Tag Archives: trust

Running around? Or trusting in God? (Acts 27)

Posted on July 31, 2019 by

The contrast between Paul and the sailors couldn’t be more drastic in this story. The sailors were panicking, running all around trying everything possible to save themselves. The result? Despair. Paul, on the other hand, heard God’s words of encouragement … Continue reading →

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Ramping up our faith (John 11)

Posted on May 7, 2019 by

Martha’s faith was pretty remarkable when you think about it. Even though Jesus had delayed in coming when her brother was sick, and as a result her brother died, her faith in Jesus never wavered. So many people in her … Continue reading →

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Trust (Psalm 131)

Posted on June 23, 2018 by

As those of you who follow this blog know, this has not been an easy week for me. And when we come face to face with the storms and trials of life, it’s easy to ask, “Why.” The truth is, … Continue reading →

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James 1:1-8 — That we may be mature and complete

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

What is God’s intention and desire for us? In a word, “wholeness.” That we would be whole in our relationship with him. That we would be whole in our relationships with each other. That we would be whole in every … Continue reading →

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Hebrews 13:5-6 — What we love, what we put our trust in

Posted on January 20, 2016 by

I’ve gotta admit, having money makes life easier. It makes it easier to deal with serious health problems, as we can afford more expensive types of treatments. It allows us to have better cars or homes when our old ones … Continue reading →

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II Corinthians 1:18-22 — Why we can have confidence in God

Posted on June 22, 2015 by

Sometimes, in the midst of trials, it can be easy to lose confidence in God.  One wonders if Paul ever came close to doing so, when he and his companions “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, … Continue reading →

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Romans 6 — True freedom

Posted on February 16, 2015 by

Why do so many people flee from following God?  I suppose it comes from a desire to be free.  What does freedom mean to most people?  It means being able to live however they want to.  But if they follow … Continue reading →

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Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46 — When my will is not God’s will

Posted on October 15, 2014 by

There are times in our lives when we go through trials and suffering.  It may be an illness.  It may be family troubles because of our Christian faith.  It may be problems in our ministry.  And so we pray for … Continue reading →

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John 14:15-31 — If we truly love Jesus

Posted on September 29, 2014 by

This is one of those passages that would probably make many people turn their heads if they really thought about it. Jesus says to start off, If you love me, you will obey what I command.  (15) Think about that a … Continue reading →

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John 11:1-45 — That we might believe

Posted on July 19, 2014 by

This is one of the most famous miracles Jesus performed, and I’ve spoken on it at church more than once.  But as I read it through this time, these words strike me: So that you may believe.   (15) We … Continue reading →

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Luke 16:10-12 — Being faithful

Posted on July 10, 2014 by

While Jesus praised the dishonest manager in his story for at least planning for his future, he also criticized him, saying, Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little … Continue reading →

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Matthew 6:25-33; Luke 12:22-34 — Worry

Posted on March 9, 2014 by

This is one of those passages that I know in my head, but I don’t know if it has truly sunk into my heart.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it hasn’t. I know because I still worry about stuff, most … Continue reading →

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John 5:1-15 — Desiring wholeness

Posted on January 30, 2014 by

Sometimes I wonder if people really desire wholeness in their lives.  They often complain about their marriage or relationships, they complain about their jobs or their health, but they never seem to do anything about it.  They almost seem to … Continue reading →

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John 3:19-21 — Stepping out into the light

Posted on January 11, 2014 by

I mentioned in my last blog that we are not in danger of being condemned if we reject Christ.  We are already condemned.  Judgment has already been passed. And in this passage, we see the verdict that was passed against … Continue reading →

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Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 4 — Following the Father

Posted on January 1, 2014 by

Happy New Year all! I suppose there’s no better way to start the year then remembering who we are to follow heading into the New Year.  It’s the person whom Jesus followed while he walked this earth, and you see … Continue reading →

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Psalm 147 — When we put our trust in him

Posted on October 11, 2013 by

In Psalm 146, we see a God who is worthy of our trust.  In this psalm, we see the results of trusting in him. As I mentioned in the blog on Psalm 146, for years, the Israelites had rebelled against … Continue reading →

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Psalm 146 — The God who is trustworthy

Posted on October 10, 2013 by

So many times in this life, people let us down.  We look to them to help us and support us, but they leave us hung out to dry. And so the psalmist here writes, Do not put your trust in … Continue reading →

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Psalm 143 — Where we turn

Posted on October 7, 2013 by

Where do we turn when things are against us?  When people are against us?  It’s a question that David had to ask himself numerous times. He could have, as so many people do, turned to himself.  To his wisdom, to … Continue reading →

