IS GOD POWERFUL ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ALL YOU NEED ?

MARCH 27, 2019

HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF IN A STRUGGLE OR PLACE THAT SEEMED SO BIG AND DIFFICULT THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE NO WAY TO OVERCOME IT OR SOLVE THE DILEMMA ? OR MAYBE, IT WAS A SMALL THING THAT YOU THOUGHT WAS EASILY SOLVED, UNTIL IT WASN’T…..SOLVED OR EASY. SOMETIMES THESE CHALLENGES COME AS PHYSICAL AILMENTS, OR RELATIONSHIP DIFFICULTIES, OR EMOTIONAL ISSUES, OR MAYBE JUST DAY TO DAY WORK ISSUES, FINANCIAL STRUGGLES, OR DECISIONS THAT PERPLEX US. ALL OF US GO THROUGH THEM, AND I KNOW THAT FOR ME, OFTEN MY FIRST THOUGHT IS “HOW AM I GOING TO SOLVE THIS” ? FOR MOST OF US, THIS SHOWS UP A LOT WHEN WE HAVE THINGS WE WANT TO CHANGE IN OUR LIFE. HABITS, ADDICTIONS, BEHAVIORS THAT WE JUST REALLY WISH WE DIDN’T HAVE. WHY IS IT THAT SO OFTEN WE SEEK GOD AS A LAST RESORT ? IS IT STUBBORNNESS, LACK OF TRUST, GUILT AND UNWORTHINESS, OR SIMPLY US BELIEVING WE CAN DO THINGS THE BEST WAY BY OURSELVES. OR IS THE REAL REASON ROOTED IN UNBELIEF ?

SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF US AT TIMES IS THIS NAGGING QUESTION. CAN GOD REALLY HELP ME WITH THIS ? IS IT TOO SMALL AND TRIVIAL TO BOTHER GOD WITH ? WHAT IF GOD DOESN’T HEAR ME OR HELP ME FOR SOME REASON…..YIKES ! THE TRUE QUESTION COMES DOWN TO FAITH….AND BELIEF VS. UNBELIEF.

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT YOU WILL EAT OR DRINK, NOR ABOUT YOUR BODY , WHAT YOU WILL PUT ON. LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR: THEY NEITHER SOW, NOR REAP, NOR GATHER INTO BARNS, AND YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM.ARE YOU NOT OF MORE VALUE THAN THEY ? ….IF GOD CLOTHES THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, WHICH TODAY IS ALIVE AND TOMORROW IS THROWN INTO THE OVEN, WILL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU, O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH ? Matthew 6:25-26, 30

THE BASIC PROBLEM WITH OUR UNBELIEF IS TWO FOLD. IT BECOMES OUR BIGGEST SIN, DIRECTLY TAKING US AWAY FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL GOD’S COMMANDMENTS….OUR LOVE FOR HIM. SECONDLY IT BECOMES OUR DEEPEST BATTLE. DO WE TRULY TRUST IN HIM, OR DO WE GO IT ALONE ON OUR TERMS. THINKING THAT AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER, WE REALLY KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR US, AND OUR EFFORTS WILL SURELY BE MORE FOCUSED AND HAVE A BETTER CHANCE FOR SUCCESS. AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALIZE THAT UNBELIEF AND LACK OF FAITH DO NOT MEAN THAT YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD….IT MEANS YOU HAVE TIMES WHEN YOU BELIEVE, BUT YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO TRUST HIM IN EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE. SO HOW DO WE MOVE PAST THIS STRUGGLE AND SINFUL NATURE?

I THINK WE BEGIN AS A FIRST STEP TO GO TO THE HEART OF OUR HEART AND ASK A SIMPLE QUESTION. “ DO I DESIRE FOR GOD TO BE THE LORD OF MY LIFE ? DO I TRUST HIM ENOUGH AND BELIEVE HE IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO GIVE HIM EVERYTHING I AM” ? THIS IS A MAJOR TURNING POINT, AND IT IS NOT EASY, AND THERE ARE TIMES IT WILL RESURFACE AND CHALLENGE US. MY SECOND STEP WAS TO LAY OUT AN INVENTORY OF MY LIFE. I SET UP A GRAPH OF SQUARES, AND PUT IN WRITING ALL THE PLACES AND THINGS I COULD THINK OF THAT SEEMED LIKE A CHOICE OF CONTROL BETWEEN ME, AND GOD. FINANCES, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, GOSSIP, LUST, FRIENDSHIPS, PRIDE, JUDGEMENT……IT CAN BE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU FEEL IS IMPORTANT. SOME THINGS I FELT THAT I HAD GIVEN TO GOD. THEY HAD A SOLID “G” WRITTEN ON THEM. SOME OTHERS HAD A “?” ON THEM…..JUST NOT SURE. THEY MIGHT NEED SOME WORK. OTHERS HAD AN “S” ON THEM. SELF IN CHARGE. THESE ARE THE TOUGHEST ONE’S THAT TRULY SHOW WHERE I NEED SOME WORK, PRAYER, AND SURRENDER.

THE COOL THING IS THAT I AM FINDING SOME OF THESE SQUARES GOING INTO THE “G” CATEGORY. MORE AND MORE. I AM GIVING UP CONTROL TO GOD, AND IT FEELS GREAT ! I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN CONVERSATION WITH GOD, DEEP CONVERSATION. I TRY MORE AND MORE TO BE SPECIFIC AND TRULY WANT HIS WILL, NOT MY OWN. WHAT I AM FINDING IS THAT THE MORE I TRUST IN HIM AND SURRENDER MY STRUGGLES TO HIM TO SOLVE, THE MORE DEEPLY I BELIEVE IN HIM AND HIS LOVE FOR ME…..SO, IS GOD POWERFUL ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ALL YOU NEED ? THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING “YES” ! YOU JUST HAVE TO BE WITH HIM AND ASK THE QUESTION….”HELP ME TO BELIEVE AND TRUST IN YOU LORD, AND HELP BE TO GIVE ALL OF ME TO YOU”. TRUST ME….IF IT IS FROM YOUR HEART, HE WILL ANSWER.

THE LORD IS MY STRENGTHENED MY SHIELD. IN HIM MY HEART TRUSTS, AND I AM HELPED; MY HEART EXULTS AND WITH MY SONG I GIVE THANKS TO HIM. Psalm 28:7

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND FOREVER. Hebrews 13:8

HIS LOVE IS UNENDING AND IT IS FOR ALL OF US. BE BLESSED. JA