 Are you struggling to trust God? Are you wavering between faith and doubt? When relationships go south or life spirals downward—where do you put your faith? Here's help from God's word to lift your heart and renew your trust in what's possible in Him... When life gets hard —when it seems almost more than what you can bear—where do you put your faith? In an age that offers solutions for every situation or problem imaginable—money problems, wrinkles, body aches and pains—it’s almost easier to expand our credit line than to trust the Lord. And if we’re honest, when it comes to relationships, our phones become a barrier we can hide behind when strife slips in. It’s easy to resort to texting instead of calling—or worse yet, simply blocking the number of someone it’s too painful to talk to. Think of it: when a problem arises, what is your first response? Block a number or pray? Google a solution—or seek the ultimate Problem Solver, the One who has promised to care for all your needs? In a world of quick and easy, the tendency is to Google first. Pray later. If your air conditioner breaks down, you may need a repairman, but if our lives are truly in God’s hands, a prayer first can make the repair more sure. You may need to seek out a doctor for a medical condition, but a prayer first can offer guidance and maybe even the miraculous healing you were hoping for! And it may be tempting to ignore a text or block a number, but have you considered the possibilities of a divine intervention, a holy mediation? The Israelites Forgot the Miracles! The Israelites had a great memory lapse after God powerfully rescued them from Egypt. They saw the ten plagues poured out on the Egyptians. They walked out of Egypt with the plunder of their enemies. They stood on the shores of the impossible Red Sea and God made a way. They saw the sea split before their very eyes! And yet, the Bible tells us that when their food supplies were depleted, they quickly forgot the amazing things God had done for them. They grumbled and complained, threatening to return to the land of their captivity. “The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle... they forgot what he had done—the great wonders he had shown them.” (Psalm 78:9, 11 NLT) When they grew hungry in the desert, the Bible tells us that the Israelites tested God in their hearts. They spoke against Him, saying, “God can’t give us food in the desert...” The Bible gives us a reason for their grumbling: “...they did not believe God or trust him to care for them.” (Psalm 78:19, 22) Trust and Believe Faced with a challenging situation, the Israelites didn’t believe that God could help them. They didn’t trust that God cared. Why do we waver in our faith? Why do we lack trust in the One who split the Red Sea, who brought water from the rock? Or, more closely to home, provided you with a job or a family or strength and health? You may be facing challenges today. Perhaps you’re fighting cancer or wrestling with a problem teen or a wayward spouse. God is Still the Same The solution for our problems has not changed from the days of the Red Sea crossing. God has not changed. He is the same, “yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The same God who split the sea is the same God who cares for you and me. Unfortunately, in a digital world where we are bombarded by messages, ads, texts, and emails—we can easily forget the things of God. We can quickly lose sight of who God is and His promises to care for us. Just like the Israelites, we forget what God has done. We forget that we can trust Him. Instead of praying, we turn to the world’s answers for our problems. Renew Your Mind “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) Have you forgotten the goodness of the Lord? Has life become such a long hard journey that God’s promise of provision is a memory long-forgotten? Renewing your mind is the secret to having a solid faith in God. It’s the secret to trusting Him in hard times, rather than relying on the world’s ways. God’s word will literally transform your thinking, opening your heart up to God-possibilities in your life. Spend Time in God’s Word Renewing your mind begins with spending time in God’s word. You may not be able to control the “plus one” in your life or dictate your teen’s actions, but reading the word of God is a choice you can make, a decision to remind yourself of God’s character and His care for you, your situations and every relationship. Instead of scrolling your Instagram feed, open a Bible app. Fill your mind with God’s truth, His screenshots of miraculous intervention and divine provision. Sometimes loving is hard. Here's a devotional plan on the Bible app to help (in English and Spanish!) Instead of rushing out the door to work, take a moment to read even just a verse or a psalm to guide you through the day. Or close the evening with a Bible verse that will resonate in your spirit all through the night.
Renew your mind with Bible stories of Daniel in the lion’s den, the widow whose flour bin never ran empty, or Lazarus coming forth from the grave. Remember the stories of the prodigal son returning home or the precious anointing God pours out on those who choose to walk in unity. (Psalm 133:1-2) When relationships go south—when all of life seems to be spiraling downward —remember the goodness of God. Don’t allow yourself to forget! As you make choices to spend time in God’s word, your mind will be transformed. Your first response to life will change as your faith in God grows. Trusting God will become your mode of operation, your first reaction to a hard situation. Instead of googling the answer to your problem, you’ll find yourself breathing a prayer first. Renew your mind to God’s truth. Remember the goodness of the Lord. You can trust God! “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT) (A version of this article first appeared on FamilyChristian.com) Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash
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Laura WoodworthWhat’s your dream? I pray you will be inspired and encouraged to pursue all God has for you. Now, more than ever, we need people of faith to go, do and become the light for the world. Categories
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