Trusting God

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Trusting God Part 1 - All Your Heart

by Gail Rodgers
The path ahead looked confusing to the young woman. Karen had hoped to have her path set by now but each day seemed to bring more questions.

She prayed but God seemed far away. Why didn’t He answer? Did He even care? Maybe He had forgotten her. She felt like she was fumbling along in the dark. And in the dark Karen began to doubt the God she had once placed her trust in.
But God had not forgotten Karen. He gently placed the long forgotten Bible verse in her mind and she could not ignore it.

“Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not on your own understanding…” Proverbs 3: 5&6

Karen realized she was leaning on her own understanding of her circumstances. And they simply didn’t make sense right now. She was doing her very best thinking to plan her pathway. God was reminding her that this was not what HE was asking her to do. He simply wanted her to trust Him with all her heart.
It was one thing to trust God when things were going along just fine. It was quite another to trust Him in the dark when the path was not clear.
Karen made a choice…even though she could not see her next step she asked God to forgive her for doubting His love and His ability to guide her life. She asked Him to help her walk in contentment, even in the dark, and to help her trust Him with all of her heart.
God brought a peace and a contentment to her heart and mind that she could never have manufactured. Her path didn’t come clear that day or even that week…but God did bring a clarity to her steps and a confidence to her heart ...Yes…She would trust Him.
prayer & reflection

Father God,

I thank You today that Your Word tells me I can trust You with my whole heart. You know exactly what it is I need to trust You with wholeheartedly. I confess that I have allowed doubts to crowd out Your peace. Please forgive me. By the power of Your Holy Spirit help me to find contentment in this moment in my life. Give me Your wisdom as I lean on You to work out my circumstance. I will trust You today. Help me to trust with all my heart as I watch for Your hand to be at work in my life. Thank you for Your love and for Your absolute trustworthiness.

In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 2 - In God's Waiting Room

by Gail Rodgers
Susan felt like she had been waiting forever for God to work out a circumstance in her life. Her patience was wearing out and she was tiring of being in God’s waiting room.

When her Christian friend told her to keep praying about it she felt irritated. She had been praying and nothing was happening! Her resolve to trust God, even in the dark, was beginning to falter..
God understands our human heart and our impatience as we wait on Him. He reminds us to keep trusting Him and He calls us to keep giving our circumstances to Him.
Susan’s heart felt God’s tug as she read this verse from her Bible…

“Commit your way unto the Lord, trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5

This is God’s call to your heart today. Have you taken back what God is asking you to trust Him with? Are you fretting and stewing about something that He wants you to commit to Him and leave in His hand?
Give Him your concern and your unanswered circumstance today. Write it out on a piece of paper and tuck it in your Bible. Whenever the concern of it threatens to overwhelm you, take out the paper and be reminded of this day when you committed this concern to Him. Refresh your trust in your God and ask for His help as you wait for Him to bring the conclusion to pass. Don’t take back what you have committed to His faithful keeping.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I thank You today for Your Word and the reminder that I can commit my questions and confusion to You. Father I want to leave them in Your care and not take them back to fret and worry about. I declare my trust in You for my particular circumstance today. Thank You for Your promise. Help me to be steadfast in my commitment and in my trust of You, my faithful God.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 3 - Convinced

by Gail Rodgers
Sharon struggled with her thoughts. She knew her God to be a faithful God and yet in this one thing she was having such a hard time believing He would help her. Her doubting heart bothered her.

God gently took her thoughts back to the many times His faithfulness had been evident in her life. Yes, she knew He had a track record of holding her through the dark but this time it seemed to last for so long.
Again God spoke to her heart…His Word gripped her…

“I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him for that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

Fresh faith flooded her heart as Sharon realized she did know who she was believing in. Her God had been faithful to her in the past. He had never let her down. She could be absolutely convinced, even in the dark, that God was able to keep what she had committed to Him. His timing would be right. Even though at times He seemed to linger longer than she cared for, His track record in her life proved He never came too late. Why should she doubt Him now?
God will build a track record in your life as you trust Him with each detail and each blind corner. Be convinced today that He will keep what you have committed to Him. His timing will be just right. Allow His peace to hold you as you wait. Allow Him to build His track record in your life!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Today when I want to fret and worry please remind me of how You have worked in my life in the past. Remind me of Your faithfulness to me in previous times and situations. I want to trust You and to build the track record of Your faithfulness in my life. I want to know You in a way that allows me to say “I know whom I believe in and am convinced He is able”. Thank You that You are able to keep what I have committed to You. I declare Your faithfulness and Your ability to work in my life and in my circumstance. I look to You with fresh faith today! Thank you Father!
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 4 - Walking in Uncertainty

by Gail Rodgers
If you are walking in the dark today in your circumstances and wondering what God has in store for you, know that He has given specific instructions for you as you wait.

