Trusting God when you can’t trace him

So many times you are in a situation and you are looking to find help to get through it and you hear “just trust God” , and your reply “how can I when ….” I know the feeling.

Do you remember when God lead the children of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? “21The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people”. Exodus 13:21-22 (Amplified Bible)

Well I believe you would agree that they were used as signs to let them know that God was with them. This method was also used for God to let them know when it was time to stay still or time to move.

Obviously the use of their senses played a significant role in them learning how to trust God because they responded according to what they saw.

Let’s look at the word trust:
1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
2. Something committed into the care of another; charge.

If you have ever worked a day in your life you definitely have some experience in this. You trusted your employer to pay you at the end of the week so you gave him your time and work. How about trusting in the promise of your parents who said they would give you a specific gift for your birthday or Christmas.

Yes it is easy to trust or rely on God when you see the evidence of a pillar of cloud or fire in your presence. The challenge comes when there is no evidence of him. How do you hold on and keep trusting God when there is no sign of his presence. Nothing to see, nothing to touch, nothing to feel. There’s no trace.

Trace:
1. To follow the course or trail of.
2. A visible mark, such as a footprint, made or left by the passage of a person, animal, or thing.
3.Evidence or an indication of the former presence or existence of something; a vestige.


I’m sure you would have had experiences where it feels like God is nowhere around. So do you stop, give in throw in the towel and pack up on God and life?

Let’s see what God is doing during these times:

1. Sensitizing your ear to hear his voice. - Is 55:3a
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;

2. Strengthening your faith - Rom. 4:20-21
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform

3. Developing your patience - James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4. Preparing you for his glory - Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.



Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!

Issue # 11 - What’s it going to ‘B’ ?

From A - Z… the series continues… B

You enter a room with yellow & green decorations to attend an important function. The room is filled with people dressed in various colors. Conversations are heard all over the room as you
hear music playing lightly in the background. People are trafficking in and out of the room as you stand at the entrance.

As you look around you notice a few chairs remain at the left side of the room. You are escorted to that area of the room where you pick the chair of your choice. You decide to pick the very first one nearest you.

Immediately after you are seated, you are presented with a colorful program for this event. The cover reads "2008 Believers Convention". My, what a timely topic.

Yes, I agree. Today we are going to look at a word that shapes the mind and heart of many people. The decisions that you make depends on your outlook of this word. This week’s word from the letter ‘B’. It is the root word found on the cover of your program. It’s the word believe.

Believe :
1. To accept as true or real: Did you believe the news today?
2. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.
3. To have faith, confidence, or trust: I believe in your ability to solve the
problem.

Did you know that you just applied this word a few seconds ago. Yes you just made an important decision from it that could have caused an injury. Remember when you sat down? Why did you sit in that chair and did not check it? Can I answer that for you? Because you believed that it was going to hold you right? Now imagine that, believing and putting faith in something that you saw for the first time and didn’t think twice to inspect it.

"Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact" .

William James

I don’t think we have a problem believing, but what we have to believe in is where the challenge is. Isn’t it strange that we can quickly believe in something that was made by man.

For instance, you are in need of directions to get to a certain destination. You ask a stranger to help you. Immediately you do what they said because you believed what they told you. Isn’t that the kind of method that God wants from us? To believe him according to want he said.

Would You Ride In This?

A story is told of a great circus entertainer Charles Blondin who stretch a long cable across Niagara falls. He walked, ran, and even danced across the tightrope. Once he took a wheelbarrow across it and amazed the crowd by pushing it across the cable from one side to the other.

He then turned to the crowd and asked "Now how many of you believe that I could push a man across the cable in the wheelbarrow?" People cheered and held their hands high. They believed he could do it.

"Then," asked Blondin, "would any of you please volunteer to be that man?" As quickly as the hands went up, they went back down. No one would volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow and trust their life to Blondin.

I know that I am running out of time so I’m going to hurry up. My friend, real faith is activated when you act on what you believe. Could this be the reason why you are in your present position.? Is your belief getting the right results? What you believe in has no power until you demonstrate that you are supporting it.

Let me say, it’s time for the things that you believe God wants to happen for you to be seen. What wheelbarrow is God waiting for you to get in and risk your faith. If you truly trust God you have to get in and let him carry you over to the other side.

Coming next week: The series continues…letter 'C'

Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Read more!