'Tis So Sweet To Trust In JESUS

It’s easy to trust GOD and praise HIM when we are high on the mountain and things are going well, but what about when things seem to fall apart?  Do we get angry at HIM or do we continue to praise and trust HIM?  Today’s lesson is meant to encourage anyone who is going through a painful time in life, to trust The LORD in all things and to keep pressing on because He will always do what is good.  GOD Bless you all.

Handout: Truly Trusting GOD

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in The LORD with all your heart; and don’t lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE shall direct your paths.

Truly trusting GOD, doesn’t mean that we trust HIM for bad things never to happen, truly trusting GOD means that we trust HIM even when they do!  That’s a hard statement, easy to say, but hard for this flesh to do when you are in a hard trial in life. 

The past two years for our family, have been times of testing.  Many of you remember my twin brother had a four wheeler accident and barely escaped death.  For days he was in intensive care on life support and we did not know if he was going to live or die.  The LORD answered our prayers, performed a miracle and my brother lived and walked out of the hospital some weeks after.  Six months later, our mother got very ill and after spending two weeks in the hospital, GOD took her on home to be with HIM. 

Six months after my mom passed away, Timmy, a friend of mine and my husband, and who was my twin brother’s best friend for 30 years, (we have been friends since we were 4 years old.)  Timmy had a four wheeler accident, on the same date exactly one year after my brother’s accident.   Timmy was killed instantly.  It was so odd because Timmy was with my brother when he had his accident and is the one who aided in saving his life, and exactly one year later, on the very day, was killed in the very same way that almost killed my brother.  Life sure is strange, Timmy was such a good man and had two little girls depending on him. We didn’t understand why GOD took him at such a young age, with so much left to do, but still we trusted The LORD.

Six months after Timmy’s accident, we found ourselves once again in the hospital and exactly a year, on the very same date that our mother passed away, we learned that my 25 year old nephew, Jacob, (he my sister’s son), we learned that he had cancer, Leukemia to be exact.  We were shocked and heartbroken.  It came out of the blue, he has always been so healthy and suddenly he got sick and we were expecting that he had a bad flu or something not so bad, and they tell us it is cancer. 

It was so hard to hear and I remember days after I just got so angry, not angry at GOD but just angry at cancer and at the hard things in life.  Then GOD reminded me that we are not placed here to be comfortable and HE never promised us that we would not have hard times.  In fact we were told in the book of Job that man’s days are short and full of trouble.  

So the choice is, do we get angry about the bad stuff and just give up on GOD or do we choose to trust HIM and love HIM and rejoice in the bad times just like we do in the good times.   We chose to trust and praise HIM.  See, GOD will always do the right thing.  It may not be appealing to our flesh, but still it will be what is right and what is best.  See GOD loves us because HE is good and HE doesn’t  plan evil things for us. 

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says The LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

That word “expected”  in the original Hebrew writing is tiqvah, it means hope, expectation.  Things hoped for. 

See we must trust The LORD because HE promises that He will work all things out for our good.  We have to understand that we belong to HIM, our lives are HIS and HE may do as HE pleases and we must trust HIM.  We have seen such wonderful love and unity of so many people during this past month of learning about Jacob’s diagnosis.  Thousands of people have been praying and coming together in support.  We are praising The LORD because a few days ago the doctors said that the leukemia is in remission for now.  Jacob will still have to undergo chemo treatments for a while and it’s hard for him and his wife and family to be away from home.  I ask all of you to pray for him and for the family.  We understand that GOD is able to heal him and we if it’s HIS will to do so, it will happen, but if not, we understand that GOD’S ways are better than ours and we will trust HIM. 

I know many of you reading, have been through and are still going through a very hard time in your lives.  I encourage you today to know that you are loved by GOD and that HE is doing what is best for you.  You can trust HIM…GOD is faithful…always, in all situations. 

It is in the times of trial that our faith grows and we can be pulled closer to HIM.  This life is only a short journey to our final destination.  If we remain faithful here, HE will reward us for eternity. 

I’m trying to learn to raise my hands and heart in praise even when it’s hard, to just praise The LORD for who HE is and not just for what HE does.  Just praise HIM because HE is worthy.  Sometimes I fail, I get frustrated and upset at things that happen, but His wonderful, sweet Holy Spirit reminds me that I am loved and that I should just praise HIM no matter what situation I find myself in. 