Trusting God is not easy to do when the pathway is obscured. God knows the tendency of our hearts is to fret. So He asks us to make a choice in the small things of every day. Listen to His simple steps:

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Let the Word of Christ dwell in your richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17

How do you let God’s peace rule your heart when worry wants to take the front seat?
Tell God you are making a choice today to allow His peace to invade the space where worry now lives. Ask Him to do it by His power. You can’t generate this peace in your heart, but you can declare your choice and allow the Holy Spirit to invade your heart and mind. And look for things to be thankful for.
How do you let God’s Word dwell in you richly?
Take time to let His verses of comfort and strength find a place to live in your heart. Write one out and tape it to your mirror or the dash of your car. Talk about His promises with other believers. Make a choice to turn to His Word when anxiety wants to overwhelm you. Dwell on His promises, don’t just read and run. And look for things to be grateful for.
As you wait in God’s waiting room, do what is in front of you to the very best of your ability and do it for Jesus.
Waiting for God’s answer can sometimes leave us feeling in a place of limbo just waiting for the next step. Don’t waste this time or the opportunity to do wholeheartedly what is in front of you today. Ask for God’s help and even if it is not what you had hoped to be doing, do it well and with a willing and a thankful heart.
Did you notice that each of these three steps includes a thankful heart? God knows us so well and knows that thankfulness will change our countenance and our hearts. If you just can’t be thankful, ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you have a thankful heart. It will change your day today!
prayer & reflection

Dear Father God,
Thank you that You know me and understand my tendency to be fretful and worried right now. I ask for the power of Your Holy Spirit to invade my heart and mind today with Your peace and Your Word. I ask You to help me do what is in front of me today as an offering to You. Give me a grateful heart and change me as I wait for You to change my circumstances.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 5 - Don't Forget

by Gail Rodgers
Trusting God seemed so hard for Darcy today. She knew deep down that she could trust God to guide her and show her the way through her difficulty, but this morning she didn’t feel thankful for anything. In fact she felt sorry for herself. Darcy hadn’t realized that, during those times when trusting God can be hard, there are two things that tend to happen.

First, she began to loose her spirit of thanksgiving and praise to God. Then she began to become self absorbed and her thoughts, prayers and actions centered around “poor me”. These two things, left alone, can steer one in the direction of despair. And Darcy could feel it today!
God is so aware of the tendency of our hearts to turn to discouragement and self focus. Listen to the words He gives us as encouragement and guidance when such times want to overtake us.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15 & 16

Praising God when things are hard is sometimes the last thing we feel like doing. God understands this and actually calls our praise a sacrifice, which it truly is when we offer it in spite of our circumstances and feelings. God also knows we can’t do this in our own strength but “through Jesus” we can. This means we tell God exactly how we are feeling and yet we make the choice to give Him our praise through the strength and power of Jesus. God says this is the evidence or “fruit” of lips that claim to be His child.
He also knows how self focused we can get when times are difficult. He calls us not to forget to have an outward view to help and share with others. In times when we least feel like doing this it also becomes a sacrifice God is pleased with.
And something happens when we choose to make the sacrifice of praising God and reaching out to others when our discouraged heart would rather not. It changes our outlook…it changes our heart…it brings life into perspective and God, who is pleased with such a sacrifice,
knows your own load will lighten as you take these two steps.
If you are in a valley today and seeking to trust God with all your heart, He will help you.
Choose a thankful heart today and choose to take your eyes off your circumstances. With praise, keep your eyes focused upward on Him and outward to others. It will make a difference that will amaze you.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I confess that today my eyes have been on my own feelings and circumstances. Through the power of Jesus, I choose today to give You my praise. I choose a thankful heart. Help me to keep my focus on You and look to reach out to those around me. Help me to be kind and generous today and to do these things as a sacrifice to You. Thank you that you know me and will use this choice in my life to strengthen and encourage my own heart today. I love you Lord.
I ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen

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Trusting God Part 6 - What Do You Trust In

by Gail Rodgers
Kathy dropped to her knees. She did the only thing she knew to do in a challenging difficulty and that was to pray. Oh she hadn’t always turned to God when things were hard and she didn’t know what to do. It had been a slow journey but God was teaching her and she was so grateful for His patience.

