Write This Down

Revelation 21:5

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Trustworthy is found throughout the bible, and it refers often to His word.  God’s words are trustworthy.  They are worthy of our trust, because they’re true.

There is no one on this earth whose words are trustworthy all the time.  A dad promises to take us to the park and work calls him in, and he has to cancel his date with us. A friend invites us to lunch, but she gets so busy she forgets to show up and we feel unimportant.  A sibling promises to keep a secret we’ve shared, but we find out soon that the news has leaked out and we’re devastated.  People are human and they fail.

Jesus never fails.  His word never fails.  He is good all the time.

Write it down.  Write down the words that leap off the page when you read the bible in your quiet time.  Recite them aloud.  Meditate on them throughout the day.

…for these words are TRUSTWORTHY and TRUE.

Overflow

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The cool thing about trust is that God knows we’re weak and we have trouble trusting Him when we start looking horizontally instead of vertically.  So all we have to do is come to Him, and ask Him for joy and peace as we trust in Him. He is the God of hope.

As we begin to trust in Him and hope in Him, it’s like this bucket of joy and peace is tipped over and starts to be poured out on our dry, limp leaves and we start to stand tall once again.

In fact, this verse says as we begin to trust in Him, we begin to “overflow” with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our limp leaves not only perk up and we stand tall, but we blossom and attract those who walk by to look at us and exclaim, “How beautiful!” 

When we see a beautiful flower or blooming shrub, we sometimes are amazed at the intricate beauty and wonder, and we realize how creative and amazing our Creator is.

Are you dry, limp, and unattractive in your spirit today?  Let the Spirit of God fill you with all hope as you trust in Him, and enjoy the pour…

No Wound Found

Daniel 6:23 says The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Have you ever read this verse? 

The story goes that there was a royal decree that all knees should bow to the king, which Daniel disobeyed, so he was thrown in with the lions. 

However, this verse says when Daniel was lifted from the den, “no wound was found on him.”

The only way we can sit in a den of lions, or among those who threaten us with their “roar,” and come out without a wound is if we trust in Him.

Daniel didn’t land in the den of lions and start to speculate, meditate, and shake his fist at God who left him there to die.  Instead, he trusted in the Rock, eternal.  He knew God’s plans for Him, and whether he lived…or died…he was in God’s hands.

I don’t want to live my life with wounds on me of where I landed in hard places and carry around the bruises to show God how he abandoned me at times.  He doesn’t abandon us.

I want to live my life trusting God to be with me, even when I’m surrounded, as I sit and watch him close the mouths of those who seek to destroy me.

Steadfast

Isaiah 26: 3,4 says, You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not in perfect peace most of the time.  And it’s always due to my mind and what I’m thinking.  My mind is often not steadfast. It shifts from thought to thought, fear to fear, and speculation to speculation.   Therefore, peace has no place to land.

The reason we are to trust in the Lord is because he is the ROCK eternal.

In a prior chapter, Isaiah asks why we trust in mere humans who have breath in their nostrils.  Sounds funny, doesn’t it?   When we trust in humans, we’re setting ourselves up for a fall. Humans are only breathing because of the breath God has given them, and even that is limited.  God is alive because He himself is the very air we breathe, and that is limitless – eternal.

Anytime we trust (or think about) things that can end, can bring us fear, can make us feel uneasy, etc.  we will not be at peace – and worry will be our friend.

But when we meditate and think and train our minds to think on Him, His word, the truth of who He is, and the purposes and plans He has for our lives (which are always good) – peace keeps us secure.

Cleverness

Proverbs says, Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

The proverbs are so good – I love reading them.  They’re witty, “clever,” and they cut to the chase, don’t they? 

We live in a society that wears itself out trying to obtain riches and hold onto them.  And we do it by trusting in our own cleverness (inventiveness, and imagination).  If we can create or imagine something more outstanding, more innovative, and then create the need for what we’ve imagined – we’re an instant sensation – and riches are ours!  Until the next person creates and imagines something bigger and better…

This verse says to just cast a “glance” at riches, because they don’t stay around.  In fact the imagery here is awesome – they sprout wings and fly off.

So if we’re not to trust in our own cleverness, nor gaze at riches, nor wear ourselves out by working hard to get them…what are we supposed to do?

Later in Proverbs Chapter 23 is the answer…always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.

And in chapter 28 it says if we trust in the Lord we will prosper.

And we won’t wear ourselves out, either.

Trustworthy

Proverbs 12 says, "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy."

Just a couple of days ago we talked about how the Lord is trustworthy of all that we entrust to him, including our failures and fears.

This verse talks of how we can be trustworthy of handling the truth the Lord shares with us – and how when we are – it delights Him.

Lying lips – He does not like.   Trustworthy hearts – He loves.

Do you know that the Lord entrusts things to those who love Him?  He entrusts us with the gifts He gives us, the talents, His word, His love for others, and so much more.  And when we acknowledge that his gifts, his talents, his word, his  love, etc. are all embedded in the truth of who He is, and we use these things to bring Him glory – we are trustworthy.

Want to bring delight to your Father?  Take what He’s given to you and use it for Him.

Great Visual

Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs 11:28)

Just last weekend, I saw a group of people setting up for a wedding in a park.  There were vine covered arbors nearby, and these folks were placing garden torches into the ground just a few inches from these arbors.  I was alarmed, and asked my husband about the possibility of a fire from these torches being so close to the vines.  He noted that the vines were really green, so there was no danger.

This verse says if we trust in riches or stuff, we will fall – but the righteous – those who trust in God – will thrive like a green leaf.

The fire can come near us, the flames can even lick our toes, but if we are green and connected to the “vine” no harm can consume us.

I like this visual – a lot.