Tag Archives: Trust

When the World Spins Out of Control

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Habakkuk is one of the neater books in the Bible. In this book, the author talks about his list of problems and worries. He talks about all things that worry him, that concern him, that overwhelm him.

Many things. Many legitimate things, many things that caused him worry, pain and confusion. Many things that deeply bothered his soul. Many things that made him doubt, have struggles and have worries.

He talks about them.

And then at the end of chapter 2 he says this:

But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

worshipGod is in His temple. God is on the throne. God is at work. God is still alive. God is still working.

God is in control. When the world spins out of control. When life seems going way to fast, going in ways that you don’t like, you don’t understand, you can’t control, remember this.

The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him. He is God. He is Lord. He is at work.

Stay calm. Trust. Even in the dark. Even in the fear. Breathe. Know this.

The Lord is in His temple.

He is in control. Even when life seems to be out of control.

God is in control.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Temptation – Two Reminders

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Today in our reading, Paul gives us two very helpful reminders about how to deal with temptation in our lives. Temptation is something that every Christian (and everyone, period!) must deal with.

Paul offers two really helpful encouragements today in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. Listen to what God says today:

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Temptation_-_Cat_and_Goldfish_BowlFirst, we see this reminder – be careful. Don’t get arrogant. Don’t get prideful. Paul says that if we think we stand, be careful or you will fall.

What does he mean by that? Shouldn’t we stand?

Yes, we should. But we should remember how we stand. And remember whose strength we stand upon. If we think we stand on our strength or might or power, we will fall. We don’t stand based upon us. We stand based upon Him.

So, in your fight against temptation, be careful in your stand. Remember we stand only in Him. Don’t rely upon your power, or you will fall.

Rely upon His, and you will stand.

Second, Paul reminds us these words, that in every temptation, God will give us an escape. And out. A help.

What is that? Perhaps a Bible verse that you can call to mind in the midst of temptation. Or an accountability partner that will be there for you. Perhaps a song on your heart. Perhaps the ability to get up and walk out.

But, God has promised, He will give us an out. He will give us a way.

Don’t give up. Don’t lose heart. You can do this. You can. Through Him and His power and strength, you can.

Don’t give up. He’s with you. And will be with you. Today and every day, in your struggle and temptation.

And through Him, we will overcome.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

When You Don’t Feel It

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Sometimes we can feel like God is not there. We can feel like we are all alone in the dark. We can feel like our prayers are bouncing off the walls, that God is not is listening, that God does not care, and that He isn’t even there.

We all have felt that way at some point.

Some of us may feel that way even know.

One of the reasons why I love the book of Psalms so much is that they speak to nearly every human emotion we have – joy, pain, fear, worry, trust, everything. Today, listen to what is says in Psalm 13:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

imagesThe Psalmist says, Lord, will you forget me forever? Will you hide your face from me? Will you answer me? Will I be defeated?

The Psalmist things that God has abandoned him. He feels like he is all alone. He is in the darkness. He feels lost and alone.

What does he do?

He said even though I don’t feel it, I trust in your steadfast love. My heart will rejoice because of that salvation. I will sing to the Lord.

Even when He didn’t feel it.

Because here’s the thing. The Lord is there, even when you don’t feel it. He hears your prayers, even when you don’t feel it.

We KNOW this to be true, His word says He will never leave nor forsake us. He will never abandon us. He will always be present.

We KNOW this to be true, even when we don’t feel it. He is.

Trust. Trust not in what you may feel today, trust in what you KNOW today. God is there. Even if you can’t see. Even if you don’t understand. Even if you don’t feel it.

He is with you today. You know it to be true. Trust in it, even when you don’t feel it.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Simple and Beautiful Faith

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Knowing God, through faith, is a beautiful thing. Seriously, think about it.

How many folks in life struggle with meaning? With purpose? With forgiveness? With peace?

How many folks seek to know through knowledge? Or reason? Or understanding?

Yes, faith can be simplistic. Yes, it can even seem foolish to world and to the culture to believe what can seem unbelievable. To have hope in a hopeless situation. To cling to good in a world seemingly racked with evil.

Yes, it can seem simple. And that’s what makes it beautiful.

Listen to what Jesus says in today in Luke 10:21-24:

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

fc_faithThese truths of faith, this joy and peace and hope and beauty of faith is hidden from the wise and understanding and revealed to little children. The kings and prophets longed to know what we see and understand.

How can this be? How can an uneducated grandmother or a 5-year-old boy have a deeper knowledge than someone so wise, so educated, so understanding?

Because it’s about simple faith. It’s about knowing, through faith, that God loves us. That God cares for us. That God will not leave us.

Through faith. Through belief. Through hope. Simple faith.

Faith that says, even through I don’t understand, I believe. That faith changes lives. That faith changes churches. That faith changes the world.

St. Augustine said – “Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” It is faith that makes understanding possible. Simple, childlike faith.

Without it, none of this makes sense. With it, everything makes sense.

Today, may we not seek to “understand” let us seek to believe and have faith. And then, only then, will we understand.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Promises, Promises

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SONY DSCYou can trust God today. You can.

We all know God’s promises to us. He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

All things work for God for those that love God (Romans 8:28).

He will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9).

He will be with us in the shadow of death (Psalm 23).

He wants good things for our future (Jeremiah 29:11).

We knows these things. We’ve heard these verses. We’ve heard sermons and bible studies on all these things that God has promised us. But, how do we know? How do we know that we can trust these things. How do we know?

Listen to what it says in Hebrew 6:17-18:

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

God made a promise to us. And God is unable to lie. He cannot lie. It’s impossible. He is who He says that He is. His words are true. And we can believe them.

So today, you can trust these promises. You can believe them. You can know them. They are true.

You are not alone.

