Trust and Obey for a Positive Life.

I learned from an early age the importance of resting in the sovereignty of God and then surrendering to the sovereignty of God. Resting in God’s sovereignty—that’s the trust part—and then surrendering to God’s sovereignty—that’s the obey part. 

 Our family had a high view of God. Most of us today have a high view of self. What matters most to us is our feelings, our thoughts, our ambitions, our plans, our ideas, and our opinions. But what should matter supremely is, “What does God think? What matters to God? What is His opinion?” 

 You see, my mom taught us that God is sovereign, which is a sophisticated way for saying He’s the Boss! He is in control. He is the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. 

 Joy comes when we acknowledge that He is Lord, when we trust His sovereignty and surrender to it. That means that God has the right to give and He has the right to take away. 

 During my college years, I saw my mom respond to a series of difficult circumstances in a way that profoundly impacted my life. Over the next several years, my mom dealt with a divorce that was unfair. I saw a stay-at-home mom have to enter the work force to make ends meet. About the same time period, my mother went through life-threatening surgery to have breast cancer removed. 

 Through it all, I watched my mom rest in God’s sovereignty; I saw her be as calm and peaceful and devoted to Christ in that season of loss and pain as he had been in previous seasons of gain and ease. She modeled a quiet confidence that God knows what He’s doing, that He is all-wise and doesn’t make mistakes. That is the time period I came to believe at the core of my being that every event in our lives is being watched over by a wise, loving, and good God who really can be trusted. 

 I love that verse in Psalm 135 that says, “For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (vv. 5–6). 

 You see, God is in control. Whatever He pleases, He does. And if He does it, it’s because it pleases Him. We need to come to the place where we say, “Lord, if it pleases You, it pleases me. If it’s what You want, it’s what I want.” 

 Through my mom’s example and now through many years of personal experience, I’ve learned that we will never be more secure, more safe, more happy, and more satisfied, than when we are trusting and obeying. 

 What circumstances is God asking you to accept as coming from His sovereign hand? Would you take a moment to verbalize or write out a brief prayer in your journal or Bible expressing your desire to “trust and obey”? Blessings on the journey.

Can I Make a Difference?

We’ve all had moments in our lives when we said something like…”More than anything else, I want to _______.” For each of us it’s something different. I wanted to walk on to a University football team in Arkansas in 1986, but once this 140 pound dude saw that the biggest guys on the team could run as fast as him, I decided my football playing days were over. The window had closed on my opportunity to play.

If we aren’t careful we can think like that as well when it comes to our spiritual journey. Take a look at the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. In Acts 7-9, we read about a guy named Saul (who later will be renamed Paul) who is killing Christ-followers. He feels compelled to dismantle the church and erase the Name of Jesus from every mouth in Israel. But Paul has an experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians and his life is changed forever. He turns into the most prominent Christian in church history.

If we listen to what our enemy thinks about us and not to what God has said about us, we can say we missed our chance to be a participant in the story of God. We can become a spectator rather than a participant. The great thing about God is no matter how young or old you are, God will use you in his story. No matter your skin color and the size of your bank account, God will use you in his story.

Sometimes we listen to those who’ve known us well. The voices tell us that we’ve ruined our reputation because of past choices so God could not possibly use us. We might say, after my abortion or divorce or addiction or issues with lust and pride, God doesn’t want to use me. But the very thing you believe is keeping you from God’s story is the very thing He will use in his story to draw others to him.

Sometimes we don’t participate because we don’t know where to start. We don’t do anything because we don’t know what to do. We see others are great speakers or terrific leaders of women. Some are great teachers or singers. We compare ourselves to others and disqualify ourselves. But we are called to use any gift or talent we have to the glory of God.

As we reflect on what we are doing in Kingdom work, I reflect on Paul. He was the ISIS of his day, killing people who loved Jesus. I think if God can use a man like Paul, He can use me in his story too. So know the widow is not closed on your usefulness. You have not done anything in your past to disqualify you from being in God’s story. You have more to offer in Kingdom work than you realize. So, get busy. It’s time to make a difference. Do something. Realize the time we’ve been given to share Jesus is really short. You can do this. He has got you. Blessings on the journey.