Many times these days I have found my stomach tied in knots. Parties with no social distancing prolong our corona agony. Anger against social injustice spills over into more injustices. Pickup trucks plow through protesters to make their own protest. What will happen when local schools reopen? How can we agree on measurable goals to put an end to violence in the street and racism in our communities? I pray, “Lord have mercy,” even as I acknowledge that we don’t deserve mercy anymore than Jerusalem did as the Babylonians approached. But hanging onto my fears and letting them tie me in knots shows a lack of trust in the all powerful God of righteousness and justice whose nature is love. And trust is one of the things he wants to see growing in me when I put my faith in Jesus Christ.
Part 3 of my new book, Honey from the Comb, collects verses about traits God wants to see in me. The collection began with the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—but that is just the beginning. A couple mornings ago, trust came up in my prayer time. It’s not inconsistant with action, but it IS inconsistant with my stomach knots. Here is the trust entry from the Honey from the Comb. As you read, consider your own response to the ways God is stretching you. [Only two days left to get the Kindle version of Honey from the Comb for $0.99!] Trust Trust is putting your faith into action in a concrete situation. As you pray these verses, consciously rest in God and give him your present situation with confidence regardless of how hopeless circumstances may appear. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies from those who pursue me. Psalm 31:14-15 Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD Psalm 40:4a In God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 56:11 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-33
1 Comment
Dorothy Wilson
9/5/2020 04:25:14 pm
another good reminder to order HONEY, Thks, I'll let you know when I've been successful ordering from Amazon. . . .
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AuthorLeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her books come out of her cross-cultural experiences and her passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will permeate lives. Add http://www.leannehardy.net/1/feed to your RSS feed.
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