You are loved.

You are forgiven.

God will not leave you.

You will not walk through the valley alone.

God has promised you these things. And He cannot lie. Trust today. Let go of your fears and worries. Trust.

God will not leave you. He has promised that. And He is true to His word.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What Are You Afraid Of?

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What are you afraid of today?  What is it that makes you scared? Worried? Terrified?

We all have something. We all have someone. We all something that take away our joy, our confidence, our hope. We are all afraid of something.

It’s that reason why that one of the most mentioned commands in the Bible is this. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. Over and over again in scripture we are told to do not be afraid.  Do not worry. Do not live in fear.

If God is for us, who can be against us, we are told.  Listen to what we are told today in Jeremiah:

But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them. “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid.

urlThe people of Israel were going to be defeated by the foreign army. Their way of life was going to change forever. Nothing would ever be the same again. They were going to lose so much of what they knew, what they expected, what they had hoped for, what was the their foundation.

They were afraid. They were terrified with what was going to happen.

And so, in that moment, God speaks these words – do not be afraid. And then again at the end, no one shall make him afraid.

No one.

Nothing.

He will not be afraid, for I, the Lord, and with him. Do not fear.

And today, no matter where you are in your faith, that is His call to you as well. Do not be afraid. Do not fear. Do not worry. God is with you. God loves you. God is for you.

Do not fear.

Today, you have nothing to be afraid of. For you God is with you. Take confidence in that fact today!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

What do we Trust?

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urlWhere is your hope today? Who do you trust? What do you trust? Where is our hope?

There are lots of things that we can trust in. We can trust in our own abilities. We can trust in our status. We can trust in our might. We can trust in ourselves.

Or, we can trust in others. Our friends. Our surroundings. Our families.

We can trust in out possessions. Our worth. Our stuff.

We can trust in so many things. But in the end, there in only one thing we can place our trust in.

Listen to what Psalm 62: 8-10 says today:

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

This Psalm reminds us that God is our hope. He is the one that we place our trust in. Not the lowly. Not the mighty. Not the powers of this world. Not in extortion. Not in robbery. Not in wealth. Not in riches.

None of these things should be our hope.

None of these things should be what we trust in. For they are all fleeting. They are all frail. They will not last.

They will pass.

God is eternal. God is trustworthy. God is our refuge. God is our strength. God is our hope.

Today, do not place your trust in your own might or strength or stuff. Do not place your trust in the things of the world.

Place your trust in God. And He will not fail or disappoint you.

Today, trust in Him.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God is for You

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urlToday, God is for you. God is on your side. God is with you.

God is your biggest fan, your biggest ally, your strongest strength, your greatest hope, your rock and salvation.

God is for you. Today.

No matter what you are going through, God is for you.

Now, this is not an “everything is perfect and easy and smooth” message. There will be tough times. There will be trials. There will be tears.

Listen to Psalm 56:8-11:

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

God keeps a record of our tears. God is aware. God knows our hurts, records them, keeps them.

But, God is for you. God is with us. We shall not be afraid. What can man do to us? What can this world do to us? What can there trials do to us?

For if God is for us, who can be against us?

Today, know, God is for you. No matter what is going on in your life, God is for you. God is with you. God will not leave you.

No matter what.

Today, God is for you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

You Can Do It

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You ever felt like you couldn’t do something? Maybe a task at work. Maybe a homework assignment. Maybe you just feel overwhelmed by something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you are good enough to do something.

Maybe you don’t feel like you have the skills to do it.

May you just think that it’s impossible to do it.

You want to just stop and say, I can’t do it. There is no way that I can do this.

Jeremiah felt that way. God had called him to be a prophet, and he told God, basically, I can’t do this. There’s no way that I can do this thing that you’ve called me to do. It’s impossible.

Can’t happen.

By the way, that’s the reaction that most people have when they are called by God to do something. I can’t do it. There’s no way that I can do it. It’s just impossible. Can’t happen.

Listen to the words that God tells Jeremiah 1:6-8 this morning

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, “I am only a youth”; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Keep calm and believe you can do itHe says, don’t say that I’m too young. Don’t say that you can’t do it.

God says, if I tell you that you can do it, you can do it.

For I am with you. I will not leave you. I will not forsake you. In the midst of the troubles, trials, fears, worries, doubts, I am still God. I am still with you. I am still your rock and safety.

Do not worry. Do not fear.

For I am God.

And I am with you.

Do not say, – I can’t do this. You can. If God has called you to it, placed it on your heart, given you the vision, the calling, the passion, the heart for it, then you can do it.

He is with you. Do not fear. Do not worry. You can do it.

He is with you.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

When the World Falls Apart

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What do you do when your world falls apart?

That’s a tough question. It’s a tough thing to think about. It’s not fun to ponder or think about. But, what would we do? What would you do?

Who would you turn too?

In some ways, we’ve all been there. In our lives, we are comfortable with the way that much of it is constructed. And things are good. We feel good. We like it.

And then, something happens. Some tragedy. Some loss. Some pain.

What do we do?

Listen to what we told in Psalm 46: 1-3:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

2c6b65earefuge3-bigGod is our refuge and strength. Even through the earth gives way. Even though the mountains move to the heart of the sea, God is our refuge and strength.

God is our help in times of trouble.

When our world falls apart, when things go wrong, when things go bad, know this.

God is there. God has not left. God will not leave. God is there.

He is our help, our strength, our hope, our help, our life.

Today, trust. Even when it looks bad. Even when it’s hard. Even when there is pain and loss. Trust.

God is there. When the world crumbles, He is there.

Your help is in the Lord. Even in days of little hope. He is there.

Today, no matter what is going on trust in Him. And you will no be disappointed.

He will be there. Even when the world falls apart.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.