Category: Trust in God

on • Bonnie Gray

Some mornings, my inner critic wakes up with me. As I eat my breakfast, my first thoughts appear auto-populated by what I “should’ve-would’ve-could’ve” done.

Instead of songs of deliverance surrounding me like the psalmist wrote about, my mind becomes filled with a noisy parade of troubling thoughts—regrets over what I wasn’t doing well, relationships that had turned hurtful, and indecisions tearing at my soul.

Why are you obsessing about things you have no control over? I lecture myself. Stop worrying about nothing. What’s wrong with you? I beat myself up, and I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee.

I pray and read Scripture, but my heart doesn’t feel right. One morning, I tried to forget my troubles by diving into my emails. On the outside, all was good, but being hard on myself wasn’t what I needed.

What I need when I’m stuck in negative self-talk is God’s kindness and gentleness.

The world teaches us to quiet our inner critic by striving, networking with people of influence, and working very hard to be valued, find belonging, and acceptance.

But God’s way of restoring the soul is very quiet: real experiences of beauty, gentleness, and kindness.

We need two fruits of the Spirit: gentleness and kindness.

Later in the afternoon, I drove out to my favorite trail and stood quietly by the creek, listening to water bubbling over rocks and pebbles. Without any words, I felt God’s gentle love hold my heart.

My soul exhaled, and as the sun warmed my heart again, I heard God tenderly whisper, “You are safe with me. You are important to me.”

God draws us closer, saying, “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love; With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself” (Jeremiah 31:3).

In a quiet place of beauty, my heart opened up. I shared my honest feelings with God—not trying to solve them but to confide in him.

Being in nature soothes us and gives us permission to slow down.

We observe how everything organic undergoes changes in different seasons, and we instinctively relax our shoulders and exhale.

As the breeze brushes our cheeks, we feel a softening. We notice how everything beautiful moves in quietness.

It was only there by the creek, only after I took the steps to enjoy something beautiful to refresh me, that my heart experienced God’s songs of deliverance.

Many times, we try to lecture ourselves out of a tough situation, but God’s gentle voice is always found in places of quiet beauty and intimacy.

Don’t be harder on yourself. Be gentle with yourself. God’s love is gentle.

*For further reflection, listen to Jeremiah 31 today.

  1. Jeremiah 31

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

Excerpted with permission from Breathe by Bonnie Gray published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 97408. Copyright 2023, Bonnie Gray. harvesthousepublishers.com

*Please enjoy our conversation with Bonnie here!

on • Emily Ley

I believe deeply that there is a joy to be found in the mess of life.

I’ll never forget one afternoon when my toddler twins and five-year-old sat at the island in our kitchen, enjoying an early spaghetti dinner. Their faces were covered in spaghetti sauce as they tried to get the noodles (which I’d cut up for easy eating) into their mouths. They were so happy. And all I could think was, “This place is a mess.”

You know the feeling. Their joy is palpable, and my anxiety is rising, thinking of all the cleaning I’ll have to do.

But, as my children got older and I began to press actively against my perfectionist tendencies, I felt something inside me begin to loosen.

Granted, it’s still there: my desire to live in a perfectly tidy home at all times (even though five humans, three of them small, live here). But it’s less intense.

God doesn’t expect perfection from us. In fact, every single one of us falls short of perfection, of the glory of God. Order and tidiness are admirable and important goals, but what are we missing when we don’t fully live our lives for fear of mess or disorder?

Consider the delight of a kid in a swimsuit with a water hose in a backyard, bare feet stomping through the mud. The squeals, the laughter, the mess of it all.

There’s so much joy to be found in the process of truly living—not just when life is cleaned up.

Do you struggle with perfection? Who defined that standard for you?  Social media? Your mother? Your neighbor who seems always to have it all together?

There’s so much joy to be found in the process of truly living—not just when life is cleaned up.

Now that sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

“God’s Way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.

 He is a shield for all who look to him for protection” 

 (II Samuel 22:31).

