Let's talk about trusting God

[EagleEyes85]

Here's a phrase that's been motivating me lately. It's from Marvin Sapp's "Keep Holding On" (which I've had on repeat for a few days):

"If you could only see what God sees, you'd get excited about your destiny"

Wow, I'm seriously going to print this out as a banner and put it on my wall. Thanks for this.

 

[Guitarhero]

Some might say that they were diligent and faithful until the end and that they rode on a glorious chariot that lifted them into the heavens. And then I have to come down to my mere human reality. Trusting God is NEVER easy. It never is. All I can say is that you must keep on being faithful until the end, even if it's tough. If you fall off the spiritual/trusting wagon of faith, get back up, dust yourself off and get going again in the right direction. Does God hate to see us fall? He is saddened by it but He knew beforehand what would happen. He's teaching us things every time we triumph and fail. We need to keep emotional balanced and that gift that only He can give us, faith.

God has come through and usually at the very last minute (I wish He would come sooner but He's never late, no matter the outcome) to lift me up. His examples with Israel are to show His compassion and kindness to all His children but to also show just how frail we are and that even though not optimal, we fail. As humans, we are not perfect and it's okay. Okay? Absolutely, that He cares for us psychologically as well and that we shouldn't live steeped in angst over being too human. None of us are any different than the ancient Israelites. It only takes one situation to send a person seemingly over the edge to where they can no longer deal with life. God is there to direct and guide us, if we allow Him, as evidenced in scripture. Great topic!!

 

[Laela]

I had to address this again... well said! This morning my thoughts were on Walking in the Spirit - so that's my mode today. It's challenging, but rewarding, because I must stay committed to reading the Word, keeping my thoughts always on Him and good things and constantly praising him. My pea brain cannot ever intellectualize or make sense of God and His goodness...so I'll just stay focused.

Peter could have stayed on the water if he'd not let fear enter and kept his eye on Jesus the whole time.

Focus is so important! I heard Pastor Adrian Rogers once say, " A boat or plane relies so heavily on it's navigation equipment. If either were to get off course by even 1 degree the further along it's path it goes the more off course it will be. If the course is not corrected it will end up no where near where it was supposed to be." That's how we are when we take our eyes off God. It becomes so easy to intellectualize things.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

I had to address this again... well said! This morning my thoughts were on Walking in the Spirit - so that's my mode today. It's challenging, but rewarding, because I must stay committed to reading the Word, keeping my thoughts always on Him and good things and constantly praising him. My pea brain cannot ever intellectualize or make sense of God and His goodness...so I'll just stay focused.

Peter could have stayed on the water if he'd not let fear enter and kept his eye on Jesus the whole time.

We are of the same mind this morning, sis....staying focused!

God is good!

 

[BeautifulFlower]

This thread has blessed me tremedously. I have been on and off with God over the past 10 to 12 months. He had to take me through something one last time before I would finally get it.

Now, God is doing a tremedous work in me. He's changing my heart and like Kimbb said, it starts with being honest with him.

I keep in mind the exodus of the Israelites and I remember one thing above all: The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness until a generation died off. This generation didnt make it to the promise land because of their complaining and lack of faith. And the crazy part about it is what was supposed to take 40 days turned into 40 years.

Moral of the story: When you dont trust God, your 40 days can turn into 40 years.

 

[Guitarhero]

This is what bothers me about murmuring and complaining; how can a professed Believer always find reason to see the bad and never the good in anything Our Father does/allows? We know he's great and Mighty...yet we can't comprehend or refuse to accept the miracles we see or hear of. Sometimes I think we're like spoiled brats who just have to have our way -- every time. Some of us know that God is no Genie and shouldn't be treated as one, and that Faith goes beyond simply praying. We just have to keep each other lifted up in prayer when we see the murmuring and complaining.

Great thread, OP!

