Points2Ponder
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. - Psalms 50:15 (NKJV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV) says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” As we go through life’s experiences, we gain our perspective on trust as we are placed in circumstances where trust is required of someone or something other than ourselves. Unfortunately, our trust is often shattered when the person or object of our trust lets us down. When we come to know Christ as Savior and Lord, we are to trust Him in our circumstances. But using our old thought patterns, it may be difficult to allow that trust to mature. If we don’t allow our thought patterns to conform to the will of God, then we will remain stuck in our old ways. We’ll fall back on our own resources instead of allowing God to transform our thinking. Too often we use our old thought patterns and continue to view an experience with the same mindset we had before coming to Christ. In doing so, we abandon an opportunity to put our trust in God within that circumstance. A defeated Christian can go through the same experience as a “mature” Christian, but never gain in their trust of the Lord. The mature Christian trusts the Lord to help them through any situation. Whether the outcome is good or bad, their trust in the Lord will not be shaken. In Hebrews 5:13-14, the Bible compares an immature Christian to a baby who is still looking at things through worldly eyes. The mature Christian is someone who has grown up, having transformed their mind to spiritually discern right from wrong in every situation. The mature Christian can see God’s hand in whatever they are experiencing, and their trust in the Lord continues to grow. Does this mean the path the Lord will take us through will always be easy? Most certainly not! Christians are not exempt from life’s pain and struggle. Often, following the path God leads us to will actually add to our strife. But He does this to teach us, not to harm us.
Trusting
Points2Ponder
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV) says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” As we go through life’s experiences, we gain our perspective on trust as we are placed in circumstances where trust is required of someone or something other than ourselves. Unfortunately, our trust is often shattered when the person or object of our trust lets us down. When we come to know Christ as Savior and Lord, we are to trust Him in our circumstances. But using our old thought patterns, it may be difficult to allow that trust to mature. If we don’t allow our thought patterns to conform to the will of God, then we will remain stuck in our old ways. We’ll fall back on our own resources instead of allowing God to transform our thinking. Too often we use our old thought patterns and continue to view an experience with the same mindset we had before coming to Christ. In doing so, we abandon an opportunity to put our trust in God within that circumstance. A defeated Christian can go through the same experience as a “mature” Christian, but never gain in their trust of the Lord. The mature Christian trusts the Lord to help them through any situation. Whether the outcome is good or bad, their trust in the Lord will not be shaken. In Hebrews 5:13-14, the Bible compares an immature Christian to a baby who is still looking at things through worldly eyes. The mature Christian is someone who has grown up, having transformed their mind to spiritually discern right from wrong in every situation. The mature Christian can see God’s hand in whatever they are experiencing, and their trust in the Lord continues to grow. Does this mean the path the Lord will take us through will always be easy? Most certainly not! Christians are not exempt from life’s pain and struggle. Often, following the path God leads us to will actually add to our strife. But He does this to teach us, not to harm us.
Trusting