*For further reflection, listen to (II Samuel 22)

  1. 2 Samuel 22

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

Enjoy our interview with Emily here!

Adapted from Sure as the Sunrise by Emily Ley. Copyright ©2022 by Emily Ley. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com.

 

on • Jinger Duggar Vuolo

For me, the journey from error to truth has been a humbling experience. I had to admit that much of what I’d always believed was not just inaccurate; it was unhelpful, even harmful.

That wasn’t easy.

Maybe you, too, have been convinced for years that the only way to please God is by following specific, man-made rules from a particular teacher. God had to humble me so I could see that all my effort was not actually honoring God.

You may be in a similar situation, ready to examine your convictions and compare them to Scripture. That process is well worth it.

No matter who you are or where you come from, you need what I need—what we all need: humility.

Through this process, I’ve come to understand that humble people don’t think too much of themselves, but they also don’t think too low of themselves either. Humble people know who they are, what they are good at, and what talents they do not have.

Romans 12:3 provides a great description of a humble person: “Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”

Ten years ago, I don’t think I understood that. I thought I had life figured out.

I’m grateful for the humility God is working in me. He opened my eyes, as only he can, to see that I was thinking too highly of myself. He gave me undeserved grace.

As James 4:6 says, “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

Without God’s help, it’s tough to see our pride. In fact, I’d say it’s impossible. If you and I are ever going to submit to God and his Word, we need to begin by asking for humility.

That’s a request I know God will grant.

After all, Proverbs 11:2 says, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” And I know that if I ask for wisdom, God will give it to me.

*For further reflection, listen to Romans 12 today.

  1. Romans 12

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

Taken from “Becoming Free Indeed” by Jinger Duggar Vuolo. Copyright 2023 by Jinger Vuolo. Used with permission from Thomas Nelson.

*Please enjoy this interview with Jinger here.

on •

If you had just a few more days to live, what would you say to your closest family and friends?

This is a question I often ask myself. Sometimes I brainstorm what crazy deep words of wisdom or groundbreaking encouragement I would give. How would I leave my loved ones with a big mic drop moment before I died? In Jesus’ final days on earth, he took full advantage of the time he had left just to be with His disciples.

Serve them.

Love them.

Pray for them.

Speak over them.

Break bread with them.

And then speak to them.

Jesus could have said anything, and I mean anything, before ascending to heaven.

He could have told them details about the growth of the church over the next hundred years, and how they would flourish and prevail despite the persecution they would face. He could have spoken to each disciple individually, foretelling exactly what the rest of their lives would look like.

But instead of sharing that kind of information, he left them with a gift.

After washing his disciples’ feet and foreshadowing His impending betrayal by Judas, Jesus comforted his disciples.

He spoke encouragement into their lives, rallying them to continue believing and persevering in the faith.

At the end of his mini sermon, Jesus promised the ultimate form of comfort. The ultimate gift. The Holy Spirit.

I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative – that is, the Holy Spirit–he will teach you everything and will remind you everything I have told you. I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. IF you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am” (John 14:25–28).

On the surface this was probably not the most reassuring sentiment—their Savior and best friend telling them He was going to leave. Right?

But in typical Jesus fashion, even though he was leaving, he still had a plan for providing the disciples with all the comfort and help they would need to live.

Jesus also gives us this same gift of the greatest power source we’ll ever know and ever need – His Holy Spirit.

*For further reflection, listen to John 14 today.

  1. John 14

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

Adapted from Surrender Your Story: Ditch the Myth of Control and Discover Freedom in Trusting God© 2023 by Tara Sun. Published by Thomas Nelson.

Please enjoy our interview with Tara Sun here.

on • Dr. Jessica Peck

Are you harassed and helpless, distressed and dispirited, feeling alone in your struggles as if no one sees you? You may feel alone, but God will never leave you or forsake you.

In the book of Genesis, we find an Egyptian slave woman named Hagar alone, broken, insignificant, and rejected. Hagar, whose name means one who fears, is a socially marginalized woman with no control over her life circumstances.

