Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."


If we truly trust in God, then we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing.  Our minds are too finite to understand or make sense of what God's doing; to try and understand it is setting ourselves up for spiritual trouble.


We often don't understand how God is 'causing all things to work together for good' (Romans 8:28).  But, when we trust Him with all of our heart, then we know that He is working for our good. He will never fail us.


Trust Him today.  What's your alternative?

Psalm 27:1 - "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”


We are never nearer to God than when we are troubled.  He wants us to turn to Him.  He wants us to have the faith to say "my God can handle this."  


In times of comfort we forget Him.  In the worst of times, we suddenly remember God.  Although God does always answer us, it may not be the answer we were looking or hoping for.


We are more valuable to God than the whole flock of sparrows.  God loves us.  If he can close the mouths of lions for Daniel, what can't He do for us?


Turn to God, nothing else matters.

Isaiah 64:4 - "From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you,  who acts for those who wait for him." 


God doesn't want us to focus on what we can't do, but what He can do through us.  


For those of us who have kids, we've heard it over and over again.  "I can't."  We always encourage our kids not to use "I can't," but "I can."  God wants the same thing from us.


Quote from Rick Warren: "It's the Holy Spirit's job to produce Christ-like character in you."


This Christ-like character is formed in the choices we make.  We should be trusting that God's spirit in His power will overwhelm us when we choose to do the right thing in situations.  


Say "I can, do all things through Christ that strengthens me!"

Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."


As Christians, we are supposed to be representing Christ to the lost world.  We should be a witness and a worker.  God is our authority, even when it comes to our thoughts.  It is a difficult task, I'll admit, to model our thoughts after God.


Thank God that, despite our sin, His thoughts are for grace and peace. 


Don't do as the world does, but follow God. Seek Him daily.  Listen to Him speak words of wisdom into your day.  


Renew your mind today!

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."


The Bible makes it clear that faith brings results, and we receive this faith from God.  This faith starts in believing from the heart.  It's not head knowledge, or being able to quote scripture, but true faith in God is to believe in what He says, will come to pass.


When you start believing, from the inside, then it will manifest itself on the outside.  If you see me smiling and genuinely loving others through a trial of my own, you'll know that I'm not crazy or weird, but I'm believing that my God is in control and that He will be with me through this trial.  Why?  Because I have faith, in things I cannot see.


Faith comes when you hear God's Word, accept the Word for yourself, and believe it in your own heart.


Got Faith?

James 4:6 - "But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 


Godly humility is being comfortable with who you are in the Lord.  This means putting others first.


Being humble also means that we don't rely on ourselves, but God to help us, in all things.  Thanking God for our talents and strengths and recognizing that without God we would be nothing.


Look for someone to build up today.  Pray that God places someone in your path so that you can use the gifts and talents that God gave you to bless that person today.  


Stay humble!

2 Corinthians 5:8 - "We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."


The simple truth of the matter is that we're all being prepared for eternity.  The question is, where will your eternity be.


God is concerned about our character, and our motives.  The trials that we go through are no mistake, or any of it by chance.


God is looking at our eternal life, but we live in a world that wants everything now.  We need to see things as God sees them.  Things here on earth are only temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal.


Only when we set our minds and hearts on things above, can God truly use us to the fullest extent for His glory.


Think Eternal, instead of the uncomfortable position you're in right now.

We can trust God's plans for us, if we remember God's character.  


1 John 4:8 - "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."


God is also a God of justice.  He will always make anything that is wrong right.  I can testify to this in my own life.  Generally, when someone does something wrong to me, I know that my God will make it right.  However long it takes, and through whatever means He arranges it, it will always come back around to something good.


These are just some of the attributes of God's character:


Eternality
Goodness
Grace 
Holiness
Justice
Love
Mercy
Omnipotence
Omnipresence
Righteousness
Sovereignty


With these qualities, God's character speaks for itself.  Trust God with your life.  He's the beginning and the end!