In preparing for this Sunday’s worship, the Lord opened my eyes to
the Scripture in reading Genesis 18:16-19:29.
Trust God, and don’t look back.
Trust God, and hold fast to Him, and not the world. Oh, how often I look back.
My journey of learning to trust God has slowly been developing
over the last 11 years. The majority of
this journey conquered in small steps, and others in jumps across canyons.
In 2011, God used cancer to bring me into a closer relationship
with Him. I had no choice but to let go,
and completely trust God with what was to come.
So, is God enough?
I ran across my journal recently that I started the day after I
was diagnosed. I remember sitting in my
bed, tears running down my face, reading God’s love letter to me (the Bible),
and focused on writing out Scripture that He so graciously and affectionately illuminated
on the pages as I read. The passages I
share with you in this post are from my journal in April of 2011.
Psalm 112:7-8
7 He is not afraid of bad news;his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
Not afraid of bad news?? Of
course I was afraid! I was
terrified! But God is so faithful. He was using cancer to open my eyes in a new
way to discover what “God is enough” really meant. He was teaching me to trust Him with my
fears, with my future, with my family, with my life. Though I was terrified, His Holy
Spirit-breathed words are forever engraved in my soul:
Isaiah 41:10
10 fear not, for I am with you;be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Fact is, we live in imperfect vessel on this Earth that is disposed
to sin. This body will not ever be free from defect until we have a our new bodies
that equals the new spirit God put inside me 11 years ago! How exciting!!! So, is God really enough in our life?
Psalm
73 is one of my favorites – a beautiful love letter to us through David’s
worship leader Asaph on trusting God, and allowing Him to be ENOUGH in our life
walking side by side with Him. Asaph was a Levite
appointed by King David to lead worship in the tabernacle and later the temple.
Meditating on this Psalm, we can all relate to the inspired words written. Asaph was in a place many of us find ourselves
in – discontentment with our perception of injustice with the arrogant, the
wicked, and the perception that that have no struggles – the healthy and
wealthy.
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? I know I have…
Why does it seem that Christian’s lives seem so much harder,
and filled with tribulation – yet, the life of the wicked seem so easy?
Why does it seem that the children of God suffer, while
the wicked seem to get the easy road?
The truth of God’s love is revealed in Asaph later starting
in verse 23. I confess this is how my normal
thought process begins. “It’s not
fair! Why is this happening to me?”
Asaph got it as he chose to draw near to God and experience the presence and
promises He has for all of us, not only in our difficult times, but in our
daily life!
The answer to his grumblings was one word: WORSHIP
1 Surely God is good to
Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the
arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from
common human burdens;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their
necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous
hearts comes iniquity[b];
their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak
with malice;
with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim
to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the
earth.
10 Therefore their people
turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would
God know?
Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always free of care, they go on amassing
wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have
been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to
understand all this,
it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the
sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they
destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream
when one awakes;
when you arise, Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and
ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with
you;
you hold me by my right
hand.
24 You guide me with your
counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven
but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart
may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is
good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Does this hit home?
Are you ever conflicted in your heart about accepting the plan God has
for your life? Are you struggling with
something that you feel is unfair?
I encourage you to turn your focus off of yourself and on
to the God Who IS ENOUGH. His promises
are TRUE, for he IS TRUTH! He will never
leave your or forsake you! Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you! Life
isn’t fair, but GOD IS! Jesus clearly
tells us:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I now see it as an honor to experience this struggles…. For I am certain that God is using it to draw me closer to Him and learn how to trust Him to be ENOUGH! We can sing the sweet words of worship “We will overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony! Everyone will overcome!”
How is it possible to feel “forsaken” when we are always
with Him, in His presence? We can sing
about His sweet presence in this beautiful song on Sunday “Here in Your
presence, we are undone, Here in Your presence Heaven and earth become one,
Here in Your presence, all things are new, Here in Your presence everything
bows before you.”
I pray that God will continue to grow you and I to fully reach the
spiritual place Asaph was when he wrote verse 25 of this Psalm…
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.
Fear not, dear brothers and sisters! God is ENOUGH! Don’t look back, just keep looking up!
Psalm 23:4
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[a]I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
Psalm 27:1
27 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?
Psalm 91:4-5
4 He will cover you with his pinions,and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
Proverbs
29:25
25 The fear of man lays a snare,but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
