All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

Trust. God. Period.

Listen along here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/394463ff/trust-god-period

Trust. God. Period.

No matter what. Is that possible?

It was the end of a powerful conference in Nashville, Tennessee when I first saw him. Oh, I had seen him and his great bow ties on television announcing NBA games alongside Charles and Shaq, but this time I saw him in person. As a matter of fact, I was seated right in front of him. He was a raw and rare combination of courage, fame, humility and faith; his name - Ernie Johnson. His claim to take the stage in front of us: battle scars.

He talked of his adopted son from Romania with Muscular Dystrophy and caring for his every need - even scratching his nose. Then, he described his own very public cancer battle with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and how he came to Christ. It was powerful, but also simple, and I was riveted by his mantra: Trust. God. Period. I wrote it in large letters on the front of my pink Moleskine journal: TRUST. GOD. PERIOD.

How is that possible--to live life trusting God, no matter what? How is it possible to live life, with its ups and downs, heartaches and uncertainties? Could I be straight up here? I do. I really do Trust God...Period! The reason I do is that I know God's heart is good. Period. I do not have to understand his ways and the things that he allows to come my way, [and there have been many] as I am content with knowing how very good is his heart. Always.

I was in the first grade when I memorized Psalm 100 - and I love it. While it is the last verse from David's heart that makes my point about God's goodness, context is always important.

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations. Yes!

One of the greatest threats to our ability to trust God is fear; of course, the acceptable word we use is 'worry'. Somehow, worry can even seem noble and justified, though it is not.

When we worry, it means we have a small trust in God.

I look at what God said over and over in Scripture - that he is with me... I should not be afraid. Friend, if your phone rings tomorrow and bad news is on the other end, it is true: God is with you. If you are in a season of sorrow or loss, if you are in the fight of a lifetime, if your wife has just told you she wants a divorce . . . it is still true: Christian, God is with you!

Three promises from God that we can stand on:

From Deuteronomy chapter 20, verses one through four,

God says to you:

->I will be with you

->I will fight for you

->I will give you the victory

Deuteronomy link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy 20.1-4&...

Did you know that Jesus used the book of Deuteronomy, quoted it, more than any other Old Testament book?

"But, I'm just not feeling this stuff "

It does not matter how you feel...

Faith in God and what he has promised is not based on feelings!

It is based on who he is and what he promises;

our faith must always be based on truth.

The reason Ernie Johnson trusts. God. period. though he has since lost his adopted son is what Paul stated: But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.*

The reason I Trust. God. Period. is that he is good, he is with me, he will fight for me, and because of that, I will be victorious! Yes and Amen.

Lauren Daigle has it right in this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMPNXXnCls

Christine

PastorWoman.net