God is fully trustworthy. He won’t ever let us down. His promises are one hundred percent dependable. He invites us to cast those worries and anxious thoughts on Him. In exchange, He will impart His peace, the kind of peace that asserts, “I have stilled and quieted my soul” – my heavenly Abba is taking care of this.
It’s in the confusion of life, in the uncertainties of what lies ahead, that God urges me to come to Him for guidance.
Jesus came down to our level and explained salvation in such a way that our limited minds could comprehend His message of grace. He doesn’t wish to stump us. He wishes to save us.
Dark times may tempt us to shift the blame on the nearest scapegoat. Whether it’s the health system, the schools, the doctors, the environment, someone has to bear the brunt. Yet God calls us to a greater response than bitterness or anger. He invites us to run to Him and turn our struggle over to the One who is able to accomplish infinitely more than we could ever ask or think. Believe me; He’s got this.
Habakkuk discovered he needed much more than mere optimism. Instead, he recalled God’s promises. He knew that though his circumstances were beyond his control, they were not beyond God’s.
God doesn’t care so much about eloquence as much as the content of my heart and mind. His Spirit ‘breaks through’ all barriers and carries my cares to the very throne of God where I find mercy and healing. This is the wonder of grace.
Matthew 12 tells us a tree is identified by its fruit. In the same way, what is in our hearts and minds determine what we say. If we fill our hearts and minds with rubbish, rubbish will come out of our mouths. But if our hearts and minds are filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, our speech is more likely to be pleasing to Him and to those around us.
From a tactical standpoint, Jonathan’s move wasn’t all that smart. Two men versus twenty. But Jonathan knew that with God on their side, headcounts were irrelevant.
At some point, we could all use a hiding place. I’m not talking about a physical place. I’m talking about a buffer between us and the ugliness of life. That buffer is Jesus.
To let God lead, I must surrender. I must release what I perceive as God’s plans for my life, trusting His plans for me are far greater. I must lay aside my expectations and embrace His ways. I must relinquish my assumptions about the future so I can cling to the One who holds the future.
