Trusting God . . .
Abraham did and it involved him uprooting his wife, extended family, servants, and livestock and moving to an unknown land full of strangers and different customs. Abraham wasn’t perfect though–he made mistakes along the way, he tried to help out God and failed. But ultimately, his trust led to the birth of Issac–a promised child from God and the birth of the nation of Israel.
Moses’s mother, Jochebed, did and it involved her placing her baby in a constructed “boat” of sorts and placing him in the river. He was discovered by the pharaoh’s daughter and brought to the palace. Jochebed was then chosen to nurse Moses until he was weaned. Her trust saved Moses’s life.
Moses did. But he also committed the murder of an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave and told God that he wasn’t a good candidate for the job God told him to do. He did step up to the plate with his brother Aaron, faced Pharaoh and after 10 plagues, led the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses’ journey of trust continued and it is amazing and adventurous. There was the parting of the Red Sea, the 10 Commandments, the wandering in the desert for 40 years, the poisonous snakes, and even the loss of not getting to go into the promised land. Moses who was/is perhaps one of the most well known Israelite had a trust journey that had both victories and defeats.
Over 2000 years ago, a young teenager by the name of Mary did and our world has been forever changed. She trusted God’s plan and because of that trust our Savior, Jesus Christ was born. Mary became the mother to the One who would later take on the sins of the world and make a way for us to have a relationship with God. All because she chose to trust in God.
We are all on our own faith/trust journey. None of our paths are perfect, in fact, most are probably filled with a mixture of trust and doubt, faith and fear, obedience, and self-willed behavior. BUT, we are the perfectly imperfect vessels that God can use to show His strength, His power, His Love to the world. We simply need to TRUST HIM!
All of the men and women mentioned above grew in their trust of God in their life through the trials or tasks that were given to them.
Do you know what they all have in common?
They eventually realized that God would provide or equip them as was necessary for their exact circumstance. Abraham realized that God would fulfill His promise of a child through Sarah–in His time. Jochebed hid Moses until it was time to release him into the waters of the crocodile-infested Nile River and God sent the daughter of Pharoah to rescue Him. Moses trusted the Lord to save the Israelites from the army of Pharoah and God did this by parting the Red-Sea. Finally, Mary trusted God with a scandalous reputation, even though she was completely innocent. God provided her with a faithful husband in Joseph who also chose to trust in God through their difficult situation.
I love that we have the Bible available for us to look back on with the stories of those who walked before us. Their stories provide us with hope for our own lives. I’m challenging us all today to Trust in the One who will provide and equip us exactly as we need and give us Hope in the midst of life’s trials.
BOOK UPDATES and ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- If you live in Jesup, GA or surrounding areas, Trusting God When Life Gives You Crap can be purchased at: Marti’s Alteration Studio 402 S. 1st Street and through the Christmas Season at Day’s of Creation Christmas Tree Farm 3997 Waycross Highway. Thank you both for offering to be a vessel to get the book out!
- As of today 165 books have been sold. WOW! Only God! We have 160 left!
- God arranged my first speaking engagement–lined up for January 9th in St. Mary’s, Georgia. Details to come soon.
- There may be another fun opportunity to be on a podcast in the near future–but I can’t give out details yet.
I am simply amazed at God–all the time! He is orchestrating these things and I am thrilled to get to participate. Let’s watch God together as He works out all the details.