As she sits alone and desperate in the wilderness, we encounter an extraordinary moment in Scripture. An angel of the Lord finds Hagar and calls her by name, something her mistress had refused to do and tells Hagar the Lord has heard her affliction.

In response, she calls God by the name El Roi, meaning the “God Who Sees Me.” The angel instructs her to return and submit to her mistress. Her circumstances won’t change, but the strength and perspective with which she faces them will be different.

Every character in Hagar’s story experienced their own fears, doubts, insecurities, and injustices along a broken road, lost like sheep. The original Hebrew word Roi’iy means “shepherd,” “seeing,” “looking,” or “gazing.”

When you feel vulnerable and alone, you can find hope and comfort in the “God Who Sees Me.” Take comfort in the fact your compassionate Good Shepherd is always looking for you.

Even when you feel desperately isolated, God promises that you are never alone.

Reflect:

1. In the seasons of life where you feel alone, how can you look back at your story and see ways God has met you along the way to find you and bring you encouragement?
2. How can you find a friend struggling through a season of loneliness in the wilderness and offer companionship and encouragement?
3. How can you find tangible hope in the God Who Sees You?

Pray:

God, my soul is troubled. I am weary with argument and conversation, and my bed at night swims with the tears of my distress. I worry. I see hurt. I feel alone. My eyes waste away with grief as conflict makes me weary. I know You hear my voice lifted in desperate prayer. Give me faith in times of distress. I ask for mercy in the midst of pain. Bring healing where there is conflict. Pour over me Your unfailing love. I know You accept my prayer. I ask You to walk with me daily, putting people in my path who will speak encouragement and the words of life delivered straight from Your heart to mine, with confident affirmation to remind me I am never truly alone. Amen.

*For further reflection, listen to (Psalm 6).

  1. Psalm 6

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

Adapted from Behind Closed Doors: A Guide to Help Parents and Teens Navigate Through Life’s Toughest Issues (W Publishing Group, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing).

on • Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa

I know I don’t look Samoan. My mother is of Greymouth (Irish descent), and my father is Samoan from Fusi, Safata. My parents were very involved in our church and the community, and these pressures started to affect my dad. He began drinking heavily. Eventually, his chronic drinking caught up with him, and he ended up going to prison for something he did while intoxicated.

While in detox, my father re-dedicated his life to Christ. After prison, he wanted to help others dealing with alcohol and addiction, so my family moved to Taranaki to live at an Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Center, which my dad and mum managed. One day while visiting a church, I heard the pastor talk about how much God loved me. He said God loved me unconditionally, no matter what I did (Romans 5:8).

The fact that God could love me so much was a new revelation. I didn’t love myself. (In fact, I hated everything about me.) But I wanted to know this God who loved me so much, so I accepted Jesus into my life and experienced that amazing forgiveness that Jesus offered me.

But coming to know Jesus personally didn’t mean everything was perfect. As my relationship with God grew during university, I started having frightening flashbacks and nightmares.

I then began remembering multiple experiences of abuse by a clergy member as a young girl. It was very traumatic. With great difficulty, I told a friend on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (now Student Life) at my university all I had endured. I hadn’t told anyone else before her,so disclosing this to her relieved a heavy burden. She was so patient and caring and encouraged me to get counseling.

As a part of that counseling and ongoing healing, I began to accept that this abuse actually happened. I then forgave my abuser and then my father and mother, who were not there to protect me.

I discovered that forgiving was not accepting the abusive behavior nor condoning the abuser’s actions. Instead, forgiveness was a process that allowed my hurt to be in my past and not in my future.

The abuse I suffered deeply impacted me. For years, the shame, fear, anger, and pain of abuse created crippling hurdles in my life. Trusting others wasn’t easy, and I needed to overcome my quick skepticism of people’s motives.

Still, knowing that the God of the universe loves me and accepts me has given me the confidence to live out his strong sense of purpose in my life. I’ve also seen how Jesus beautifully healed my relationships and my family.