I passed up responding twice because I don't want you to think I'm tagging behind. But this is what my issue today is and this thread is so relevant. IMHO, I think it depends upon the level of the pain and suffering that one is enduring that can lead to extreme murmuring and complaining , especially when one makes comparisons. Not just a slip up, but in seeing no change for awhile, losing focus on the bigger picture, and thinking that has to be permanent reality. Just today, someone was explaining about the difficulties of some legal documentation and such and I just thought to myself, see, right there!!!!! I forgot about that blessing already because I didn't have to go through such. Guilty as charged.

 

[loolalooh]

This thread has blessed me tremedously. I have been on and off with God over the past 10 to 12 months. He had to take me through something one last time before I would finally get it.

Now, God is doing a tremedous work in me. He's changing my heart and like Kimbb said, it starts with being honest with him.

I keep in mind the exodus of the Israelites and I remember one thing above all: The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness until a generation died off. This generation didnt make it to the promise land because of their complaining and lack of faith. And the crazy part about it is what was supposed to take 40 days turned into 40 years.

Moral of the story: When you dont trust God, your 40 days can turn into 40 years.

I need write the bolded down. Thanks for sharing.

 

[OhmyKimB]

Moral of the story: When you dont trust God, your 40 days can turn into 40 years.

That is so scary, because it just makes me wonder how long was I really supposed to take.

 

[Laela]

Nahh.. I'm not being provoked... that's just my humble opinion, and you're entitled to yours.


But my point was, ungratefulness to God, despite being blessed. The Israelites actually SAW God's work, they actually HEARD his voice, yet they still murmured and complained when things didn't go their way. They couldn't see past their circumstances. The best way I can explain it:
It's like saving someone who is crossing the street from getting hit by a car; You see what's about to happen and you take action pulling them out of harm's way. After endangering your life to save theirs, all they do is yell at you, "What you did that for!" I really believe a Believer can be in a place (no matter how low) that the STILL can be grateful to God. It's something I've had to learn to do in my Walk. Each of us is given a measure of Faith, it's up to us whether we exercise that faith or not.

I passed up responding twice because I don't want you to think I'm tagging behind. But this is what my issue today is and this thread is so relevant. IMHO, I think it depends upon the level of the pain and suffering that one is enduring that can lead to extreme murmuring and complaining , especially when one makes comparisons. Not just a slip up, but in seeing no change for awhile, losing focus on the bigger picture, and thinking that has to be permanent reality. Just today, someone was explaining about the difficulties of some legal documentation and such and I just thought to myself, see, right there!!!!! I forgot about that blessing already because I didn't have to go through such. Guilty as charged.

 

[Guitarhero]

Nahh.. I'm not being provoked... that's just my humble opinion, and you're entitled to yours.


But my point was, ungratefulness to God, despite being blessed. The Israelites actually SAW God's work, they actually HEARD his voice, yet they still murmured and complained when things didn't go their way. They couldn't see past their circumstances. The best way I can explain it:
It's like saving someone who is crossing the street from getting hit by a car; You see what's about to happen and you take action pulling them out of harm's way. After endangering your life to save theirs, all they do is yell at you, "What you did that for!" I really believe a Believer can be in a place (no matter how low) that the STILL can be grateful to God. It's something I've had to learn to do in my Walk. Each of us is given a measure of Faith, it's up to us whether we exercise that faith or not.

How you explained ungratefulness was my "issue" (with myself) for today...what I'm going through. It mirrored my life. It's what I'm in. That's why I didn't pass it up because it reflected just what my situation is. I fully comprehend. I'm not changing the opinion, I'm agreeing. You nailed it on the head and I put my personal spin on it regarding pain and suffering.

 

[Renovating]

wrong thread sorry.

 

[topsyturvy86]

Topsyturvy - thank you for this thread.

You've given an excellent biblical example of when we take our eyes off of Jesus we begin to sink or go into another direction; out of the Will of God.

Last night I opened up my bible and it landed on Jer. 17:7
“ Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.

