Trust is a BIG thing for me.
And, I have to confess that I don’t trust easily–and because of that–my walk with Jesus can sometimes get very challenging.
My faith will sometimes get tangled up in what I see or think.
(That’s a problem.)
How about you?
As we sit here in your favorite bistro talking over our teacups…
(Thanks for suggesting this!)
I’m wondering,
As a Believer, “Do you also sometimes get “stuck in your head” when you ought to be trusting with your heart?”
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Yeah. Sometimes I do.
Long journey into Light
There was a time in my life when things got really dark:
-My health suddenly crashed with an unknown and wrongly diagnosed illness.
-After long years of parent-care, both my Mom and Dad, died within eighteen months of each other.
-Life had been so consumed with their daily and complicated care, I simply didn’t know who I was anymore in the vacuum their loss created.
-My church (of many years with many friends) split, and I got swept up into the resulting maelstrom–all my “friends” gone overnight.
-My finances crashed due to the overwhelming medical bills.
I’m saying, “Oh boy, did things look dark!”
Fear in the dark
I don’t know why fear seems so much stronger in the dark.
Maybe it is because the “prince of darkness” uses it so often to try to destroy our faith.
(But you know what?)
I discovered that when things get really, really dark–that’s when Jesus shows up–when everyone else has criticized, condemned, and walked away, He walks in.
That’s when you really learn, that when Jesus says, “He will NEVER forsake us.”
He means it!
From head to heart
Emilie is smiling again.
(She knows about things getting dark.)
And she knows this–not just in her head–but in her heart, too.
Emilie says, that Jesus will always show up when things get dark…
As soon as the people were fed, Jesus told his disciples to get into their boat and to go to the other side of the lake while he stayed behind to dismiss the people. After the crowds dispersed, Jesus went up into the hills to pray. And as night fell he was there praying alone with God.
But the disciples, who were now in the middle of the lake, ran into trouble, for their boat was tossed about by the high winds and heavy seas.
At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the waves! When the disciples saw him walking on top of the water, they were terrified and screamed, “A ghost!”
Then Jesus said, “Be brave and don’t be afraid. I am here!” Matthew 14: 22-27 TPT
Still smiling, Emilie shares her next gem while she pours us another cup:
To find true hope, you have to go the distance between the head and the heart.
You must take a leap–from your head–and trying to figure everything out–to your heart, where trust and faith reside.
God’s promises lead us to: TRUST–then HOPE!
- Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Proverbs 3: 5-6 TPT
- May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what. O Lord, you will never, no never, neglect those who come to you. Psalm 9: 10 TPT
- Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 KJV
- The Lord alone is our radiant hope and we trust in him with all our hearts. His wrap-around presence will strengthen us. Psalm 33: 20 TPT
Today’s fourth cup
We all eat out sometimes, correct?
So, this week, let’s reach out with our cup of hope to someone in the food-service industry.
It could be your favorite restaurant or bistro, that coffee place you frequent, (heaven forbid!) or that patisserie, or bakery that you’re wild about!
Let’s never assume that everyone we meet has all the HOPE that they need.
Father,
I don’t doubt that there will be many who will read these words that are in the battle of their life with fear.
Our enemy knows how to bring the darkness, but Jesus, You are the Light of the World! Emilie and I know from personal experience–You don’t ever leave us or forsake us.
Sometimes it might feel like you’ve gone–but You promised You would never leave us!
For anyone who might be feeling forsaken… God? Would you wrap Your arms around them, and teach them again, their trust in You is NEVER in vain. Teach them today just HOW MUCH You love them!
I ask for this in the omnipotent name of Jesus, amen.
* Emilie’s “gems” are shared with the permission of Harvest House Publishers. They are: Taken from: A CUP OF HOPE by Emilie Barnes, Copyright © 2000, Published by Harvest House Publishers
Photos courtesy of: Unsplash
This weeks photo credits and “My Thanks!” go to photographers: Brooke Lark, Kayleigh Harrington, Gaetan Meyer, Bart Larue, Joanna Kosinska, and The Digital Marketing Collaboration
Women With Destiny 