Trusting in the Name of the Lord

Psalm 9:10 - And those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

There is an element of trust that requires a knowledge of who God is. In Scripture, the name of the Lord represents His character and nature. Therefore, in order for us to completely entrust ourselves into Him, it is important that we know who we are giving ourselves to. Otherwise, there is no depth to the relationship and when hard times fall, our faith may waiver.

Imagine a young couple who fell in love "at first sight" and decided to get married that same day. They knew little about each other, nothing of their background, or how they would handle different situations. After the initial "buzz" wore off, what do you think would happen to the couple? Chances are, they would find out that their relationship was not what they thought it was.

In the same way, if we think that we have faith without having a knowledge of who God is, we carry the risk of having wrong perceptions about God. We then might carry with that wrong expectations. Then, when God does not meet our wrong expectations of Him, we blame Him.

However, when we know the character of God, the natural result is trust, because in His nature is faithfulness, trustworthiness, truth, honor, etc. By knowing God's character, represented by His name, we are given reassurance in times of trouble.

The challenge today is to look through Scripture at some of the names of God and see how He is that name in your life.

Daily Challenge - July 03 - Do Not Be Anxious

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

What is it that makes us so unduly concerned about everything? I try to think of myself as a laid back person, but still I fall into the trap of playing the "what if" game. It is amazing what people become anxious over: make up and hair looking perfect, the way pair of jeans fit, whether they will be accepted by the right crowd, whether their child will make it home by curfew, whether their husband will come home on time, whether their friend will make it through the illness, whether their son will come home from war. The reason for our anxiety can go from being completely trivial in nature to seemingly overwhelming. Yet, Paul had a specific teaching on how to deal with all kinds of worrisome situations.

In Philippians 4:6, Paul simply gives the command to not be anxious. This means to not have an unduly amount of concern over a certain matter. Paul is not stating that you cannot care about what is going on around you, but rather to maintain a proper outlook and not obsess over it. Fortunately, Paul does not simply tell us not to be anxious, but he also tells us how to deal with our tendency to get caught up with our concern. He tells us that in everything, by prayer and petitions, we are to present our requests to God. This means that there is no detail too minute and no problem too formidable for God.

Paul also states how we are to present our requests to God. We are to bring our requests to God in prayer with thanksgiving. This seems to be contrary to the present situation. However, when we begin to praise God, that in essence, solicits the end of our anxiety because we begin to recognize God in the present situation (Barth, Philippians, 120). We begin to give God the glory in what we are going through. We begin to place God in the center of our circumstance. The result that comes from the presentation of petition with praise is God's peace. It is not a peace that we can understand by our own understanding. It far surpasses and exceeds what we can expect, plan, or anticipate. This peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The verb to guard was used as a military term, which referenced a soldier standing guard over a city in order to keep it from being attacked (Hawthorne, Philippians, 247). Therefore, the word picture is of God's peace standing guard over our thoughts and our emotions, protecting them from anxiety.

We can therefore surmise that God does not want us to be anxious and gives us the tools not to be. However, it is up to us to utilize those resources by looking to God in all times, not just in situations that might cause unduly concern. We must make it a practice to praise God in every situation and pray continually to Him regarding everything. When we have this upward perspective, the result is God's peace that guards our thoughts and emotions.

The challenge today is to look at what area of your life is causing you anxiety. Is it a particular relationship? Is it how others perceive you? Is it your job performance? The list is endless. Spend some time in prayer with your focus being on THANKSGIVING regarding the situation. Make God the center of the petition and the concern. Trust in His character and His nature regarding the situation.

Heavenly Hope

Written on the evening of June 17, 2011: This post is dedicated in honor and memory to Paul Garrison. I love you Papa.

As I sit here right now, I am weary and weak. After a wonderful week of ministry at Vacation Bible School, it has closed with a visit to the pediatrician for my daughter, a fever and migraine for myself, and a long journey of seeing my husband's grandfather prepare to go home to his Heavenly Father for our family. As I take a moment to ponder all that has happened in the day, the Spirit of the Lord whispers to me, "Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:30).