Kathy poured her heart out to God and asked for His strength to hold her through this day. As she rose up from her knees and wiped a tear from her cheek, she felt His peace flood her heart. Nothing had changed outwardly yet she knew God was holding her hand and He would walk with her through each step as she found her way through this challenge. She actually found her weary body and mind refreshed from her time in His presence.
Before understanding how God cared about each struggle in her life, she had tried so many other routes to peace. She had put her trust in other things like money, good wits, the right connections, even spiritual rituals and religious ornaments.
But since she had invited Jesus Christ into her life, it was different. She had a relationship with Him that allowed her to approach God’s throne and receive His strength and His peace when she was overwhelmed in a difficult place.
She read in her Bible the verse that says:

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7

What are you trusting in today to help you through the challenge you are facing? Trust fully in the name of the Lord our God! No matter what those around you may be putting their trust in, remember God is the only one who is truly trustworthy. Trust in Him and in Him alone today and He will strengthen your heart and carry you through your difficult time.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I confess to You that often I have put my trust in so many other things. Today I declare that I will trust You to give me strength. I will trust You to give me wisdom and insight. I will lean hard on you to keep my anxious heart and mind at peace. Remind me to trust You completely when I want to run ahead and borrow tomorrow’s problems today. Thank you that You are trustworthy. I now place my concerns for this day into Your hand and trust You to help me and guide me. Remind me to stay close to You and show me when I turn my trust to “horses and chariots” rather than trusting in the name of the Lord my God. Thank you for strength for today and for the confidence that tomorrow we can face together.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 7 - When Doubts Creep In

by Gail Rodgers
Shelly could feel her faith and trust in God beginning to waiver. She wasn’t comfortable with the doubt that nibbled at her heart and mind these days.

As the frustration and discouragement grew in her life, Shelly neglected to read her Bible. She began to neglect praying, quietly wondering if it made any difference after all.
Shelly hadn’t felt much like going to church but one Sunday morning she found herself there. It seemed like God had hand picked the sermon just for her. The verse from the Bible read:

“Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

The Holy Spirit began to nudge her heart. If she wanted to have faith she knew she must not neglect God’s Word in her life.
A lukewarm heart and a doubting heart go hand in hand.
Shelly realized that through her discouragement in her circumstances she had allowed herself to drift away from God’s Word. Her Bible was left unopened these days.
To grow in your faith you must expose yourself to God’s truths in the Bible. You can’t know what God has to say to you if you’re not in His word. When you are in a valley it is especially important to give God opportunity to speak to you.
If doubt in your God is invading your heart and mind these days, do a check. Where is your Bible? Chances are you have allowed your heart and your relationship with God to become lukewarm. Lukewarmness and doubting are partners.
Spend time reading God’s Word. Start in the book of John or a Psalm a day along with a Proverb or use a good devotional book based on Scripture. Always asking God’s Spirit to open your heart and mind to receive what He has to show you. Take some time and let God know the discouragements of your heart and ask Him to speak to you. Your faith will grow as you hear and believe the Word of God.
prayer & reflection

Heavenly Father,
I confess that I have left my Bible unopened and my heart has become lukewarm. Forgive me and help me to increase my faith by spending time in Your Word. Please speak to me by the power of Your Holy Spirit as I make a fresh commitment to keep Your Word central in my life. Make it real and alive to me as I seek to apply it to my circumstances today. Till up the hard ground in my heart and let the seeds of faith fall in soft soil once again. Thank you that You care about my faith.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 8 - Ask for More

by Gail Rodgers
If you are having a hard time trusting God in your life these days, you are in good company. Even Jesus’ closest followers, who walked and talked with Him here on earth, found their faith lacking too.

