"Where Do You Put Your Trust?"

How many times can you honestly look back on your life and say you put your trust in God to see you through something?

Do you trust people, or only yourself to get something done?

In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. Deuteronomy 1:32-33

If we put our trust in earthly things, including ourselves, everything will fall apart. But if we put our trust in our Heavenly Father who is eternal, He will work it all out. Everything happens for a reason; most of the time we don't understand why these reasons. But we need to know that God is in control, not us. He created us, He knows our every thought; He knows where we are going and why He has it planned that way. So, if we but trust Him, even though it's hard and seems a blind thing to do, we will feel the burden of responsibility lift from our shoulders. It may not all work our the way we wanted, or make much sense at the time, but hey who's will is it again?*

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

Trusting through the blindfold,
Whitney

"Those Who... Seek Him!" 3-28-08

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,

Who seek Him with the whole heart!

(Psalms 119:2 NKJV)

You know, this entire series has been a very... inquisitive one, for lack of a better term. Each verse seems to raise new questions to which I have no answer, and so the only place to look for these answers is to God. Before we continue on with Matthew 5:7, I'd just like to mention something to you all. If ever you encounter something in Scripture that seems to defy reason, that just doesn't make sense, or that seems to contradict itself, investigate it; dig a little deeper; ask God. Indeed, "seek Him with your whole heart!"

I'm sure you've heard it said before that God is big enough to be asked the tough questions, and this is absolutely true. In fact, when we do dig deeper and ask these questions, it pleases Him that we are willing to devote the time and energy to seek understanding, honor him with our minds, and spend time with Him. He gave us the ability to reason and learn for a purpose, and what better purpose could we put it to than to seek Him?

"Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. (1 Kings 3:9-10 ESV)

Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. (Proverbs 2:3-8 NKJV)

As it is said, "Seek and ye shall find." (Matthew 7:7)

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)

God wants us to seek Him and search for His understanding, even if this involves asking the tough, faith-threatening questions. So let's put our trust in Him and be willing to ask these questions, what do you say? It is by this process that we grow in faith and knowledge of God, as well as in closeness with Him. And boy, what an amazing privilege it is to be able to sit down with the Almighty God of the Universe as if in casual conversation and ask Him for understanding and fellowship! I do hope this inspires thankfulness in each of our hearts!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalms 100:4-5 ESV)

And as one final thought, let's always remember to focus on the epitome of God's Wisdom, His Son:

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 22-24)

Blessings,
Andrew

Faith - 3/18/08

Hello everyone,

The passage I'd like to share with you today is very well known - it is the account of Jesus calming the storm.

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.. Matthew 8:23-26

Another account of this incident, found in Mark chapter 4, has a bit more elaboration on the words of Jesus:

He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"Mark 4:40

What intrigues me about this verse is how Jesus asks the question: "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" You would think that after having spent time with Jesus Christ and witnessing some of his miracles (for this was still early in His ministry), His disciples would by this point have faith in both Christ, and the Father who sent Him - surely enough faith to trust Him through this simple storm. Walking with God Almighty - whether aware of it or not - has this effect on people.

This is what I would like to focus on, the aspect of faith that Jesus gives us a glimpse into here. Faith is more than simply a blind trusting (though this is what we must do sometimes, trust in the Lord when we ourselves are blind to what the outcome may be). Imagine a relationship with a close friend or family member of yours. If it's a true friend or loved one, you know that if you're ever in need, you can run to this person for whatever you may need. You can trust them to be there for you, because over the course of time, your trust and faith in each other has grown.

