TRUST AND HOPE IN GOD! (PART 1 OF 3)

9th SEPTEMBER 2022

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD – Jeremiah 17:7

When the storms of life blow, it comes with so much terrifying confusion, fear, and sometimes, anger. As we sail on the sea of life, you cannot tell exactly when the storms will happen. Therefore, you must be prepared to handle the boat and paddle it safely. When people are faced with problems in life, it is common knowledge to hear them say; “I am relying on what God will do, or I am looking up to God” There is nothing God is going to do for us, except the things that we already put before Him through supplication and prayers.

You must first make your intention known, by simply asking from the Father through Jesus Christ by faith! However, God answers our prayers according to the level of our faith. Further to that, the level of your faith and the things you hoped for are interrelated.  For instance, if you believed in God to give you a beautiful house, your faith must be strong enough to preserve and keep the house, for God will not give what you cannot keep or preserve. This also means that you must have the capacity to keep what you desire!

 In order to make your prayers heard and fulfilled, you must ask by faith from the Lord. This means also that you must trust in the Lord with all your heart to fulfil your desires! How then do you trust God with all your heart? The foundation for answering this question lies in the fact that, as a new creation in Christ Jesus, you have become one with Christ; You are no longer you, but Christ in you loves and does all good works! Therefore, Christ gives us the power to trust in God! But you must ask right and trust completely! How do we proceed to trust God?

Depend on God and cry to Him

The scripture says in Proverbs 3:5 as follows; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” But sometimes trusting Him completely like that can be challenging. So, each day we must consciously lay aside our own plans and expectations—and surrender to His plans. This is because God is wisdom, and therefore possesses all wisdom! (Romans 11:33) Surrendering to God begins with our lips and our thoughts. We need more than a commitment to depend on Him; we need to cry out to Him to show that dependence on him. The Scripture says, “in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6). When we pray, we admit that His ways are higher than ours. We show that we’re leaving our troubles and burdens and dreams in His capable hands. In fact, the Bible promises that when we reach out to Him in prayer, He hears us: “Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. ” (Psalm 55:17)

Avoid sin

Our life works best when we remember the true source of our blessings—God—and focus on the things that please Him: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” (Proverbs 3:7). To avoid sin, this means we have to live a life of obedience to God. That will give you the strength to flee from the evil desires of youth. That is not easy, for that will mean spending a lot of time crying out to God and leaning on Him. But our Creator promises to honour our commitment to Him when we shun evil; “This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:8) When we pursue Him, we find life—abundant life. Running from evil and pursuing God doesn’t come naturally to most of us. Instead, it means we have to make a serious change. Today’s word tells us that if we make the required changes by avoiding sin and placing total trust in God, He will bless us forever!

PRAYER

Father in the name of Jesus Christ, I thank you for the seed of faith planted in my heart. Even as I trust in you, I decree the seed grows beyond my imagination. AMEN.

FURTHER READING: Psalm 32:10; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 118:8; Hebrews 11:1; Psalm 32:10; Isaiah 26:4; 1 John 5:14; Psalm 62:8