Feeling overwhelmed and incapable of measuring up to the standards Jesus laid out, they cried out,

“Increase our faith!” Luke 17:5

Jesus replied that faith, even as small as the tiny mustard seed, could bring powerful results.
Don’t let your own feelings of inadequacy or your overwhelming circumstances crush your faith today. Cry out to God to increase your faith.
Keep God’s Word close to your heart. Keep your prayers honest and open before God.
Find a quiet spot today and pour your heart out to Him. Tell Him all your fears and doubts and ask Him to increase your faith. The power of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent to comfort and guide His children, will begin to grow your faith in your heart and through His Word.
You can’t muster up faith through your own willful thinking. It is given to you by God as you seek to know Him with all of your heart.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Thank you that You are the giver of faith. Today I come before You and ask that You would increase my faith. Help me to trust You with my whole heart. Keep doubts and fears from my mind as I lean on You to guide me through this day and through the circumstances of my life.
Increase my faith today I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 9 - The Process

by Gail Rodgers
Sometimes we have to walk in the dark in life. Sometimes our next step is not clear and our faith wants to turn to fretting. God continually calls us to trust Him but sometimes it’s hard. He knew it would be so He spells out a process for us that will strengthen our hearts during those times when we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.

In Psalm 37 verses 3-7 He gives us four steps.
“Trust in the Lord and do good…”
While you are waiting for God to show you His next step, look for kind things to do for someone else. This will allow God to use you in His purposes today and it will take your focus off yourself. It will bring you joy and turn your thoughts away from fretting. It will actually increase your trust as you see how God can use you to touch another life even as you wait. Choose to do good!
“Delight yourself in the Lord…”
When you are in God’s waiting room the tendency is to let your heart become frustrated with your God. “Where are You?” we want to cry out. God specifically tells us to find delight or joy in Him. Start by looking for things to thank Him for. Ask Him to till up the ground in your heart that is hardening through frustration and drop His seeds of thankfulness into the softened soil. Find joy in the small things He gives. Ask Him today to point them out to you. Choose to thank Him!
“Commit your way to the Lord…”
Give God complete control to guide your way. He can be trusted to bring to pass exactly what is best for you. As you walk today commit each step to Him. Ask Him to guide you in your conversations; ask Him to help you in your choices; tell Him you trust Him with your life journey and ask for His Holy Spirit to give you peace in your heart and wisdom in your thought processes. Choose to roll your concerns onto Him.
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”
Patience is hard when we want answers now! God’s timetable is not ours yet we can know with assurance He will not come too late. Being still in His presence means turning your focus deliberately to His Word and letting His promises and His track record settle over your heart. Spend time letting praise music wash over your impatient soul. Be deliberate in moving close to God even if He feels far away. He promises if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Take that first step. Choose to be still before God.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
You are so good to be specific in letting me know how to walk by faith when I would rather walk by sight. Help me today to choose to do good rather than have a pity party; to have a thankful outlook rather than living in frustration. Help me to commit every step I take to You rather than stumbling in the dark and may I choose to make the time to be still before You. Today I choose trust in You, my great God!
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 10 - Come Worship

by Gail Rodgers
It was a warm summer afternoon. Fifty people gathered together to celebrate. The food, and laughter and music flowed. It was their 25th wedding anniversary and love was still in the air! They were more than willing to give credit to their God who had held them through the storms of life and kept their love and their home intact when life could have done otherwise. The afternoon was filled with songs that gave praise to their God and pointed to His strength and power. Worship filled the afternoon.

As I listened I knew…here was an important key to life. Worship is the avenue that brings God’s presence and His perspective to the joys and challenges of life and love. Worship is a key that can unlock doors in our hearts and in our homes.
But how does it work? What is worship? As we walk the uneven path of life, worship is the act of coming humbly before the God of the Universe with respect and submission. It is declaring who our God is and what He can do… and it changes our perspective. It draws our focus off our circumstances and ourselves and places it right back on our God. Worshipping who our God is revives hope beyond ourselves. It is a conscious and deliberate act that changes the heart. It’s a call to you today…listen…

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” Psalm 95: 6 & 7

If you are struggling today in a hard spot in life choose to turn your focus off your circumstance and onto God. Begin to thank Him for who He is. It will change your heart.

• He is the same God who parted the waters of the sea to make a way for His people when there was no way.
• He is the same God who helped young David slay a giant against all odds.
• He is the same God who made the widow’s oil replenish in her jar over and over in her time of need.

