July 22
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. (Ps 16:1-7) (KJV)
Father in heaven O! God we bless you for another week ahead of us, we thank you in diverse ways you are going to meet with us this week, praise be unto your Holy Name. Dearly beloved, by the grace of God, we will be considering one of the most effective ways to worship God but at the same time the most difficult way to practice. Trusting as sensitive as it is is the only weapon available to you and I to access the throne of God (Heb. 11:6). No matter what you are passing through He is more able to do that which you can ever imagine or ever think of. Though some trust in their chariot and armies but God is encouraging us to look up to Him for He knows what to do in every situation, but first you must “Trust Him” Consider further… read more
This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind,
who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord.—Jeremiah 17:5
The Israelites of Jeremiah’s day believed they could trust in their army, the diplomacy of their king, and their foreign alliances to protect them from the powerful Babylonian empire. They gave lip service to their trust in God, but their actions showed where their faith really was: in their military and financial might. God spoke through Jeremiah to warn them that He would not bless those who trusted in anyone or anything instead of Him.
Placing your ultimate trust in anything other than God is idolatry. How can you know if your faith is not truly in God? Ask yourself these questions: Where do I turn when I experience a crisis? When I am hurting or afraid, to whom do I go? When I have a financial problem, whom do I want to tell first? Where do I seek comfort when I am under stress or discouraged?
Could it be that you are saying you trust in God but your actions indicate otherwise? God often uses other people as His method of providing for you. Be careful lest you inadvertently misdirect your faith toward His provision instead of toward the Provider. God may meet your need through your friends, but ultimately your trust must be in God.
The Israelites were so stubbornly committed to trusting in human strength instead of God that, even as the Babylonian army approached Jerusalem, they continued to desperately seek for a person, or a nation, or an army that could rescue them. They realized too late that they had neglected to trust in the only One who could deliver them.
Don’t make the same mistake as the Israelites. Go straight to the Lord when you have a need. He is the only One who can provide for you.
For God’s ways are not our ways and His thought are not our thought, though you would have experienced the miraculous in your life it is also very possible that you don’t know the doer. You may be satisfied what God is doing in your life that you fail to realize how far you in your relation with your marker, how ? lets journey together to know how:
He revealed His ways to Moses,His deeds to the people of Israel.—Psalm 103:7
Are you satisfied with merely knowing the acts of God, or do you also want to know His ways? There is a difference. This difference is illustrated in the lives of the children of Israel as compared to Moses. The Israelites witnessed the miracles God performed; they walked across the dry Red Sea just as Moses did. They ate the manna and quail from heaven even as Moses did. They were content to receive God’s provision without ever knowing God Himself. Yet Moses saw beyond the provision of God to the person of God.
Others, such as the Egyptian magicians, might perform miraculous acts, but no one else did things the way God did (Exod. 7:11–12). The way God acted provided a window into His nature. If Moses had been content with only God’s power, he could have accepted the presence of an angel and been victorious in his efforts (Exod. 33:15). But Moses wanted to experience more. He wanted to experience God Himself, not just God’s activity.
Some today, like the Israelites, are content to experience God’s activity without ever coming to know God. They are the recipients of answered prayer, yet they never come to know the Provider. They are blessed by God’s providential care over their families, their homes, and their jobs, yet they are satisfied not knowing the One from whom the blessings come. They benefit from God’s protection, yet they never become acquainted with the Protector.
Have you come to know God more personally as a result of your experiences with Him? As you observe the acts of God, look beyond them to the revelation of His character (Gen. 22:14; John 6:35).
Brethren, what is that you are trusting God for, just trust and believe Him, and is done. Amen. As we go through this week, May His signs and wonders be made available to us, Amen!
Remain blessed in the Lord,
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