The last three months have been a battle ground for me spiritually and physically. However, I have felt the Spirit of the Lord upon me as He has molded me and has carried me through this time. He has been my shelter and my strength.

I will not analyze this verse, because that is not the intention of this post. However, let me say this: weariness is a part of life. It is a result of living in a fallen world. Yet, we have the choice of hope. We have the choice to hope and in whom to place that hope. We can choose to lose hope and give up the fight of shining our light for Christ, succuming to the patterns of the world. We can also place our hope in false "gods", be it our own efforts, others, substances, habits, false philosophies, etc. However, those who hope in the Lord will unltimately find their renewal. Not because of some hocus pocus power, but because they know that there is more than these present trials. If we persevere, one day we will stand victorious with Christ in glory because He overcame the grave. This truth has given me the strength to endure and to continue to proclaim, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Daily Challenge - June 14, 2011 - Impossible Not to Witness???

Acts 4:20 - "For it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard."

These words were spoken by Peter and John to the Jewish rulers, elders, and experts of the law. They had been imprisoned by those in charge because they were proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus and had healed a man in Jesus' name. By Peter and John's testimony, it was evident that they had been with Jesus, though they were ordinary men. This made the Jewish leaders intimidated and they wanted to quiet the disciples. Therefore, they asked them to stop proclaiming the gospel.

Acts 4:20 was the second portion of their response. The Greek uses the double negative for emphasis, literally giving the translation, "For we are not able to not speak about what we have seen and heard." This emphasis implies that their encounter with Christ had welled up enough response within them that they had to act upon it. The message was so compelling it had to be carried out through works. This is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) lived out in real life. As Jesus' disciples continued about their lives, Jesus was their focal point. This was a result of the impact he had made on their lives.

The picture I think of relating to their enthusiasm is a woman who just got engaged. She just cannot help but talk about her new fiance. It glows out of her like the diamond that is on her finger. You cannot ask her fast enough how it happened before she beats you to the story. She does this because she is so in love with her soon to be husband. He has made a great impact on her life. In the same way, as the Bride of Christ, the Church should have that same kind of enthusiasm for the Gospel message. Unfortunately, when looking across the pews it looks like we are at a funeral rather than a wedding. Moreover, for many, one of our biggest fears would be to have to tell a coworker or friend about Jesus because of the fear that they might judge or reject us. Our response to Jesus should come from what we know about Him. If we have the relationship with Him, it should be natural to testify and act accordingly. Peter and John were uneducated and ordinary men (Acts 4:13). It was the power of the Holy Spirit that allowed them to testify about Christ (Acts 4:8). When the time comes for us to stand up for Christ, the same Spirit who empowered Peter will empower us to boldly proclaim who it is that we cannot help but speak about because we have seen and heard about what He has done in our own lives and in the lives of others.

The challenge today is to think of one person with whom you need to be more open about your relationship with Jesus. Begin to pray for the words to say. Ask God to empower you through His Spirit. Begin to pray for that person and that the Spirit will begin to draw him/her.

Daily Challenge - June 13, 2011 - Be Subject to All Authority?

Romans 13:1-2 - Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

For many, these two small verses seem to be hard to swallow. Some of the most politically outspoken people in the United States today are Christians. While this is not and will continue to not be a political blog, for some reason, this was the verse that I felt upon which I need to write.

Paul wrote the book of Romans from Corinth during the close of his third missionary journey. Rome at that time was the capital of the Empire and it was by far the most important city in the world. Though Paul had never been the the Church in Rome, there was already a group of believers established and he wrote to them in order to inform them of correct doctrine and practice.

In chapter 13, Paul bluntly exhorts the Romans to be subject to the human authorities above them. The Greek grammar implies that they should place themselves willfully as subjects under the Roman authority. At the time, Rome was ruled by pagans who were unsympathetic to the cause of Christ. Yet, believers were to place themselves under their authority and abide by the laws made. The reason for this was that God is the ultimate authority who has allowed all those in power to maintain their position. Therefore, if someone resists the authority on earth, they are ultimately rejecting God's sovereign placement and will be judged for their disobedience.