Read the stories of His power. Use praise music to wash the dust off your heart. Take out a promise from His Word that was once dear to your heart and ask Him to refresh your faith. Don’t be shy to kneel down by your couch or bed. Tell Him you feel worn and weary and you need Him to be the strength of your heart and life. You are part of the flock under His care today. Lift your eyes off of you and onto Him. He is our hope!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Today I choose, in spite of my feelings, to worship You. Thank you that You are my Maker and You know everything about me. Thank you that You are the same God who made a way for Your children where there was no way. Today I lift my eyes up from my circumstances and place them on You. Be my help and my strength. Thank you that I am under Your care today. I choose to focus on You. Change my heart from one of worry and stress to one of faith and confidence in You. I love You Lord.
In Jesus name Amen.

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Trusting God Part 11 - Who's Work

by Gail Rodgers
With lunch bag in hand my son reached for his car keys. “This working for a living is definitely over rated”, he said. “Just another 40 years!” He smiled and headed out the door.

Barely out of high school, he had looked forward to full time work. It didn’t take long for him to hear the hollow ring in the hectic work world. There is an emptiness as possessions, power, position and paychecks take front and center stage. And he’s right.
Regardless of whether you love your job or just drag through your day, God gives a perspective that changes the way we see our work. It’s worth looking at. It could change your life…listen…

“Therefore dear brothers (and sisters) be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Take a challenge for one week. Start each day by asking God to show you your work day world from His perspective. Ask to see with His eyes and feel with His heart. Be observant, pay close attention.
Then ask Him to use you there in His work, just a simple, heartfelt request on your part to be active in what He is doing at your job site or in your neighborhood. Ask His Holy Spirit to be your helper.
Then experience a dimension that will be beyond what you ever imagined. You are there by God’s design and He has things to do through you. Your greatest fulfillment will come as you step into this challenge. This is work that has eternal value. This is His purpose for you.
If you want more out of life than the hot pursuit of paychecks, possessions, position and power then take this challenge and allow God to show you what His work is all about right where you spend your day. It will give new purpose to each new day.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I confess that I have stepped onto the treadmill of life in this world and am finding it rather hollow. Please help me this day and this week to take the challenge of letting You show me my world through Yours eyes and Your heart. Use me in Your work right where I am. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and let me be a part of what You are doing for eternity. Thank you Father. Use me today in the purposes You created me for.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

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Trusting God Part 12 - Monuments of Grace

by Gail Rodgers
I remember the day she told us that she had inoperable cancer. I was amazed as I listened. It was about 7 years ago. She gave her short announcement along with several verses of scripture that reassured her God would continue to be her strength and her guide, that He was not surprised by this sudden storm in her life.

Today this dear lady is still a regular source of inspiration and encouragement in my own life! Though her physical body is frail, her spirit soars. I am amazed at her joy. I know it has not been an easy 7 years but my friend is a living monument of God’s grace. Though the storm has been fierce and the winds have come from different directions, she has found the Rock to climb up on and has found shelter in the storm.
I think of a verse from the Psalms:

“I call as my heart grows faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:2

Storms come in life. It is a fact. But storms do not have to overtake us and cause us to drown beneath the waves. No matter what storm you are facing today, no matter if it is a small squall or an all out hurricane, God can be your Rock on higher ground.
How do you get to the Rock that is higher than you? How do you keep from going under when the waves splash hard?
Tell God you need Him in your life. Tell Him you want His help. Admit you cannot do it alone. Tell Him you need His strength to hold you right now and to give you direction in your very next step. Tell Him you want Him to carry you by His grace. Be deliberate in focusing on God and drawing your strength from Him one step at a time. Don’t run ahead and borrow tomorrow’s concerns today. Talk to other Christians, feed your soul through reading, going to church or Bible study, praying and sometimes just sit quietly and ask His presence to surround you. Ask God to lead you to Him.
As you reach out to be filled with God’s strength in your storm, you will become a living monument of grace. Others will see the strength and difference your God makes in your life and in your storms, and others will be drawn to that same “Rock” of shelter.
Don’t let trouble turn you away from God. Trust Him right in the middle of the storm and make your daily prayer one of “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I”.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Thank you for those who have gone before us and have been living monuments of Your grace. I want to be one of them Lord, for those who come behind me. Please lead me today to You. You are the Rock that is higher than I. I need to be sheltered in Your love and Your strength today. Thank you that You are only ever one prayer away. I call to You now to come into my storm and lead me through it.
Make me a monument of your grace today for I ask this in Jesus’ strong name Amen.

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Trusting God Part 13 - What is Your Soil Type

by Gail Rodgers
My garden isn’t looking too healthy these days. The corn is growing but it is much too slow and there will be little harvest this year. Nothing like the bounty I had hoped for.

