The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:24-25 NIV)
Do you trust God with your life?
In my book, “Our Father: A Personal Journey of Discovery into the Lord’s Prayer,” I talk about many times in my life when I was faced with the issue of fear. The book is largely autobiographical, and chronicles much of my own personal battle with fear. It contains many of the Scriptures the Lord has used to minister to me.
My book was published in November 2013, but the battle continues. I think there will always be situations that cause me to be anxious and fearful. To this day, fear is an issue that I confront on a regular basis. The difference is that since God has revealed Himself to me through His Spirit, His Word and His Presence, I live secure in the knowledge of Him and His love for me. That knowledge has empowered me to face my fears directly – while clothed in the full armor of God, which includes the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14).
Before I lived in the revelation of God’s love for me, I was more susceptible to entertaining Satan’s lies regarding my future and everything else. Satan is the father of lies, and his goal is to make me doubt God, His grace and His goodness.
I’m better at handling stress now than I used to be, but Philippians 4:6-7 shows me where I am weak sometimes. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Bringing my requests to God through prayer is a natural thing for me. But, when I do as God says in the words “with thanksgiving,” it can make the difference between whether I have peace or not. It takes real trust in God to be able to bring our requests to Him, and genuinely thank Him for His answer to those requests even before we see them. But, that is what He says we should do in order to have peace.
Some people respond to God’s guidance with a lot of “yeah, buts” before they make a move. Once I know that He is leading me a certain way, I don’t generally have that problem. However, it must seem to God sometimes that I don’t trust Him to know or remember all the necessary details of the given situation.
I’ve learned that it is impossible for me to be both anxious about a situation and thankful to Him for His answer to the problem, at the same time. Fear (anxiety) and faith (proven by thankfulness to God) cannot operate together and bear the fruit of peace in my life.
Today’s Scripture reminds me that God has created everything. There is nothing He cannot do, and through Him, I can do all things. (Phil. 4:13) God is not at risk of human weakness and frailty like us. He is not changeable like our life’s conditions can be sometimes. He knows everything, He sees everything, and He can be everywhere at the same time.
When we are tempted to doubt God, His ability, or His love, let’s remember James 1:17, which says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
My prayer is, “Father God, I know that you are all-sufficient and you don’t need me, but You love me and You chose me. (Eph. 1:4-5) Please forgive me for the times when I have diminished Your awesomeness and Your greatness in any way. Please help me to trust You more. Please help me see that You are all I need; every day and in every circumstance. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