Let's say, for example, that I'm out on my own and my identity is stolen, along with all the money in my bank account. After this, I need some money to live on, so I think of who I can call for help. So I call up my family back home, and they say of course they'll send some money right away. As Hebrews 11:1 states, because I trust them, "I am sure of what I hope for" - my hope being that that they will pull through for me - and "certain of what I do not see" - that they have promised to help me through my hard times. I cannot physically see this promise, but I am sure and confident that it will be fulfilled. While this may be an example of misplaced faith - faith in man to pull me through rather than faith in God to sustain me - I hope you understand the principle I'm trying to get across.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Our relationship with God is the same way. As we walk with Him, we learn to trust Him, even when we cannot see Him moving with our own eyes, as with any relationship with a trustworthy person (and who is more trustworthy than God Himself?). So do you want more faith? Walk with God. Get to know Him, and listen to His Word and His voice - the more you do, the easier it will be to endure the storms of life when they come our way. The easier it will be to have faith; to have trust; and this simply comes with time.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

Blessings
Andrew

The Inward and Outward Appearance - 3/14/08

In the book of Ruth, let's focus on love, devotion, and trust, as well as the effects of a good role model (or the Inward and Outward Appearance).

Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi in the first Chapter. We see this more in the following Chapters. Naomi loved Ruth as though she were her own daughter; she wanted what was best for Ruth. So she gave her advice, such as how to gain favor from Naomi's kinsman Boaz. And how does Ruth respond to this? "I will do whatever you say". She was willing to submit to Naomi's advice, because her mother-in-law knew best; they were Naomi's people, and they had certain ways of doing things that often differed from her own. To get right down to it, Ruth had a lot of love for Naomi, putting all her trust in her.

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. Ruth 3:1-6

Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working..... Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:19-23

It is interesting to me to see the noted line "And she lived with her mother-in-law." Perhaps this little line was added to further establish the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.

Now let's see about the qualities of Ruth.

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband——how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:11

(Also read Ruth 3:10-13)

Boaz, who we meet in the second chapter, is struck right away by the good qualities of Ruth. Everyone spoke very highly of her. This makes her even more of a good role-model; she not only had good qualities, she lived them too.....

This is how people tend to measure other people: by first impressions. What we see from a person, in physical appearance and by the way they act, forms what we think of them. Of course we ought to get to know them more, for one encounter is never enough to fully understand someone.

But you see, if we judge others this way, others will judge you this way. As Christians, we should live a Christ-centered life, both in our appearance and by our actions. People are constantly watching; let us shine Christ's love and compassionate qualities. Ruth did, and became an inspiration for those around her. She was spoken of highly, respected, and loved despite her being a foreigner. Her first impression was a good one, but instead of just ending it there, she made it a point to practice it all the days of her life.*

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7b

Will your actions reflect your heart for the Lord?

Whitney

"Role Models"

Ruth impressed me by her love and faithfulness towards her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth was willing, after enduring the loss of her husband, to leave behind all that she knew to travel with Naomi to a foreign land. What courage! What faith! And after enduring all that she just went through.

Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Ruth 1:3-7 NIV

Just imagine how Naomi felt. She herself lost both her sons, as well as her husband. Orpah she tells to leave her, and that she does. Perhaps deep down inside she really wanted her two daughter-in-laws now widowed to remain with her, but knew what she said was the best thing for all of them.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."

Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."

But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." Ruth 1:8-13 (NIV)

It seems to me Ruth was searching, being guided by God to go in this direction, although she didn't know it. She wasn't content to stay with her people and to continue their ways, worshiping their gods. She needed change, and she was taking action.

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:16-18

She loved her mother-in-law so much, she was willing to give up what would have been a good life back home. After all, the people she knew were familiar to her, but Naomi's world? Very different. But despite this, she was willing to make a change, a MAJOR one at that. She was stepping outside her comfort zone. She was ready to grow.

Many of us can relate to Ruth. Maybe some drastic event has happened in your life, taking away something from you. Or maybe you have a big decision in front of you. Whatever the case, most of us have been at this point at one time or another. When these things occur, we often default with fear. But we don't have to despair. Ruth sure didn't. She clung to a faith so strong, and she didn't even know God personally at first. But she wanted to. "...and your God my God." Ruth 1:16

Now Ruth probably didn't have the purest of lives, so why is she then such an amazing role model? For one thing, she was a brave woman. And for another, this was a woman who was willing (she chose) to go forward rather than stay the same. She trusted in others she barely knew. Can you say the same?

