A Light Unto My Path

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. (Micah 7:8)

I had a dream that I was driving down a mountain highway in the dead of night. It was pitch black, so black that I had to switch my high-beam lights on in order to see the road ahead. There were no other cars nor buildings along the road to draw any light from. It was just me, in my car, on a sharply curving road in the utter darkness. Then all of a sudden, my lights went out. In a single instant, I went from cruising under the power of my car's headlights, to hitting the curb and then rolling over and over down the steep enbankment on the side of the road. In that moment of the dream, I was gripped with how dark the darkness that enveloped me actually was...and I realized that I was absolutely unable to navigate along the road without the assistance of light. I was completely and utterly dependent upon the light, but unfortunately it wasn't until the light went out that I truly saw that need.

Do I Trust God?

Can we honestly say we trust God?

Trust can be a terrifying thing. It is a deep confidence in or reliance upon something. This confidence or reliance can only be developed through experience with or deep personal knowledge of. A person can never trust someone who has not already proven themselves to be trustworthy. Real trust must be earned, it cannot merely given. Think back over your closest friends, the people who you would share anything with and who have always been there for you....Have those people not proven through their manner of life to be people of integrity, reliability, and faithfulness?

If trust is a cornerstone of any successful relationship, why is it that so many of us, who are followers of Jesus Christ, lack that very trust in our relationship with God? Has God not proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is supremely faithful, totally good, completely reliable, constantly present, and ultimately in control? Why is it so hard to trust the only one who is completely trustworthy? The Bible reveals story after story of real people who are faithless, godless, heartless, dishonorable, and abound in wrongdoing...and then we see God who is faithful, good, loving, gracious, forgiving, patient, and trustworthy. God is the only one who will not fail us, will not abandon us, will protect us, and loves us unconditionally. What greater evidence of his trustworthiness could we ask for then that which has already been given through him sending his only son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the wrath and death that we deserved for our sins so that we might be made alive in him?

God is so worthy of our trust. So why aren't we resting wholeheartedly in him? God desires a deep, intimate relationship with each one of us. This relationship is rooted in his son Jesus Christ and what he did for us. If we are to experience the relationship that God desires for us and to live the life that God created us for, we must trust God wholeheartedly. Why is this trust so integral? The life that followers of Christ are called to is one of radical, total dependance upon God. We are asked to give up our desires, hopes, and dreams in order to pursue something greater, the God of the universe, his desires, and his will for our lives. Who would be willing to give up all that they have and all that they are in order to follow God, if he had not already proven he were worth the cost?

Every true follower of Jesus Christ has trusted God with their eternal salvation by placing their faith in Jesus Christ and kneeling before him. If then we have trusted him with something so great as our very salvation, why can't we trust him with today or tomorrow or the next day? Why can't we lay our worried, weary, troubled hearts upon him and experience the rest, peace, joy that comes from standing in the arms of our creator? God is good, loving, all knowing, and all powerful, who better to entrust our lives to than him?

Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 44:8 "Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Philippians 4:5-7 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Mighty is Our God in Redemption Pt 2

Firstly, I want to say how happy I am to be back writing from a long break, and hope that God will use each and every word that I write this semester for His ultimate glory and fame.

Last article, I wrote about God's might as it is displayed through each and every aspect of this universe from the mightiest mountain down to the very molecules and atoms that our bodies consist of. Perhaps not as obvious as His mighty works in creation, our redemption as told in the gospel story displays His magnificence and might on cosmic levels that should bring each of us to our knees in awe and worship. Redemption, at its essence, means "repurchase or restoration." Keep this firmly in mind as we explore the incredible truths the redemption of mankind reveals about our mighty God.