But I let Satan tell that I'm going to fail and make a fool of myself in front of everyone. When that lie doesn't effect me, he tells me that I'm not as good as Luke, Chelsey, Chris, Missy or Randy. Which hurts, because I love them so much.
I let fear run and ruin my life. I sometimes wonder if I didn't let fear and Satan enter my life, if God would be able to use me more often and more effectively. If I fully devoted all my time to Him, and just dismissed any unnecessary fear, would I be used? it's quiet a thought to think about!
So my challenge to you and to myself is... BE NOT AFRAID! God said 365 times in the Bible to "fear not." If He said it THAT many times, I'm sure He means it!!!!
Verses: 1) "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1st John 4:18
2) "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
Song: Be Not Afraid
Performed by: The Whisnants
Verse 1: Rocked by waves and howlin' winds
and the storm that threatened them,
the disciples sailed a boat on Galilee
They were tired and full of frieght
for they had fought the storm all night
Then the Master came a-walkin' on the sea!
Chorus: Be not afraid: for it is I! in the fourth watch of the night
You've fought and prayed, but I am here and it's alright!
The storm will rage the winds will blow,
but they are under my control!
It won't be long til morning breaks,
Be not afraid!
Verse 2: Hope seems gone the day is done,
and the night is pressing on
the doctors say that they have done all they can do!
around the clock, the family prays, but help's already on the way!
I know when my family hears this, there will be a huge sigh of relief...
This is my last post for this "series" I might post some things every-now-and-then but not as much as I have been.
I am always amazed. Legit. I always stand in awe of the presence of God. Even when things aren't going exactly the way I wanted, God shows me that He is gonna turn my situation into something I could never have thought up for myself.
I know it sounds crazy, but I am thankful that through everything, God is still amazing. He comforts me when bad things happen. I have the PERFECT example for that...
So, I have (had...) this friend, who for the sake of the blog, will be called "Jane." She went to church with me, and we became friends there. Well, this was the summer before our Junior year in high school. She told me that she was going to move to Union and go to school at my high school (there's only one high school in all of Union county, she didn't have much to choose from haha). I told "Jane" that I would show her around and help introduce her to people, and I kept my promise. I thought that we were tight. We were with each other all the time, and then when summer came, we both had things we needed to do. We didn't get to talk as much as we used to. Which was a sad situation for me, because I loved her very much.
Come our senior year, I found out she had deleted me from facebook, I didn't think too much of it, so I tried to re-add her. She never accepted. I thought that was kinda odd. So when I hung out with my friend, Morgan, the next day, I asked her if "Jane" had told her if I had done anything to offend her. Morgan told me that "Jane" said that she had deleted me on facebook. When Morgan asked her why, the answer shocked Morgan. "Jane" said that now that she knows people at school, she doesn't need to be friends with me anymore. I was upset when I heard that...
I was upset because "Jane" wasn't only my friend, but she is a sister in Christ and was a member at the same church as me. I would've made a big deal about it, but this past summer, something happened.
This summer (2011), I had gotten more serious with God. I turned everything over to Him and I told Him that whatever was in His will for me, I would be happy with it. And I didn't mean it in a half-hearted way. You know the kind that you mean the prayer until something doesn't go the way you want it to "half-hearted way." I meant it with every fiber of my being.
Well, I had been praying and praying and studying and singing and learning more than I have in the past 17 years of my life about God and the circumstances He sends to us. Well, a few nights before I found out about my friend "Jane," God should me a verse. Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth."
That verse got me through that situation and will continue to get me through many more that will come. I know I couldn't have gotten through losing a friend alone. God was with me every step of the way. He will ALWAYS be with me.
God wasn't just there during the trial of a former friend, but he was there when my best friend died, and when my parents almost got a divorce, when we left the church we had attended for 15 years. He has been there through every trial I have ever faced and he will forever be my guide. He's not only my Savior, but he's my LORD, he has full reign of my life, cause I can't do it alone. That's way Psalm 34:1 is so precious to me! He deserves our praises at ALL times!
You may be going through a rough patch, so just remember, you can't do it alone! God wants to help you through whatever you are going through! He loves you!
Verse: "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1
Song: I Can't Do It Alone
Verse 1: I've got a tall mountain that's blocking my way
the highest that I've ever known
I plan to climb over that mountain some day,
Lord I can't do it alone
Chorus: I can't do it alone, on my own, I can't do it alone
Take hold of my hand, Lord, and help me I pray
for I can't do it alone.
Verse 2: the cross that I carry is heavy to have
I've reaped of the sins I have sown
I plead, dear Lord look at my bleeding back,
Oh I can't make it alone
Chorus
(sorry, I messed up the 2nd verse, i couldn't understand the youtube video and can't find the lyrics I literally couldn't do this alone...)