So have faith, and trust in Him to see you through.*

Are you a Role-Model Ruth?

Whitney

Waiting is Trusting - 3/9/08

Let's look at TRUST.

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 27:14 NJKV

Days can be crazy, as I found out today. Everything had been going quite well I thought, until suddenly I hit some road blocks.

At this point I realized something. I was trusting in my own strength rather than the Lord's, and when chaos occurred, my strength fell apart. As soon as I began to trust Him however, instead of my own fallible self, my world stopped spinning around allowing things to get back on track.

Everyone has been in this situation at one point or another. We humans always tend to go OUR way, our will instead of God's. (And yet who created who?) He knows the plan for our life (as we talked about in an earlier Daily Bread). All we need to do is TRUST Him, even when it seems so hard; even when it seems we can be superhuman and only need to trust ourselves... Actually, there isn't a day that goes by that we don't ever need Him...

I was reading in my devotional this morning, and was struck by the word WAIT, and was intrigued to understand it to mean TRUST. When we wait in the Lord, we are patiently trusting Him. Now plug in TRUST for WAIT:

Trust on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; trust, I say, in the Lord!

You see? He will give us the strength to go on in this crazy life we lead! All we need to do, is trust in Him.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. Psalms 130:5

Whitney

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord - 3/1/08

Hello everyone! Today I'd like to share with you a beautiful story of faith and trust, and it is the story of Job. As a little background information, Job is a man who was "blameless and upright" in the eyes of the Lord. However, Satan speaks to God and accuses Job of simply being a surface follower. Satan says (summarized) "Job is only upright because You have blessed him! If you take all he has away, he will surely curse Your name!" But God, knowing the faithfulness of His servant and seeking to silence Satan's accusations, allows Job to be tested by Satan. We see Job's first test below.

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house; and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided them and took them away-indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground...

Can you imagine? In an instant, for no apparent reason whatsoever, all Job has is taken away: his herds are taken from him, his possessions are seized and pillaged, his servants are murdered by the raiding parties, and his very own sons and daughters are killed. All that was once his is now gone. So what does Job do? Read on and you will see.

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground...

...and worshiped. And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. (Job 1:13-22 NKJV)

Again I ask, can you imagine? Everything Job has is taken from him; yet not once does he denounce his God. Whenever I read this passage, these words constantly reverberate in my mind: "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD." Such faith - such trust. We see later on in the book of Job that he is tested again (and this time his friends accuse him of unrighteousness and corruption as well), yet still he refuses to denounce God. Rather, in faith, Job cries out to the Lord, knowing that he is upright and blameless, having been sanctified by God.

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:25-27 ESV)

I hope that you will all join with me in prayer for this kind of faith.

Lord, I pray that you would grow us all into people with faith and trust like this, that when all we have is taken from us, when all we hold dear is snatched out of our hands, we will look to You and trust in Your goodness, Your sovereignty, and Your love to lead us. Let us trust you and have faith that You are with us at all times, and that no matter what happens, we will still have You right alongside us, knowing that you died to save our souls and will never leave our sides. In Jesus' name, amen.

Blessings,
Andrew

Our Will vs. God's Will - 2/29/08

Today let's look at what happens when Our Will conflicts with God's Will. How many times have you thought you had everything in your life planned out, only to have something go wrong? This happens quite often. Know why?

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way? Proverbs 20:24

As we can see here, when we plan things, they hardly ever work out the way we plan them to. Look at it this way: God created us, but more than this, He knew us before we were even conceived in the womb! "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" Jeremiah 1:5a. In other words, He had a plan for our lives before we are even born. (Eph. 2:10) We can see Jeremiah's situation for example. Jeremiah wasn't feeling so good about the position God had placed him in. This He said to Jeremiah; "Hey, I set you to be a prophet, so that's what I want you to do, so no sense in bothering to fight about it!"

