Trusting God

I find it hard to trust God sometimes, don't you? I mean, so often we say, "God is in control," or "The Lord will provide. He's our Jehova Jira." And we say it to other people meaning full-heartedly, and it IS true, but I think that many times we don't believe it in our hearts. It is only a head knowledge. When push comes to shove we find ourselves hesitant to trust God with anything. We just have to have control of our own lives. We want our lives to go right, and we oftentimes forget that it is us who are the problem.

God has been really "hammering" it into me about trusting Him lately. I mean, my car was working off and on for about a month (thankfully though it is finally fixed, thanks to God's provision through parents ^_^), starting next month I will be giving more than I feel that I can financially afford in my tithe because God has asked me to, and then there is the feeling that God is being silent on certain questions that I have been asking Him. What does my ministry look like (just a hint... please?)? Is the girl I'm dating now the girl I'm going to marry? What should I even focus my attention on in college, what major? And, of course, this is all future focused, but who doesn't want at least a little direction? Besides, what I plan on doing in the future affects how I act now. Knowing what my ministry may look like will affect how I study, and who I marry affects how I treat other women (should I continue to seek that "perfect girl" or should I fence myself off?). Do you see what I mean? These are valid and logical things to be concerned about, but I have no answers to them. Ever feel like that?

And then there are comments people make, whether they said it off-handedly, were serious, or just goofing off, it can seriously affect our thought patterns. We may want to trust ourselves in doing something more than trusting God. We ask God to help us with the big things, but so often not the small things; and it's easy to trust Him with the small things sometimes, but hard to trust with the big things. Why can't we trust Him with all things?

For instance, tithing. Say you get payed $1,000 a month. You pay room and board for $700, and you give $100 for tithe, which leaves you with a mere $200 for whatever you may need (gas, car repairs, clothes, etc.) You feel like you have hardly any money for yourself right? Now let's throw God into the mix by him asking you to give an additional $50 to the Great Commission Fund in order to help out a missionary. What is your reaction? My initial reaction would probably be along the lines of, "God I can't do that, I wouldn't have enough money for a month's worth of gas. I barely have enough now!" But God gives us a promise concerning tithes in Malachi 3:10:

Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

So He tells us that He will bless us until there is no more need. Obviously, He is going to cover your costs. God is not a poor God, and how many times do we forget that? He has an infinite supply of riches that He can give to provide for our lack.

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
1 Timothy 6:17

I don't want this to be just about money. We should trust Him with Everything.

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

He isn't going to let us down. Both Philippians 3:3-4 and 1 Corinthians 1:9 talk about not relying on ourselves, on our flesh, to do things right, to make things work, but to fully rely on God.

So whether it is getting up early every morning and spending an hour in prayer and reading the Bible, or if it is giving/buying a car for someone who needs it, or even paying for their repairs, God has your back. Whether it is ending friendships because they are leading you down a path that can't be good morally, physically, or spiritualy; or staying in the army for 4 more years, whatever God has you doing, you should do with faith and hope that God is going to protect you, and use you, and bless you for your obedience. Wherever we are, we are there for a reason.

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:2

He is our strength, we have no need to fear. We have to ourselves out of the way and allow Him to do what He wants in our lives.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

He will never leave nor forsake us. So why should we be worried about money? I'm not saying we should spend the money recklessly, that is poor stewardship of what we have been given, but I am saying that if God asks us to do something we should do it without worry, fear, and without argument. I know that is not easy. I constantly find myself arguing with God about what He is asking me to do (very much like Moses), but what matters the most is if I obey Him. Either He is my Master and I serve Him, or He is no one and I serve myself. We cannot server ourselves if He is our Master, if we are His slaves we don't need to worry about us. He is going to take care of us and bless us for serving Him.

And God's provision will oftentimes come in ways we do not expect, and certainly doesn't look like anything we may hope for; but the provision is still there and god is not going to let His sons and daughters be forgotten.


This is kind of a "sermonette" of what I'm working on for my first "sermon" that I will be preaching in two weeks. It may be 10 minutes long, it may be 2 hours... I doubt it though. Hopefully it will fall in at least 20 haha. So this is my experience mixed with my need to prepare a sermone mixed with my thoughts on life, etc. Tis all, kbye!