When Will We Learn To Trust God?

and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

 In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go. Deuteronomy 1:31-33

Every time my pup comes in from outside he travels across the living room and into the kitchen to look into his dog food bowl. He looks into it to make sure there is food in the bowl, and it always has food. Nevertheless, each time he enters he looks into the bowl to make sure there is food inside.

“Fear leads to more fear, and trust leads to more trust.” – Dean Ornish

It is easy to smile at the silliness of my dog and his worry about food in his bowl. Yet how many times, even after we have seen the Lord turn around impossible situations, do we worry about “food in the bowl”?

Our bowl may be our worry over health issues, a job, a relationship, or something as big as world events. Yet too often it is the little daily worries that add up, chipping away at our trust in an All Powerful God who provides for our daily needs.

Give us each day our daily bread. Luke 11:3

We should never take God for granted, and always be humble and ask Him to meet our needs. And never get into the habit of doubting and questioning the goodness of God and His ability to provide for us. 

Jesus did not tell us to ask God for our daily bread because it is hard to get God to give us anything, but because God is the Provider of every good thing we receive in life. It is God who delivers us from, and brings us through, all of our troubles. Jesus directed us to trust God through “The Lord’s Prayer”.

So what are you worrying about this week? Are you checking “the bowl” of God’s provision for you? Whatever your need or concern, do not be filled with worry and distrust of God. Instead, remind yourself of all He has already given you and the multitude of ways He has blessed you. Consider whether you need to check “your bowl” or simply pray and trust God to meet your needs.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Forgive us our worry and lack of trust. Help us to never forget what you have already done and all that You have already provided for us. Then we can place our needs and concerns into Your capable hands trusting in You. Amen.

Do You Feel Isolated?

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'” Genesis 2:18

   It is not good for any of us to be alone. It is said that when prisoners are left in isolation for too long that strange things start happening to their minds. Isolation is considered one of the worst forms of punishment.

     Sometimes those with chronic and long term illness have had to deal with isolation and loneliness. They are sometimes abandoned by loved ones who cannot deal with the challenges. At times it is simply the fact that no one wants to be reminded that they too are mortal and their health will one day fail that drives them away. Nursing homes are filled with those who feel isolated and abandoned. It takes a special kind of love and compassion to help those who are ill.

   I am blessed that I have support and comfort from loved ones. Yet I know not everyone has such a support system. It can be devastating to live with chronic health issues, but even more so when the afflicted person must do so alone.

    While we are ultimately never alone because our Lord is always with us, God knows we need others to stand beside us, to lift us up when we fall, and to care for and comfort us when we are down. It is not good for anyone to be left alone in their affliction and pain.

   If you are alone in your affliction, my heart goes out to you. I encourage you to seek support, to ask the Lord to bring comforters and helpers your way. The one thing that is worse than living with a chronic illness is to live with it alone. Let others know you are hurting and reach out for help.

   Prayer: Dear Lord, though we are truly never alone when we have You, bring others our way to help us with our burden and to lift us when we fall. Amen.

Does Anger Arise From Your Frustrations?

“Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah” 2 Samuel 6:8

    My thorn in the flesh is continually poking and prodding me, making anger my constant companion. My illness robs me of joy by continually flaring up. It is unwelcome and unwanted. The anger from it is waiting in the wings ready to pounce in every situation.

    Anger is a challenge for some of us, driven and rising because of our illnesses or other frustrations. We would like to be free of it, but like a leech, anger doesn’t want to let go of us.

    Frustrations can keep your emotions raw and irritated, a sort of inflammation of your feelings. Too many times I have looked back on my angry emotions and reactions and realized they were far out of proportion to the situation that triggered the angry response. Even when I know the response was fed by my frustration, it doesn’t help.

    Too often, loved ones and friends are affected most by our emotional responses driven by our frustration. It is challenging to reign in strong emotional responses and avoid words that hurt those who love and support us.

    Yet it does no good to bury our emotions or to pretend we are not upset or angry. I think we must be honest about our emotions. And we must also recognize that the anger we think we are feeling toward loved ones, or are blaming on certain situations, is too often arising because of our ongoing frustrations. It is coming from the constant tension we are under.

    You may be feeling angry and upset today. Perhaps the root cause of your emotional response has more to do with your stress and frustrations than any person or situation. Ask the Lord to help you work through these feelings, and to be honest about why you are truly upset.

    Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to properly deal with our emotions, and not take our anger out on others, but to give our strong emotional responses to You. Amen.