"...I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:6-10

So the next time you think you ought to be doing something, pray beforehand to find out if that truly is a part of His plan for you. Never fight; if you feel like you are fighting something, let go, and allow the peace of God's will to take over your own. As a result, you will feel an inner peace and joy, knowing God has you by the hand, to guide you in His plan for your life. Don't guess; PRAY. Once you have done that, TRUST Him to lead you right. He knows what He is doing way more than we do. We really don't have a clue at all about anything.

We often times get in the habit of going our own way. More often we get in situations where we feel very much alone. This is where you need to know that you are never alone. God is always there, ready when you are ready to let go of your struggles.

So stop fighting. Let go of "My Will vs. God's Will," and change it to "My Will is God's Will."

Letting go,
Whitney

Faithfulness; 2/20/08

Today we shall focus on Faithfulness.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

When a person gets married, both make a pledge to remain faithful to each other until they die. Now compare this happy couple to Christ and ourselves. Christ is our bridegroom, (Matthew 9:14-16) and when we give our lives to Him, we are in a sense, 'marrying' Him (thus we are His bride). When we pledge our lives to Him, telling Him we will follow Him all the days of our lives, this vow shows our faithfulness to Him.

I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD. (Hosea 2:20)

As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:5b)

One of Jesus's followers asked to go and "bury his father" before he was to go and follow Christ. Jesus replied, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead". (Matthew 8:21-22 or Luke 9:58-60) Therefore, is Jesus number one in our lives? How are we to remain faithful to Him if we don't even have Him first in our lives?

Think for a moment on how many times you may have stumbled down the straight and narrow road, and God grabbed you by the hand to steady you? How many times when you repented, He took you joyfully back into His arms? If this awesome God decided to do that for us so many different times when we are so undeserving as it is, don't you see how much never-ending faithfulness He has in us?

He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah. God sends His love and His faithfulness. (Psalms 57:3>

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (Psalms 117:2)

Think of it this way. How many people do you know who would take you back and help you out with a loving and caring attitude, every time you needed help?

Now in Hebrews we learn that Faith is "the evidence of things unseen". Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.(Hebrews 11:1) Faith a lot of the time can be thought of as closely linked with Trust. For example, we can't physically see God, even though there is evidence He's all around us. If we saw Him with our own eyes, why would we need faith? (Have you ever seen the wind? We've seen the effects of the wind, but never the wind itself.) When you put faith in someone, you trust them to do something. You may not physically see them do it. So because of God's promise (the Bible contains 66 love letters (books) to us; check them out,) we know that we can put our trust, or have "faith" in Him to do His will, to cloak us in His love, to pick us up when we fall down.

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Therefore, as God is faithful to us, so must we reflect Him. This as a fruit is an important one - if we are not faithful in our relationship with Jesus, that would be like the bride being unfaithful to her new husband. So don't be tempted by things that may give you short-term pleasure, but will leave you dry and unsatisfied. Instead put your faith in Jesus ,and He will give you LIFE.

Thankful for His faithful promise,
Whitney

No Need To Doubt - 2/6/08

Here is Matthew 14:25-31:

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"

They were afraid when they first saw Him. He was after all walking on water towards them. Then Jesus called out to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Peter still doubted however, for he replied, "Lord if it is You, command me to come to You on the water". So Jesus said, "Come."At first everything was going well as Peter walked on the water toward Jesus. But as soon as he saw the angry waves coming at him, and the wind whipping at his face, he became afraid, which caused him to sink. But Jesus immediately caught him saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

In our daily walks as Christians, we tend to be more like Peter, losing faith when the waves of calamity come toward us, and the wind of doubt and despair attempt to throw us off course. In unsteady situations, what should we do? Well, instead of doubting and allowing ourselves to fall, we need to cry out to Him, knowing in our hearts that He can and will save us, grasping us by the hands so we keep our feet on firm ground. Peter cried out "Lord save me!" and immediately he was.

James 1: 2-6

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

In James we are reminded of going through various trials. But if we trust the Lord, He will see us through, and in the end our faith will become strengthened.

So remember in whom to put your trust. Put aside the doubt.*

God Bless,
Whitney