Do You Trust God?

31 Jul Do You Trust God?

I must admit, this has been a rough week! It has been full of multiple work deadlines, momma duties, and just the ordinary minutiae of life.

Not only has my week been demanding, but I have also been having weird dreams.

Check it! In one of the dreams, I was on an elevator with a stranger, and the elevator abruptly fails, and I could feel the loss of gravity in my sleep.

Me, being myself, when I woke up, I immediately googled the meaning behind this sort of dream.

Several dream interpretation websites indicated that dreams with falling elevators are a symbolic illustration of anxiety. It is a fear that you will fall from favor or lose status, and it could also indicate that you have no real control over your life.

Ya’ll, my dream put me on front street

Here I am sending an encouraging word every week, and yet my worries have reminded me of where I’m placing my faith. Is my faith in God? Or is it in my capabilities?

So – I will ask you, too.  When the world seems like it’s playing out the worst horror film, ever are you trusting God?

Did that sound crazy to you? Did you think, “of course, I trust God!”

My dream, although frightening, got me to thinking.

We all say that we “trust God.”  As Christians, it’s become a second-nature phrase. But — do we all mean it? Or do we simply recite scriptures, much like the Pledge of Allegiance or “My Country Tis of Thee,” but rarely consider whether we believe the words that part from our lips.

When I say, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety  (Psalm 4:8).”

Do I mean it? Or have I just been resting in my body, but not in my heart?

When I am tired, burnt out and afraid (much like this week), do I believe where He said, “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ….. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”? Matthew 11:28-30

When I hear the words of Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”  What do I feel? Am I automatically re-energized?

Do I ever make sure that I have not only committed the words of the Bible to memory but that I also understand and apply them to my life?

Sis, right now – more than ever. We need to be praying. And when we pray, we need to be professing the words of our God back to Him.

Not just for Him, but for us too!

It strengthens us, this way. It is how it gets in our spirit.

But, first, we must understand it.

For example:

My Pastor talked about a scripture that we have all heard many, many times before, but the way that he broke it down, by first extracting the verbs, is an ideal way to study the scripture.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

When you break apart the sentences you get the verbs:

1.“TRUST in the Lord” – What does the Word trust mean to you? Trust is defined as the belief of reliability, truth, ability, or strength.

Think about the people in your life that you trust. Who is it more natural to trust? Your friends or God?

2. “LEAN not on your own understanding” – To “lean” means to rely on or derive support from.

If our God is limitless, why should we rely on our thinking – which is limited? Our thinking is little compared to Him, who is bigger and can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power.

3, “in all your ways ACKNOWLEDGE Him “– Acknowledge means to express or display gratitude for or appreciation of.

It means to admit the existence, reality, and trustworthiness of God in everything that you do. You must acknowledge Him as Lord over your house, your marriage, your children, your family, your job, your businesses, ideas, etc.

4. “and He will DIRECT your paths” – To direct means to guide or advise (someone or their judgment) in a course or decision.

God will give us the directions we need, and guide our feet to place us in the favored positions that He needs us to be in.

Having said all of that, Women of Judah, I implore you to learn and seek to understand your Word so that when you place the weights that you are carrying in this season at his feet —you believe it.