Trusting God for Who You Are

Psalm 139:14, 15-16- “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth….Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

Psalm 139:13-16 teaches us that we are who we are, because God Himself created us the way we are. God was a master weaver at work when we were in our mother’s wombs creating us as directly as He created Adam out of the dust of the earth.

Rev. James Hufstetler said it well when he said, “You are the result of the attentive, careful, thoughtful, intimate, detailed, creative work of God. Your personality, your sex, your height, your features, are what they are because God made them precisely that way. He made you the way he did because that is the way he wants you to be… If God wanted you to be basically and creatively different he would have made you differently. Your genes and chromosomes are creatively distinctive--even the shape of your nose and ears-- are what they are by God’s design”

David praised God because God made him. The eternal God who is infinite in His wisdom and perfect in His love personally made me and you. He gave us the body, the mental abilities, and the basic personalities we have because that is the way He wanted us to be. “He wanted you to be just that way so He would love you and glorify Himself through you.” – Jerry Bridges

George MacDonald said, “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking.”

God who created us the way we are is the God who is wise enough to know what is best for us and loving enough to bring it about. Certainly we will sometimes struggle with who we are. So we must learn to trust God continually in this area. To do this, we must learn to say with David, “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Giving Thanks Always!

1 Thessalonians 5:18- “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Because God is sovereign, wise, and good, we can trust Him. If we desire to honor Him in our times of adversity, we must trust Him. In our trusting God, there is more at stake than experiencing peace in the midst of difficulties or even deliverance from them. The honor of God should be our chief concern!

We are to be thankful in the easy and difficult times of life. Adversities as well as for blessings! All circumstances whether favorable or unfavorable to our desires are to be occasions for thanksgiving. I know my tendency would be to quickly ask God for help but forgetful to give Him thanks. Jerry Bridges says, “Our problem is far deeper than mere forgetfulness. We are imbued with a spirit of ingratitude because of our sinful natures. We must cultivate a new spirit of gratitude, which the Holy Spirit implanted within us at our salvation.”

God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and love, are there for us to bear upon in all the unexpected and sudden shifts and turns in our lives. We must believe that God is at work in all things- all our circumstances- for our good, and be willing to accept this truth from God’s Word and rely upon it without needing to know just how He is working for our good.

“Oh Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 118:1)

I pray all the posts thus far have been an encouragement to you! I’ve already received a few testimonies, but would love to hear some more. Also, please don’t hesitate to ask questions or make suggestions!

Next week we’ll begin talking about what the bible has to say on beauty.

Trusting God for His Plan

As we’ve been learning over the past couple days, God promises that everything we go through is for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). In His sovereignty, God has planned out every step we will take for the rest of our lives. What comfort that is to know! I don’t know about you, but there have been many times throughout my life that I’ve failed to trust that God is walking me through situations, especially the one’s that aren’t fun. Have you? I can’t recount one time that God wasn’t faithful to deliver me out of fear. Every time I’ve cried out for His help, I’ve experienced His peace instead of worry. And you know what?! He’ll do the same for you!

I’m keenly aware of the temptation (especially as a female :) to worry and try to control the way my life will end up. That plan has NEVER worked! Why? Because God already has a plan for everything that will happen for the rest of our lives, and girls, there aint no changin’ it! Maybe you’re wondering, “How do we find out what this plan is?”

Please read through the following scripture verses slowly (maybe a couple times through) and hopefully they’ll bring clarification….

Jesus has told us, not to be anxious about our lives, what we will eat or what we will drink, nor about our bodies, or what we put on...Instead of worrying, we are to seek firth the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to us. We are not to be anxious about our futures because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. (Matthew 6:25, 33-34) As we learn to trust in the Lord, befriend faithfulness, and delight ourselves in the Lord through all of life’s circumstances, He will grant us the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:3-4) For God knows the plans He has for us. They are plans for wholeness and not for evil, one's that give us a hope and a future. We are to call upon the Lord and seek Him with our whole heart! (Jeremiah 29:11-13) (emphasis added)

Proverbs 3:5-6- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 16:9- “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Once again, we’re reminded through scripture about the importance of trusting God. The Lord has absolute control over every circumstance you will ever face. You can be content knowing that your loving heavenly Father intends to use each situation for a good purpose

“Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow (your future). The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow, and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations”- Frances de Sales

Maybe there are a few more things that have come to mind since yesterdays post that you haven’t fully surrendered into God’s loving hands. Let me encourage you to pray again today. Prayer isn’t a one time thing! In fact, we are told to "pray without ceasing!" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) God loves to help us and wants to hear all our requests!

For Further Study:
-“Trusting God” by Jerry Bridges
-“God’s Guidance” by Elizabeth Elliot
-“Surrender” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Choosing to Trust God

Psalm 56:3-4- “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

First, I would like to ask, what are some things that are holding you back from trusting God? Please right out a list of everything in your life that you find difficult to place in the sovereign hands of our Father in Heaven (A difficult circumstance you’re walking through, the way you look, who you will marry, a problem at school, your friends, etc.) and at the end of this post, I’ll explain what to do with the list you create.

David in his times of distress chose to trust God. In Psalm 56:3-4, David admitted he was afraid. David was not cocky or arrogant. Despite the fact that he was a warrior of great skill and courage, there were times when he was afraid. But despite David’s fear, he said to God, “I will trust in you…I will not be afraid!” Many times in the Psalms we find the determination to trust God- choosing to trust Him despite all our circumstances. To Trust in the Lord we must learn to set Him before us and then recognize His presence and constant help. This is something we must choose to do! If we are to trust God, we must believe in His truth and say, “I will trust you even though I don’t always feel like it.”

God is always with us! He has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) We must choose whether or not we will believe His promises of constant protection and care. Trusting God is a matter of faith. Only the Holy Spirit can help make His Word come alive in our hearts and create that faith, but we can choose to look to Him to do that, or we can choose to be ruled by our feelings of anxiety, resentment or grief.

“The same David who said in Psalm 56:4, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid” said in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” David recognized it was his responsibility to choose to trust God, but also that he was dependent upon the Lord for the ability to do it. Not only will He never leave you, but He cares for you. He is not just there with you, He cares for you. His care is constant- not occasional or sporadic. His care is sovereign- Nothing can touch you that He does not allow. His care is infinitely wise and good.” –Jerry Bridges

Trusting God is not always easy, but when we do trust Him, it makes life so much easier! It is a battle that we will always fight, but because God is so gracious, He provides us with strength daily to help us walk through our difficulties. Trusting God is a choice that we must make to have a relationship with Him. As we learn to cast all our anxieties on God, trusting Him will become much, much easier!

Now let’s refer back to the list we created in the beginning… Please take a couple minutes to pray for each item that’s on your list. If you don’t know how to pray for these things, pray something like this: “Lord I choose to cast all my anxieties on you, please help me to surrender __________ in Your sovereign hands. I choose to trust you by Your Spirit to enable me to cast all my anxieties on You, not to take it back on myself because I know that You care for me."