Seeking Jesus: 08/24/12

Friday, August 24, 2012

August 25, 2012 ~ Are you Afraid?

"I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling."

1 Corinthians 2:3

Thoughts ~

It seems that every time I opened email devotionals this week the authors talked about trusting God. My own blog posts have also been centered on this subject too. Probably because so many people that contact me are in need and want to trust God as they experience fear and hurt in the struggles of life.

Struggles are part of life for everyone, rich or poor and from every country around the world. Our struggles may differ, but they are certainly making our existence more difficult no matter where we live. Can you imagine not having God to talk to, to lean upon? It’s all about trusting God to hear us and then trusting He will act on our behalf. Even the spiritual giant we know as Paul struggled back in the days when he came to know Jesus.

Tonight I want to share a devotional called Grace Mail that I received today. It’s from Mark Martin, the Pastor from Calvary Church in Phoenix Arizona.

"I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling." 1 Corinthians 2:3, NASB

Do you ever feel scared to do what God wants you to do? Did you know that the Apostle Paul felt the same way?

Paul is sharing his heart! He tells us that when he came to Corinth:

He was WEAK.
He was FEARFUL.
He was even TREMBLING.

I'm sure you can relate to some of the troubles he had to overcome:

He came to a strange city.
He didn't know anyone.
He didn't have a job waiting for him.
He had to live with strangers initially.
He shared his faith and was violently persecuted.
People lied about him and threatened his life.

For a lot of us, even one of these problems would be reason enough for not serving the Lord, "I'm too weak," "I'm afraid," "I'm a bundle of nerves."

But nothing like that stopped Paul! He went on serving the Lord, understanding that these things were all reminders that he couldn't place any confidence in himself. He moved on, doing what he could for the Lord because his only confidence was in the Lord.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE LOW ON CONFIDENCE:

Note the word "confidence" contains the key, it's the word "confide." When your faith or reliance is slipping, confide in the Lord. You can tell Him and He will help you.

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." Psalm 50:15,

"I will call to you whenever I'm in trouble, and you will answer me." Psalm 86:7

"When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them." Psalm 91:15”

Action~

Confide in the Lord as Mark wrote above. Remember this trick when you are low on confidence: confide!

Also, read this portion of the scripture in context:

And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. ²For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, ⁴and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5

I especially love verse 5. “. . .so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

Pray~

Thank You, Lord, that our confidence can be in You alone. May I always confide in You when I feel fear, anxiety or start to worry. Thank You for Your POWER!

Trusting in Him,

Becky

August 24, 2012 ~ Daily T.A.P. ~ God's Graciousness

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32

Thoughts~

When I come to the Lord with a need, the enemy wants me to believe God is too busy with bigger things than to care for my simple need. I’m not talking about some extravagant “want” like a new car. But to come before the Lord and ask for a job to meet my needs, is something I know He wants me to do. He is indeed a gracious giver.

The truth is, since God gave us His Son, the biggest sacrifice ever, why would we ever doubt He can’t care for us in the smaller details of our lives? He loves us deeply and longs to have us come before Him.

I love this verse:

“The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.”

Psalm 34:10.

The vital key is “they who seek the Lord.” I seek Him with my whole heart and currently need some part time work painting or whatever else I am qualified to do. I know without a doubt that God will take care of my needs and will provide a way for me to add some income so I can take care of some things.

I love waiting and watching to see How God will provide for me but, in the meantime, I go about my life serving Him, studying for my degree and enjoying life. I am willing, and so is the Lord.

Action~

Come to the Lord with all of your needs. Understand that God has a lot of people that are in need and He will work things out according to His will for us. Be patient in waiting, trust Him to care for your needs.

A favorite example of waiting for His timing is when a man begins praying for the right employee to come to his business. He wants someone he can trust, who is a hard worker and personable with the customers.

A week or two goes by and there is no answer to his prayer. But he trusts the Lord to answer his prayer in the right time.

Then, another man who is honest and great with customers, is let go from his current job due to the company closing down. He prays and asks God to send him to the right place to interview for a new job. God works it out where the two men meet and two prayers are answered. All in His perfect timing.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you." Psalm 37:3-5