GET TOGETHER – TRUST! TRUST! TRUST!
1Ti 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
Most of the sermons and writing that I do usually hit me first. And this one is no different. Sometimes we all go through periods of time where we may not know exactly what God is doing in our lives, or what He is about to do in our lives. We try to guess, and we can guess a thousand times and we still may not be exactly sure. There are times that God tells us that we must trust Him.
Sometimes many of us go through challenging times and situations. Some are more challenging than others. J.J. and I went to see the Movie Paul: Apostle of Christ. During most of the movie Paul was in a dark Roman prison. When I read this passage and I think about a man who was so faithful to God. I think about a man who was imprisoned numerous times, beaten numerous times, and run out of town on more than one occasion, but remained faithful to God. With all of that happening to him he could still write “we trust in the living God.” What a powerful testimony to the faithfulness of God and an inspiration to us all.
The Greek term for trust in this passage is elpizo, el-pid’-zo. It means to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial. That means as born again children of God that no matter what challenges that we may face as we serve in the Kingdom of God that we can look forward to that which is good and beneficial.
One of Satan’s oldest schemes is to try to convince us that we cannot trust God. Ge 3:3-5 “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Well we know what happened when Adam and Eve trusted what Satan was telling them rather than what God had told them.
Let me ask all of us a question beginning with me. Are we trusting the voice of God, or are we trusting the lies of the Devil? When we worry, or get into fear who are we trusting? One of the most famous passages in the Bible is Pr 3:5,6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” My prayer for all of us is that we will trust Him with all of our hearts. When we do then worry, fear, and dread have no place to hang out. They must go. Then we can experience that peace Jesus promised us in Joh 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus we thank You today that You can be trusted at all times. Forgive us when we listen to the lies of the enemy and put more stock in what he is saying that what You have promised. Today we come and renew our trust in You. We thank you that You are on the throne and that You are ordering our steps.
In Jesus Name
Amen
On behalf of J.J. and myself we thank you for the prayers that you pray on our behalf.
Your Friend/Kinfolk
Preston