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Psalm 131 — Humility

Posted on September 25, 2013 by

Another short but sweet psalm, in which David shows us the kind of heart we need when approaching God, which is appropriate considering that people sang this on their way to worship God in the temple. What kind of heart … Continue reading →

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Psalm 95 — The one worthy of our praise and trust

Posted on August 18, 2013 by

This psalm is very interesting to me in that it starts out with great praise and rejoicing, and concludes with a solemn warning. You can easily hear the joy in the psalmist’s voice as he sings, Come, let us sing … Continue reading →

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Psalm 86 — Guarding our hearts in times of trouble

Posted on August 9, 2013 by

Solomon once wrote “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  (Proverbs 4:23) This is always true, of course, but especially in times of trouble.  And Solomon’s father David certainly had his share of it. … Continue reading →

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Psalm 62 — Where we place our trust

Posted on July 18, 2013 by

This has always been another of my favorite psalms and songs.  In a time of great trouble (when was David ever NOT in trouble), he sang, My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone … Continue reading →

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Psalm 31 — Placing ourselves in God’s hands

Posted on June 26, 2013 by

When David wrote this psalm is a matter of speculation, as are most of his psalms.  At a guess, it was written during his flight from Saul, and based on verse 21, perhaps after his flight from Keilah.  (I Samuel … Continue reading →

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Psalm 25 – Crying out for God

Posted on June 20, 2013 by

I often wish that we had a little more insight as to the background of the songs that David wrote.  Some of the psalms have the background written in the title.  This one, unfortunately, does not. But what strikes me … Continue reading →

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Psalm 11 — Refusing to give in to fear

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

This passage reminds me somewhat of what happened to Nehemiah.  In an attempt to get the Jews to stop their work on the walls, their enemies bribed a priest to make Nehemiah think his life was in danger and to … Continue reading →

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Jeremiah 39:11-18; 40:1-6 — Because you trust in me

Posted on February 18, 2013 by

One of the nice things of trying to do things chronologically in this blog is that it gives me a better perspective of Biblical events and where everyone fits in history.  It also causes me to speculate a bit more … Continue reading →

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Jeremiah 32 — For our good

Posted on February 15, 2013 by

In this passage, Jerusalem is still under siege, and for that matter, Jeremiah is still in prison.  Still, God told him, “When your cousin comes here to tell you about an opportunity to buy land from him, buy it.” Under … Continue reading →

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Jeremiah 21 — No genie

Posted on February 9, 2013 by

We now shift scenes from Babylon, where Ezekiel was, back to Jerusalem, where Nebuchadnezzar had started his siege against Jerusalem. When he came, Zedekiah panicked, and immediately sent messengers to Jeremiah, asking him to pray for them.  This, after years … Continue reading →

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Habakkuk — Trusting God in the midst of an evil world

Posted on January 6, 2013 by

We hit yet another minor prophet here.  Habakkuk probably prophesied during the time of Jeremiah, and this book was probably written sometime during the reign of king Jehoiakim the son of Josiah.  Jehoiakim came to power (so to speak) when … Continue reading →

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Jeremiah 17:19-27 — Honor, trust, and obedience

Posted on December 28, 2012 by

I suppose it would be easy to just skip over this section in which God tells the Israelites to keep the Sabbath.  Easy because Paul wrote to the Christians at Colosse not to let people judge them concerning the Sabbath.  … Continue reading →

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Jeremiah 17:1-8 — Remaining fruitful in difficult times

Posted on December 26, 2012 by

Let’s be honest.  Life can be difficult.  Sometimes, it’s through no fault of our own.  Other times it’s directly related to bad decisions we make. For the Israelites of Jeremiah’s time, they brought the trouble on their own heads by … Continue reading →

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Isaiah 36-37; II Kings 18-19; II Chronicles 32:6-23 — Laying our problems before God

Posted on October 19, 2012 by

Hezekiah had finally turned his heart back to God, but it was still troubling times for the people of Judah, as Assyria was still bent on taking Jerusalem. But with his faith in God restored and perhaps taking heart from … Continue reading →

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Micah 7:1-7 — When there’s no one else we can count on

Posted on October 1, 2012 by

When trust has been broken, it can be hard to restore.  Just ask anyone whose spouse has cheated on them. Sometimes, when trust has been broken, it’s hard to trust anyone.  We start to wonder if there’s anyone in this … Continue reading →

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Isaiah 20, 30:1-5, 31:1-3 — Stubborn

Posted on September 14, 2012 by

When I received my training for teaching children, my instructor taught me that if you really want to get a point across, you should repeat it at least three times.  The first time, they’re usually not really listening, the second … Continue reading →

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