Trust God

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Don’t Worry But Rather…

24th May

“Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.”

Psalm 37:1-4

As we wake up once more to news of the sad and tragic loss of lives by acts of evil, our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones. It is yet another reminder for us to pray for His peace and His Kingdom to come on this earth as it is in Heaven.

Yet too often, it is so easy to get knocked down by the worries of this life. It is so easy to be swayed and rocked by devastations in our lives. But time and time again, throughout the Bible, spoken by various writers, speakers, prophets, kings and teachers, we are encouraged to not worry but trust in God. When God is at the center of our lives, we cannot be shaken by any earthquake around us. Of course that is not to say that we don’t care about or mourn about what happens in the world around us, but rather it means that our faith in HIM is unwavering despite of what is happening around us, still trusting for His peace and calm in both this world and personally in our lives.

David too, in his Psalm, encourages us to not worry about the wicked. Perhaps between verse 2 and 3 the words ‘but rather’ should be included. ‘Don’t worry about the wicked…..BUT RATHER…trust in the Lord and YOU do good!’ When we trust in Him, when we do good, when we take delight in Him, He gives birth to the desires in our hearts. Yet what is incredible, is when we trust and delight in Him, He puts His will and His desires into our hearts, which then become our desires.

Keep trusting, keep praying, and keep doing good. Don’t worry, but rather trust in Him!

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Even If….

5th May

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

There is an old famous Hymn, written in 1887 by a man named John H. Sammis, that is simply titled ‘Trust and Obey’. This precious hymn really does sum up this wonderful scripture we read in today’s key verse, epitomised by the chorus lyrics that say, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”. Both Sammis, the writer of Romans and many other mighty men and women of God, have all come to the truth, that there is no other way, but to trust God and obey Him. We can try and do things our own way, and that may be ok for a while. But if we want to find true joy and peace, there is only one way, to trust and obey.

Matthew, in his account of the beatitudes of Jesus, tells us that we shouldn’t worry about anything, because God firstly already knows what we think, but most importantly, because He is our provider. Jesus says plainly and clearly affirms this truth in Matthew 6:25 “.. I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.” Yet if we are honest our natural tendency is to lead our lives in our own strength.

Trusting the Lord, is both allowing Him to lead your life, but also walking hand in hand with Him as He guides your path. It is an attitude that says, ‘even if things don’t go the way I had planned, I will still trust that my life is in Your hands’. Just as the writer of Romans says, ‘I pray that you will be filled with joy and peace, BECAUSE you trust in Him!’

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A Personal Encouragement

11th -12th June

Weekend Edition

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

1 Peter 5:7

This morning as I was praying for my non-believing friends and family members, God showed me a picture. The picture was of my friends and family, and I was praying, God was taking them into Heaven, almost like a vertical, rising whirlwind towards Him. At first, I thought God was comforting me that they will raptured in Jesus’ return, but then it became clearer as I felt like God saying, ‘Leave them to Me, they are with Me now!’ God was showing me, that I do not need to worry about them, but rather prayerfully entrust them into His hands and He will look after them.

Why am I sharing a personal reflection? Because I think that it is a good reminder, not just for me, but for those who read this, that salvation is God’s work. Our role is to prayerfully lift the lost up into God’s arms, trusting that He is the author and finisher of their/our salvation, and trust that He is faithful and will answer our prayers for our loved ones.

As Peter encouraged the elders and young men in the early church to stand firm in times of persecution, trusting God with their deepest worries and fears, so that same advice is a timely reminder for us too. God cares about us. He cares about the burdens we carry for our lost friends and families, He cares about our lives, our jobs, our education, what we eat and drink, our financial situations; He cares about everything. So instead of worrying, prayerfully entrust them into the hands of our caring Father, and watch as your cares and worries are lifted from you and presented in the throne room of Heaven.

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Persevering Through Persecution

5th & 6th March

Weekend Edition

“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things as they do. So they slander you.”

1 Peter 4:4

Have you noticed that since you accepted Christ in your heart’s, the things that used to give you satisfaction are no longer appealing, or that even your ‘so called friends’ have abandoned you? It is not that you have become ‘boring’, it’s just that you no longer find pleasure in the things they do such as, as Peter lists, feasting and drunkenness, immorality and lust, wild parties and even the worship of idols (whatever form that may take). When Christ enters our lives, He transforms our hearts to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates (SIN).

Yet sometimes hating sin, comes at a cost. Standing up for truth has a price. As we discussed yesterday and as Peter talks about in chapter 4, it may come at a physical price. But sometimes persecution also comes from people whom you once called ‘friends’; When you start taking a stand and saying you don’t want to get drunk anymore, sleep around, take this or that drug, or even go to places that you may have used to go to. Yet standing up for truth, standing up for righteousness and honouring God has so many blessings.

Peter encourages the persecuted churches in his time but also today’s readers, that when we are faced with all kinds of persecution, we must not be defeated but know that we will be blessed! “If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.” (verse 14). Peter finally finishes chapter 4 with these wonderful words “..and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you!” We may not know why God allows the suffering of His people, but what we do know is, that God will never fail us. May we joyful in our hearts in times of peace and persecution, knowing that through our suffering, we share in the glory of Christ. May we know that even thorough our suffering, He is still with us.

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A Personal Note

28th -29th November

Weekend Edition

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

1 Peter 5:7

Have you ever had someone say something to you to ease your fears and bring peace to your anxiety? It is such a great feeling right? Yesterday, as I was pondering over a few stressful situations in my life, God lead me to notice this verse again. It is a very familiar verse and one which I am sure many Sunday school children have grown up to memorise. Yet it’s the simple truth that powerfully spoke to me yesterday. Stop worrying, give your anxieties to God, and let Him take care of them because He cares about you.

The words are so simple, yet so deep and profound. When we take the focus off our situation and hand our worries and anxieties to God, it seriously feels like a massive burden being lifted off our shoulders. Every time our worries try to creep up again, we can take courage that they are at the foot of the cross and that they are in our God’s loving and kind arms.

It is a simple passage that we should never forget. They are not just empty words or a verse to make us feel good about ourselves. They are words of truth and power. We really do not have to worry about anything. If we give our worries to God, then we must also trust that He will take care of them and that He is in control. This weekend, if something is worrying you or causing you stress, cast your cares to Him, know that He cares about you and wants to take your burdens from you!