The only exception to this exhortation that can be found in Scripture is when an authority figure asks the subject to do something that is in direct violation to the Word of God (Ex. 1:17; Dan. 3:16-18; 6:7,10; Acts 4:19-20; 5:28-29). It is in these times you see God's hand of protection around those who disobey the human ruler in order to obey God.

If we are willingly to be subject to those with power over us, how should our attitudes be towards them? If we simply obey the laws, but show no respect for the office or the person, are we truly abiding by Romans 13:1-2? Though we might not always agree with those who have authority over us, we still must willingly place ourselves under their leadership. By doing so, we must learn to be good followers.

The challenge today is to think about who in your life has God place in authority over you, whether it is at home, at work, or in government. How can you better submit yourself to their authority? What can you do today to show them that you respect them and that you are willing to follow their leadership?

Daily Challenge - June 8, 2011 - Sovereignty is Strength

Habakkuk 3:19 - The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of the deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.

This is the final verse of the book of Habakkuk. This small book in the Old Testament is about a righteous man wrestling with the unrighteousness in the world. The book is filled with the prophet Habakkuk's struggle with how God was working in the world. At the beginning of the book, the prophet cried out to God because the people of Judah (the southern nation of Israel after they split) were wicked; yet they remain unjudged by the Lord. When God answered that He would send the pagan Chaldeans to judge the nation, Habakkuk still did not understand how God could seemingly bless a nation who were worse than the ones God was judging. However, God explains they will receive their due judgment. The book ends with the prophet realizing that his trust in and worship of the Lord must come, not from the temporal blessings He bestows, but on His character and nature that has been proven throughout the ages.

The Sovereign Lord is our strength. It is His ultimate control over all going on that allows us to continue on when we feel like we have nothing left to go on or give. The Lord operates on a plan that is grander than our own. Our temporal minds cannot comprehend it. Yet, He is just. He is righteous. He is good. He is in control. Once we stop arguing with Him and trust in His sovereignty, it will be our strength. Knowing that the Lord has a plan and purpose for all that is going on will enable us to do things we never thought possible. Habakkuk did not see resolution at the end of the book. Yet, he worshipped God because God was God.

The challenge today is to think about what area of life you are struggling in trusting in the Lord's Sovereignty. Perhaps it is a prolonged illness, something that seems unjust in your eyes, a prayer that you have not received the answer you desired. Ask God to help you see His sovereignty in that situation and help you look at it through a perspective greater than your own. Then ask Him to give you the strength that comes from Him to help you faithfully worship Him daily.

Daily Challenge - June 7, 2011 - Trusting Daily

Matthew 6:11 - Give us today our daily bread.

So many times in our prayer life, we concern ourselves with matters of the future: a future job, relationship, aspiration, wealth, goal, etc. Yet, in Jesus' exemplar prayer, he prays about the concern for the day, on that day. This shows a constant dependency and trust upon God for our provision.

While in the wilderness, God miraculously provided the Israelites with manna, or bread from heaven, for each day. However, if they tried to store it, they would awake to a jar full of maggots (Exodus 16). God did this to show Israel that He could provide for their daily need in a world where all hope seemed lost. However, they had to trust in Him daily. Their lack of trust was shown by their hoarding up His provision for the future.

How often we are like the Israelites! We hoard up God's provision for the future instead of trusting in Him to supply us with what we need for the day and therefore forfeit living generously for His kingdom. While we should be wise with what God has given us, when we begin to trust in our own means of storing rather than openly laying out all we have before God as a daily offering in order to ask Him to provide for us again the following day, we act in disobedience.

The challenge for to day is to look at your own life and evaluate whether you are truly trusting God to provide for today. Are you going to him daily, asking Him to meet you needs? Are you praying more about future concerns or matters of the present? If we focus our prayer life on how God is going to provide for us in the future, we miss out on how He is presently at work. Today, if you no longer are trusting in Him, how can you get back to the point of reliance?