I want to encourage survivors of abuse and others battling an addiction that Jesus gives freedom, hope, and healing. Dealing with trauma and addiction is complex, and healing recovery takes time—but Jesus does heal (Psalm 147:3).

The longer I live, the more I see how God has been writing a great story in my life.

I can also see how God has transformed a life shaped by shame into a life full of freedom. He can do the same for you!

*For further reflection, listen to (Psalm 147 today.

  1. Psalm 147

Embed

Copy and paste this code to your site to embed.

on • Tori Hope Peterson

My track coach was told to wash his hands of me because I was “trouble.” But, despite what people told him, he continued to meet me at the track daily and train with me. I love the story of the woman at the well, because it reflects how my track coach came alongside me, and it also it shows us how Jesus treats those who are cast out.

When the world has set limitations on who we can befriend, Jesus shows us exactly what to do by reaching out to them anyway.

In John 4, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the village well and shared the gospel with her. The cultural limitation said Jews could not speak to Samaritans. That meant an entire population could potentially be unreached by Jesus’ life.

So what did Jesus do? He disregarded culture’s limitations. And he met this woman where she was and told her about the never-ending, life-giving water – the truth of the gospel.

But the interesting thing is that Jesus did not go to the woman at the well with his disciples. Instead, verse eight shows his disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

Why would he not take his disciples and use this as a teaching moment? Why wouldn’t he have brought more people to the woman with hopes of helping her be seen and known and loved by more? The more, the merrier it seems.

So why did Jesus go alone?

Because even the people closest to Jesus, taking in his every word, being taught by him, and tangibly being loved by him, would have focused on the limitations of the culture. They would have pulled Jesus away from meeting the Samaritan woman, so Jesus shielded her from them.

Jesus went to the woman no one else would go to and met her where she was. He did not say, “You meet me here.” He went to her.

He met her there and changed her life.

Those people in my hometown were advising my track coach to stay away from me. But he kept showing up where I was— the track. It was one of the only places I was allowed to go, and his ongoing mentorship changed the trajectory of my life.

During this holiday season, I ask you these questions:

  • Where would you like Jesus to meet you right now?
  • Who is God asking you to make a difference in their life?
  • Who could you reach out to that you typically pass by?

*For further reflection, listen to John 4 today.

on • Keeya Vawar

For years, I lived a secret life of brokenness while married to a pastor. I was buried under psychological pain while quoting Scriptures, leading Bible studies, and serving others, and being a wife and mother. I had wounds from childhood trauma I refused to address. Seeking counseling would mean I had a problem, and I just wanted to forget the pain altogether.

Yet, despite the masks I had affixed with well-rehearsed responses, my weighty burden chipped away at me. My cover-up was breaking down.

The question remained, “How do I turn this ocean-liner around? How can I help others in pain without sacrificing myself?”

I learned that I needed to make small micro-decisions toward healing.

First, I had to withdraw my application for a savior—that position was eternally filled with Jesus. Why did I need to carry the world on my shoulders rather than address my own issues?

Second, I had to face the truth that I couldn’t help others until I received real healing. It’s been said, “There’s only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” So likewise, the healing journey is filled with micro-decisions – small, wise choices that result in real healing over time.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.”
If this Scripture was true for Solomon, I needed to also embrace its wisdom.

That meant making the micro-decision to pursue a professional “advisor” to become my authentic self. Facing my lifelong fears was the first way I could conquer them. Then, I’d be better at nourishing my relationships and supporting others.

Our micro-decisions must be anchored in God’s Word so we can come along and help others as we heal.

Then, instead of wearing a cape, we can humbly and boldly kneel at the cross alongside those whose burdens we share.

*For further reflection, listen to Proverbs 11 today.

on • Sylvia Gunter

Regardless of our story, we share a common pursuit. The search for our true identity drives us to be understood and appreciated for who we really are. Yet, deep inside each of us is a longing for something more. Those are not evil desires. God created the thirst so we can enjoy him, the Living Water fulfilling our every need and want.

Unfortunately, we spend much time and energy looking elsewhere for our fulfillment and identity. It feels natural to look to our family, friends, successes, or failures to help define us.

