Trust

Trust. A very short word yet at times a very hard concept to grasp. As Christians we are always supposed to put our trust in the Lord but that is much easier said than done. When bad things happen to us we either turn to God and trust more in the grand plan He has for us or we try to handle things on our own, venturing away from The Lord and trusting in worldly things. Either way, we tend to ask God a lot of questions. 1. Is He really listening to us and hearing our prayers? 2. Does He actually care? 3. Is He good? In Habakuk 2 we learn that the righteous live by faith. The Lord tells us to listen and share the Word, and when we believe that the Word is true and trust His timing, then we will live out that faith in real life. It is by faith that the righteous live. 

Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do. The enemy will deceive you when you are at your breaking point: the most sick, the most depressed, the most heartbroken. However, it is so encouraging to know that God can redeem and transform any situation you may face. By trusting in Him and having faith in the plan He has for my sister’s life, I have been able to live without a cloud of doubt surrounding me. I know that He will protect her and continue to heal her. He will equip and prepare her for something wonderful. 

Every time we run away from our problems, God is pleading for us to return. And going back to Him isn’t always easy. It is not the shortcut out of a difficult situation. God is continually sending us aid and wanting to help us. He always has something better planned for us. (Don’t forget He sees and knows everything!!) When you open your eyes to God, you will move from a person who is seen by God to a person who sees God. 

I’m so encouraged by a woman in my life who has been battling breast cancer. Just the other day she found out she is done with chemotherapy! Over the past several months I have watched her keep her eyes on Jesus and live out a faithful life. I’ve seen her family turn what could have been a pitiful situation into one that glorified the Lord. I’m so blessed by the friendship I’ve only recently begun with the McIntyre family. It’s hard to believe I’ve only known these sweet people for a year but I greatly value the friendship I have with all of them. To God we give all the glory upon hearing this wonderful news! So proud of you Coco-- way to fight!! 

Proverbs 3:5-6  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

Isaiah 26:4 “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

When all you want to do is give up, don’t. Trust in the Lord and live out your faith for the watching world to see. 

Friendship

Friendship is such an amazing thing. Too many times I forget to thank God for the friends I have in my life. Some of them I’ve known since I was 3 years old at Hutchison and others I’ve just met while at Ole Miss. I have been able to grow with these people during some of the hardest times in my life and in theirs. It’s no surprise that God places certain friends in our lives for a particular reason and purpose. With your friends you are supposed to love one another unconditionally and over the course of the past year I have felt that love more than ever.

Having a community of friends that support you and encourage you in your walk with Christ is so important. In the Bible we are told that in order to grow, we are to surround ourselves with other believers. 

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” 

In order to grow in Jesus, we also need our friends to criticize us and call us out. And most importantly love each other. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

In Acts 2:42-47 we see what a true community is supposed to look like. We must be devoted to each other, devoted to the word and prayer, and devoted to the good of all. Sharing life together is the underlying message of that entire passage. 

From the beginning, we were made to live in a community of believers; and now you have to make the decision: live together or die alone.