The rain had come, that wasn’t the problem. I discovered it was the soil. The sandy soil needed enriching and I had not put anything into it. The spruce trees surrounding the garden had pulled much of the moisture to their roots. Their acidic needles had helped create an environment that stunted growth. The seeds had been good, but the soil they fell into was not.
I couldn’t help seeing the spiritual analogy as I stood looking at my corn. God’s Word is the seed that comes into our lives. We know He says He loves us unconditionally; we know He says He will be our strength where we are weak; we know He says He will give us grace and wisdom when we need it. The seed is good. Yet our lives often fail to show the bountiful fruit of His Spirit as we walk through our day and respond with actions and re-actions that we wish we didn’t.
God tells us why this is so. He tells us we need to tend the soil of our hearts. Listen…

“The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.” Luke 8:11-15

A closed mind and acidic environment allows the enemy of our souls to steal the seeds that bounce off the hard ground we have allowed in our hearts. Is there any area of your heart you have closed off from God?
“Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away.” God’s Word can not take deep root in a mind that is occupied primarily with the superficial. The appeal of His help and activity in one’s life is attractive, but when trusting becomes hard the seed just falls away. Ask God to increase your faith and give you a depth that will cling to Him beyond the superficial so you can prove His faithfulness for yourself.
“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures and they do not mature.” Do you read God’s Word or listen to a sermon thinking, “Yes, that’s really good”, but forget to apply it as soon as the cares of this life distract your thoughts? Ask God to help you focus on His purposes for your life.
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it and by persevering produce a crop.” Retain what God says. Write it out, memorize it, cling to it through the good and the hard times and it will produce a bountiful crop in your life that will amaze you!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I have neglected to mind the soil of my heart so Your seeds can fall into a soft place and germinate and grow. Please help me today to keep my heart soft and not let it get hardened by events and people in my life. Keep me from a shallowness that lets go of what You say when the moment is tough. Help me to be careful not to let the cares of the world choke out Your word and Your work in my life. Today, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, let me think on Your Word, apply it to my life and keep my heart soft. I know it is only your crop in my life that truly brings peace and satisfaction. Thank you Jesus.
I pray this in Your name, Amen.

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The Names of God Part 14 - Jehovah-Tsedek

by Gail Rodgers
The LORD of Justice. We live in a world full of injustice. Things happen to people, by people, that never should happen. In those times when one is left reeling from injustice we know that our God will be The Rock of our lives. He will hold us fast and He will judge with righteousness and integrity.

Our part is to allow Him to be the Judge and to stand firmly on Him as our Rock and the steadfast hope of our lives.

• The Rock, The Everlasting Rock, The Rock of Ages, The Rock of our Salvation, The Judge. Deut. 32:4; Isa. 26:4; Ps 95:1; Judges 11:27. Isaiah 30:18
• A Righteous Judge, An Upright Judge, The Judge of all the earth, The Judge of all men. Ps 7:11; Ps 75:2; Gen 18:25; ###12:23.
• One Lawgiver and Judge, Who alone is to be feared, The High and Lofty One. James 4:12; Ps 76:7; Matt 10:28; Isa 57:15.
• His justice is like the great deep, His Word is flawless, powerful and eternal. Ps 36: 6; Pr 30:5; He 4:12; Ps 119:89.

prayer & reflection

Father God,
Thank you that one of Your names is the LORD of justice. Thank you for the reminder today that You will act justly. I trust You today to handle the injustices of my life. Thank you that You are the Rock of Salvation and Your righteousness, uprightness and fairness will prevail as I leave the judging to You.
You alone are the one true lawgiver and judge who alone is to be feared. You are the high and lofty One who is the Rock of Ages. Your word tells us that Your justice is like the great deep. That is Salvation that I can depend on as I invite You to bring redemption to the injustices in my life.
Lord God, I ask today that I would not place myself as judge over those who have shown me injustice. I lean on Your word today that is flawless and powerful and eternal. Fill me with Your Spirit as I empty myself of judgment and leave it for You to deal with.
May my heart be refreshed today as I lean on Your holiness and integrity. Allow my mind and heart to be immersed in Your holiness. I lay any critical attitudes at Your feet toward those who have wronged me and I ask You to be their Judge. I stand on You, my Rock and rest securely in Your love and mercy.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

[BW1]

Not only very timely but also a very powerful reading
Thank you!