The key is to understand that you are a part of a new family, the family of God, and allow His truth of who you are to fill your heart and mind. Ephesians 2:19 says, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.”

You have a new life in Christ. You have a new name in Christ.

Here is just a lovely taste of who you are in Christ. I encourage you to take a few days to read and listen to these Scriptures:

  • Belonging to God – John 17:9
  • Delighted in – Isaiah 42:1
  • Equipped – 2 Timothy 3:17
  • Accepted – Romans 15:7
  • Free – Romans 8:2
  • Beautiful – Isaiah 61:10
  • Treasured – Psalm 83:3
  • Victorious – 1 Corinthians 15:57
  • Forgiven – 1 John 1:9
  • Overcomer – 1 John 5:4-5
  • Perfect and complete – James 1:2-4
  • Delivered – 2 Timothy 4:18
  • Redeemed – Galatians 3:13
  • Known – 2 Timothy 2:19
  • Indestructible – 1 Peter 1:23

There are more than 200 descriptions of your true identity in Scripture!

You may “know” these Scriptural facts, but take time to let these truths sink deep into your core. God desires these truths to be embedded in your heart and mind so that you will not be deceived when accusations come.

I pray that you will be able to walk each day in honor and dignity, knowing you are a beloved child of God Most High.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Ephesians 2 today.

on • Michele Cushatt

I love math. Always have. I’m excited when my kids need help with their math homework. The reason? An equation is black and white and solvable. It almost always has a happy ending.

I wish faith were more like algebra. Instead, this faith journey often feels like trying to untangle my headphones. I would honestly rather buy a new pair than tackle this seemingly impossible task. It’s infuriating.

Take John the Baptist’s faith journey, for example. He was a person of exceptional faith. He was set apart from birth to be the forerunner to the Messiah. His character was obedient, humble, and sacrificial. He gave his entire life to God. Jesus described him, “of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). But despite all that faithfulness, he ended up beheaded before age 35, with his head delivered to King Herod’s wife on a silver platter.

As I said, I’d rather tackle math than try to untangle that confusing mess.

I recently read a book filled with dramatic accounts of miracles. So naturally, I devoured it like a starving dog with a bone. However, hidden beneath my fevered page-turning was a buried belief about God. I believed that a God of fireworks could cure me of a flimsy faith. If I could collect enough evidence of God, I could avoid any questions of Him. As it turns out, however, my math did not add up.

Sometimes God behaves in ways we do not expect and can not control. Miracles do not always increase our faith. Often it is the lack of a miracle that forces us to wrestle with what we really believe.

In our suffering, we become increasingly desperate for answers, believing those answers will rescue us from our pain. But although answers might bring relief in the short term, nothing can help us make sense of some painful heartbreaks. Genuine faith is learning to trust in the midst of the unknowns, to rest even in the turmoil, and to believe our questions will somehow lead us to the God who holds the answers, even if we never discover those answers ourselves.

Although doubt feels scary, it is often a gift that causes our faith to grow into what we have wanted all day along. So, how do we deal with the reality of doubt?

  • Acknowledge it. Doubt is a normal part of an active, stretching, growing faith.
  •  Keep asking questions. To stop asking questions is to stop thinking. Allow yourself to wrestle with the mysteries of an all-knowing God.
  • Keep moving. There is nothing noble about staying lost in a forest. Admit you are lost, ask questions, and keep moving forward.
  •  Accept that not all questions will be answered. If we could solve the equation of God, he would be a god far too small. Make peace with not knowing everything.
  • Choose trust. We will either trust in our own capacity and ability or God’s magnificence and mystery. Which will it be?

Doubt is not the enemy of your faith. Instead, it’s the means to deepen it. So, resist fear and shame.

Instead, take your doubt to Him. All of it. He can handle it. And He has what you need to untangle the mess and deliver you safely to the other side. Even better, there’s a good chance your faith will be stronger as a result.

*For deeper reflection, listen to Matthew 11 today.