Scriptures for Trusting God from Romans 4

I'm learning, once again, from Abraham as I read through the scriptures this morning, and I'm so thankful that I don't have to try to put God's plan for my life in place by my own actions and efforts, but can trust God to fulfill His plan for my life.  As I've heard Sheila Walsh say, it is the Shepherds job to lead me home, it is my job to follow the shepherd.


The following passages are all from Romans 4:

That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God's decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed.

Abraham was first named "father" and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples.

Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right."

The Child He Embraces, He Also Corrects

Often times when I think of "discipline", I think of punishment.  When in fact, most often, discipline is "training".  Whether we are disciplining our children, or God is disciplining us.  It's teaching, instructing, training us up so we know how to live right and well and abundantly.

Hebrews 12:4-11 MSG

In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through-all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

In The Silence

This morning, in my quiet time, I read a devotion that reminded me of what a jealous God our God is.  How He wants us to put Him first above everyone and everything else.  How He longs to spend time with us. 

After reading it, and the Bible verse that came along with it, I closed my Bible, along with my eyes, and began to pray.

I prayed for a little while, and then my praying stopped.  Eyes still closed, I listened to the silence.

Complete silence.

I sat in the stillness for what seemed to be a long time...and then this verse came to mind:

Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience.  You hear the prayer in it all. Psalm 65:1,2 The Message

Tears streamed down my face as I felt the nearness of God in that moment.

Under my tears I muttered to Him, "I understand why silence is praise to You."

That we would be willing to shut everyone, and everything else off, to find solitude with Jesus.

 "Only in much solitude can ye begin to sift away the chaff and come at last to the golden grains of truth"

"Silence will speak more to thee in a day than a world of voices can teach thee in a life time" from Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved

I loved the silence this morning, and how God met me there.  Can't wait for my next opportunity to find solitude.

How 'bout you?  When is the last time you shut everything off to talk to God?

1 Silence is praise to you, Zion-dwelling God, And also obedience. 2 You hear the prayer in it all. We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, 3 Our sins too much for us - but you get rid of them once and for all. 4 Blessed are the chosen! Blessed the guest at home in your place! We expect our fill of good things in your house, your heavenly manse. 5 All your salvation wonders are on display in your trophy room. Earth-Tamer, Ocean-Pourer, 6 Mountain-Maker, Hill-Dresser, 7 Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot - 8 Far and wide they'll come to a stop, they'll stare in awe, in wonder. Dawn and dusk take turns calling, "Come and worship."
Psalm 65 The Message

He WILL help you.

Reading through the Word this morning and found so many good and comforting things in this passage of scripture. Sometimes I just like to let the Word speak for itself, knowing that it is alive and active and will not return void.  So, here ya go:

Matthew 6:25-34

The Message (MSG)

 ^25-26"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.


 ^27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.


 ^30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.


 ³⁴"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

More. On. Mavis.

I just had to do another post on Mavis due to her loving kindness.


As most of you know, my grandmother passed away this past weekend.  We love her and will miss her dearly.  I especially can't imagine holidays without her. Anyway, back to Mavis.


A group of us (family) were in with grandma her last evening of life on this earth.  I want to be specific about that because I believe she's still alive in Heaven, in fact scripture says that "what is mortal was swallowed up by life".  Did you hear that?  not by death, but by life.   "For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." 1 Corinthians 5:4


Anyway, I say again.  ha.  While we were in the room that last evening with grandma, Mavis knocked on the door and came in.  She didn't say a word.  She just stepped inside the door, set her plastic container which was packed full of various kinds of candy,  reese cups, almond joy, suckers, you name it, she had it in there, on the floor, took the lid off, picked it back up and took it around to each one of us in the room.  Literally serving us.


About an hour later, she did it again.  She served us a second round of candy, and then went back to her room.


Not long after that, Grandma took her last breath.  The grandchildren that were there, myself included, stepped out into the hallway, to allow our parents time to be alone in the room.  Grandma had JUST passed away.  I don't know who told Mavis, or how she knew, but as we were standing in the hallway, Mavis came up, stood beside me, didn't say a thing, but spread her arms wide to hug me, still without saying anything.  She then went to each of us, one by one, with open arms, sharing sorrow and showing love.  Few words, but her actions said it all.


Interesting to me that it doesn't take much to show God's love.  To express loving kindness.  We often think, "well, I could never serve Jesus".  "I don't know how to be Jesus to someone."  


Sometimes just being there is all it takes.  Amazing how much love you can feel through a little candy and a few hugs.  


So, I learned from Mavis again.