My soul does magnify The LORD. His righteousness and HIS mercy endures forever! Praise HIS name, the name that is above all names...the name that is Holy, The Name of honor, The name that is worthy...HE is JESUS! 

Thousands of kings and princes have ruled upon the earth in great splendor, but all of the kings that have ever lived or will ever live combine, cannot even begin to compare to The glory that is JESUS. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that HE alone is LORD! The earth is The LORDS, and one day soon HE will claim it back and HIS kingdom will be forever. 

This man, who left the brilliance of Heaven, humbled Himself and came to earth to die for the sins of humanity so that we could be redeemed, He lived here, He died, and He rose again so that we could have life. 

He cares, He's love and He calls us His friends. He's with a weeping mother at night when her wayward children are out in darkness, He's with the one that is sick and alone in their bed with no one to help them, He reaches down in the lonely back alleys to the drug addict who has been left to die with their addiction, He reaches out to the one behind bars due to sin and in deep destruction...He hears the prayers of the one left alone who has looked in lover after lover to fill the emptiness but has found no one that can. He longs to save, He delights to heal, He is our rescue. 

His ear is keen to the cries of the broken heart and to those who sincerely call upon HIS name! HE IS JESUS! HIS name is above all names, His Kingdom above all kingdoms, His rule above all jurisdiction, He is JESUS! King of kings and LORD of lords, He is life, He is freedom, He is healing, nothing is to hard for HIM! 

He invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace, HE forgives, He mends, He lifts up the head that is so bowed low with sin and pain, HE IS JESUS. 

No other can love like JESUS, no other can save, no other can heal like JESUS, no other can fill like JESUS, the peace we all seek, you can't find it in a bottle, you can't find it in a pill, you can't find it in another's arms...You can find it in CHRIST alone. 

He is the way the truth and the life, no person comes to GOD unless they first come through the saving power of JESUS...Do you know HIM? You can!

I praise HIM for all HE has done and all HE continues to do, and all that HE will do! We who are in Christ JESUS are winners either way! This life is but a journey and one day we will come face to face with this man. Will you be able to run to HIM, or will you hide your face because you turned HIM away one to many times? The choice is yours. 

He will be closer than a brother or sister, more than a father or mother, He will be the best friend you have ever had, and HE will love you unconditionally. There is NONE LIKE HIM...There are no words to describe HIS LOVE, but once you experience this man, nothing else will do. GOD, The FATHER has placed all things into HIS hands...HIS SON WHO IS WORTHY>>>JESUS! ♥ ♥ ♥

When we praise The LORD and trust HIM in all things we can say in our hearts exactly what The Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 concerning a thorn in his flesh.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “Concerning this thing I pleaded with The LORD three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
 
  Having that kind of attitude takes much faith and self discipline for this flesh but we can do it through The Holy Spirit that empowers us.  I encourage all of you going through a painful time of suffering to remember Romans 8.

Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

It may not feel like it, but whatever GOD has allowed in our lives is for our good and HIS glory and we can make it because of JESUS.  My flesh trembles even writing that because there are things that I fear that could happen to me in this life or to my family, but in my heart I know that if GOD allows it, then it’s for the best and I must trust HIM. 

Job wrote in  Job 13:15 “Though HE slay me, yet will I trust in HIM.”

If you have JESUS CHRIST, there is nothing that you can’t get through and HE is with you every step of the way.  Keep the faith and press toward the mark for the high calling.  One day we will reach the promised land, and we will hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant and we can fall at HIS feet and declare that we made it only because of HIM!  HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED AND TRUSTED!  Praise The LORD!

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of GOD in Christ Jesus.”

Dear Righteous Heavenly Father…

I praise You today for who You are and because You are worthy.  LORD, I’m asking that YOU comfort all Your children today who are going through a painful time of suffering.  You know everyone and You feel the pain.  You understand LORD and I’m asking today that You wrap Your arms around us and pull us closer to YOU.  Help us understand that this life is a journey to You and sometimes it will be hard but help us to trust You and praise You anyway.  We love You and thank You for all things.  In Your name Jesus we pray.  Amen.

Cindygirl
June 3, 2012