I smiled and thought about this thread.

I went a little further into my thoughts and said when we keep God first in our hearts, and in our lives; He teaches us through life experiences on how to trust Him more and more.

Like the Israelites, Thomas, Saul (aka Paul), and many other biblical characters who didn't believe at first, God is so loving and merciful that He continues to manifest Himself to us.

On the other hand, if we read verse 8-10 in Jer. 17 we will see there are indeed benefits on trusting in the Lord. He protects us from the unseen; He guides us; purify our hearts; and blesses us.

8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear[b] when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green,
And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
9 “ The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the LORD, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings.

This scripture encouraged me today .. thanks PinkPebbles

 

[Laela]

^^^that post was a blessing to me as well... reminds me of a favorite Psalm:

Psalms 1 (KJV)

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

 

[Butterfly08]

I know! And me as well ... but it's so easy to do you know. You tend to remember bad things more vividly than good things. There's something they used to do in the old testament which I love and could help overcome this kind of behaviour. You know when God came through for someone or met with them, they would build an alter and name it accordingly. It's like a memorial of the things God has done and going back to it reminds of the times God shown Himself and would help keep the faith in times you cannot feel His presence.

A while ago, I was trying to figure out how to incorporate this into my modern life but couldn't figure out how ... it gets watered down just in memory. Perhaps a way would be through writing about it everytime.

Journaling over the past several months has been AWESOME!!! I've been doing it daily now for almost a year and it's amazing how much we forget. I read back on some of the things I wrote on my prayer list and see how months later, God ANSWERED them!!! Journaling has brought clarity and focus to my mind and emotions, and helps me to testify to MYSELF about God's goodness. I can also see how much I have grown over the past year, and rejoice at the painful situations that the Lord has brought me out of.

 

[Laela]

I used to journal and haven't done so in years; but it really does help a person clearly "see" how far they've come, ITA. Moses kept a journal of the journey also - at the Lord's command. We just wrapped up Numbers last night in our Bible study!

NUMBERS 33
Stages in Israel's Journey (KJV)

" 1These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
2And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
3And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
4For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.
5And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.."

Journaling over the past several months has been AWESOME!!! I've been doing it daily now for almost a year and it's amazing how much we forget. I read back on some of the things I wrote on my prayer list and see how months later, God ANSWERED them!!! Journaling has brought clarity and focus to my mind and emotions, and helps me to testify to MYSELF about God's goodness. I can also see how much I have grown over the past year, and rejoice at the painful situations that the Lord has brought me out of.

 

[BeautifulFlower]

^^^that post was a blessing to me as well... reminds me of a favorite Psalm:

Psalms 1 (KJV)

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

This just blessed me tremedously. I was just thinking about how whenever I get into a relationship, some goal of mine with my relationship with God gets displaced. I left SO because I need to focus again and I can't do it with around. I want to be deeply rooted before I entertain anyone.

Then I read this:
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Its makes sense. If I want to be planted like a tree by streams of water that yields fruit and prospers....I must meditate day and night about the his Word. That not always easy with the busy life I have but its the only way. My stream of water needs to be the consistent thinking and applying of the Word.

 

[Laela]

We're revisiting the battle of Jericho in the book of Joshua and this thread came to mind. I had to put myself in the place of the Israelites back then...being in a place where my being obedient to God was a matter of life and death. I can imagine the talk around the camp, and being told we had to just shut up for seven days and quietly march around the city [Joshua 6: 10- Amplified]
But Joshua commanded the people, You shall not shout or let your voice be heard, nor shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I tell you to shout. Then you shall shout!

How many of us honestly have no problem obeying God like this? Doing something without knowing exactly WHY. Though God told Joshua the overall plan, the strategic details and the fine-tuning was all up to Joshua. God also trusted his servant would do the right thing/make the right moves. It's an excellent example of trusting God...

 

[HeChangedMyName]

subscribing so i can read this later