Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelms us. ~ Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts
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A great link
The 7 Habits of People Who Place Radical Trust in God
This writer reads a lot of Biographies about inspiring people who “who place radical trust in God.” She found some common threads among them and lists them here. I found some areas I need to brush up on (or radically overhaul) and I would share in light of “iron sharpening iron.”
Not just any ordinary stairs!
I don’t know about you, but for me falling in to doubt is just too easy sometimes.
The other day I ran into a friend who asked me what was new in the England department (for those reading this for the first time, I have openly declared that God has called me to England and I believe it will be this summer). I honestly had nothing new to tell her, no job offers, no place to live, no…nothing! In fact at this point really have nothing solid, “except” what God had spoken to me. She then said excitedly, something that scared me to my core “Well we are all watching you. We can’t wait to see how this unfolds.” I was like “No pressure right?” and then laughed.
But then I was struck with a thought. Or a million of them. Oh my gosh people are watching me! What if I am wrong? How stupid I will look in front of them (and let me just say for a girl who grew up being picked on in school, that is a horrifying thought). What if I just conjured this whole thing up? What if I get to August and have nowhere to live (I gave my landlord notice)? What it I am a bad example to my children, friends, and extended family of how to follow God? What if? What if? What if?
Those what if’s can cause me to go from “doing great” to “want to pull the covers over my head and crawl under the bed” in two seconds flat.
Yet there is a reason that I do not run and hide. There is a reason that I do not allow all the negative questions to drive me into a comatose state. And that reason is Jesus! He says to me
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.[1]
Then I am reminded that He is not going to set me up for failure. He is not going to lead me to my doom. God has a great plan for my life!!!
Sure I may not see anything happening yet, and sure I may not have anything tangible to hold on to yet…but I have my faith!
Martin Luther King once said “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”So I have taken the first step…I got the passports for my children and I took the second, I gave notice that I was moving this summer. I took the third, I fasted 45 days. And now I have my foot planted on step number four waiting to lift off.
Do I know when I will get my next step? No. But I do know that I will get the next one because God’s “good plans” that He has for me, mean that good things are in store.
Do I know how many steps there are? No. But I do know that the Awesome God who designed my staircase has made just the right number of them.
And Do I even know where it will lead me? Yes. It will lead to my future, where Gods good plans for my life will be realized.
So I will keep stepping, and believing, and will be excited to watch it all unfold.
What about you? What staircase are you presently on? What at step? I would love to hear about it (Hint, Hint, leave a comment).
I just believe that God would want me to encourage you to believe that His plans for you are more than you can imagine. That you do not have to have it all figured out. That your future is safe in His hands.
So if He is currently telling you to take a step of faith that you are afraid of, remember that it will not end in your destruction as He always has plans for your welfare not for evil to befall you.
He is so very, very good.
He loves you so very much.
Trust Him.
Take the step.
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Jeremiah 29:11.
A great reminder that we are not called to “figure God out!”
Tony Campolo was once confronted by an atheist who was one of his students.
The young man told Campolo, “For me to believe in God, I have to have a God that I can understand.”
And Campolo replied, “God refuses to be that small!”
(From a sermon at Sermon Central by Jeff Strite, Trusting in Ravens, 8/8/2011)
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A Pea Coat, A Girl, And a Lesson in Trusting God
All of my adult life I have wanted a pea coat. So I was very excited when I finally was able to buy one. I loved it. It was brown, fit me perfectly, and was snuggly warm.
Not long after I bought it, I wore it to church. They were having a class that my oldest daughter (around 18 at the time) and I were taking. We were dropped off and were going to walk the mile or so home after it was over.
When we came out of the church I immediately noticed two things. 1) There was a full on blizzard happening. It was lightly snowing when we went in and was pouring snow (at an angle due to wind) on the way out.
My daughter and I were up for the challenge. We loved long walks, were bundled up, were looking forward to talking uninterrupted on the way home (something that is hard to come by in a home full of young children).
So we started our walk, but only got as far as the parking lot when we came upon, 2) A girl, who had been kicked out of her home at 18. She was barely making it and that day was just getting out her car, to meet with someone at the church. I immediately noticed how she was shivering from the cold.
“Where is your jacket” I asked (after the usual hellos).
“I don’t have one.” she replied.
“You don’t have one?” Are you sure?” I was just too shocked. How could anyone not have a jacket.
“Ya. I did have one but it got lost in the move.”
“I am so sorry” I said, and was just about to say goodbye and wish her luck, and potentially pray for her to get a jacket. When God stopped me and simply said “Give her your coat.”
I quickly replied in my mind, “But God I don’t think you understand, this is the coat I have always wanted. This is the coat I have dreamed of. This is the coat that I got on sale for 75% off and that I know there is no more of, this is the coat!”
“Give her the coat.”
“But God do you even understand that I still have to walk home a mile in this blizzard. I will surely freeze to death.”
“Lisa look at her, she is freezing. She needs to coat more than you do. Give her the coat. I will make sure you are warm.”
So I gave her my lovely brown Pea Coat (it fit her perfectly by the way), and after giving her a hug, started my walk with Megan home.
About five minutes into it I noticed how warm I was. It was like I had an internal heater and someone had set the dial up to toasty warm. I do not remember much about that walk home except that I kept saying over and over, “How cool is this. I am actually warm.”
It was a miracle! God kept me warm and taught me a lesson at the same time. That if I step out and do what He is calling me to do, He will take care of me.
I never did get another Pea Coat. But that is ok, because my friend bought me a winter jacket that is the warmest jacket I have ever owned. And every time I wear it I am reminded that God is trustworthy.
Photo – © Doug Baines – Fotolia.com
I Am Trusting God 