WE know we should trust God, but are we always sure how that's done?
[00:00:00] We're the spring friends together on our knees, let us pray together on our knees And I fall on my knees with my face to the rise in sun, all over the earth, as you walk away
[00:00:27] Welcome to the Bible Speaks with Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a weekly ministry of harvest international.
[00:00:33] Our prayer is that the Bible Speaks will encourage you in your study of God's Word. You will be able to contact Elgin at the address given at the end of this broadcast. And now here's Elgin.
[00:00:46] Hello and welcome from wherever you are listening. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord, which is from Psalms 122 chapter 1. Today, brothers and sisters, I want to continue a conversation, oddly and I had last week regarding trusting God.
[00:01:06] It's not about whether you have faith or believe in God, but have you come to the conclusion that God's way is better. Proverbs 19 and 21, reading from the NIV reads, many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails. So what am I saying?
[00:01:27] What I'm here to share with you today is if you believe God's way is the best way, and that His purpose is what will prevail when we are obedient, then that is the foundation of truly trusting God.
[00:01:42] But I wanted to make sure we cover trusting Him from both the spiritual and natural perspective. The Word tells us in Philippians 4 verses 6 through 7, reading from the English Standard version,
[00:01:57] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guide your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
[00:02:16] The peace of God is a gift that believers can experience amid life's challenges and uncertainties, knowing that you are in harmony with God's will and purpose. It is a state of inner serenity that comes from a deep faith and trusting God.
[00:02:35] Psalm 34 verse 19 tells us, many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord deliver them out of them all.
[00:02:44] When you trust God spiritually, you have a sense of peace no matter what is going on in your life. It doesn't mean that you won't go through the emotions of missing someone who has gone home to be with the Lord,
[00:02:59] but in your spirit you have peace because you know God never makes mistakes. Having this level of peace allows also allows you to quiet the voices that normally invade our minds when we go through trials, without those voices we can hear from God through the Holy Spirit and He will direct our path.
[00:03:23] To be clear, I also want you to know how important it is to trust God when things are going right. If we are not diligent in seeking God's wisdom, it is too easy for us to start thinking we caused a blessing.
[00:03:37] If you were to get your dream job and our making big bucks will you remember to give God 10%. Will you still serve others? Will you use your income to bless others?
[00:03:50] In other words, will you trust God to tell you what to do with the money or will you lean to your own understanding? A few years ago, the Lord laid on my heart to give my car to a family that needed another vehicle.
[00:04:05] But he also said I was not to use debt to replace the car. When I went home and told my wife, she agreed and we gave the family my car. Little did we know that a month or so later their primary vehicle was suffer a total engine failure.
[00:04:21] We still haven't replaced the car because the vehicle I want isn't cheap. But I'm going to heed God's word and not purchase it until I can pay cash. But more importantly, I trust that he will give me the resources to do so.
[00:04:37] From the natural, trusting God is more challenging because in many cases it defies our logical minds. But the word tells us in Jeremiah 29 verse 11,
[00:04:50] For I know the plans I have for you, the Clairs to Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and the future. In fact, Jesus told us in John 10, 10 that def comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
[00:05:08] I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I want to take a line from, I want to take a line of thinking from Dr. Miles Monroe. Dr. Monroe uses an analogy of a manufacturer and a product.
[00:05:26] Sumurizing his thoughts, we are the product made in God's image. And he did not let us come to earth until we have been tested and certified ready. Therefore, everything we encounter, we have been built for.
[00:05:43] It doesn't mean that we are always prepared, but we have the necessary gifting to see us through. The way we become prepared is through personal growth. At the top of the list is emotional intelligence when we talk about personal growth.
[00:06:01] Our ability to manage ourselves is emphasized throughout the word and I'll share a couple of examples with you. Romans 12, verse 2, reading from the ESV, it says, Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
[00:06:22] That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Proverbs 23 and 12, reading from the NIV reads, apply your heart to instruction and your ears to the words of knowledge. Proverbs 4, verse 7, says, wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom.
[00:06:50] And with all digating, get understanding. The problem we have with trusting God in the natural is because we don't feed our faith enough to understand that he gives the increase. But we have to be in position and capable of handling what we're asking for.
[00:07:10] Many times, every requires us to walk without understanding where we're headed and when we'll get there. Sound familiar? Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that no matter how you got to this planet.
[00:07:25] If you are under the sound of my voice, God has a purpose for you. My hope is I may share a point of view that causes you to want to learn more about your purpose. Through purpose comes vision. Through vision comes focus.
[00:07:45] When you are focused on the purposes of God, he will give you the desires of your heart and rewards you with peace and joy as a result of you working through your purpose.
[00:08:02] So I know that you're going to ask me, how do I find out what my purpose is? Your purpose is that one thing that causes you to move into action is the thing that you can't abide. It's the thing that causes you angst every time you see it.
[00:08:21] For example, all of the Israelites were standing around why Galia was blaspheming God and talking about their religion. And when David arrived with lunch for his brothers, he said, do you hear what he's saying? So for the people who were standing there, it didn't bother them.
[00:08:45] But for David, it did. And that is called an assignment. And so David acted using the gifts that God had given him and the purpose for that particular season to defeat Glyah. For you, it can simply be you have a passion for senior citizens.
[00:09:06] Every time you see a story about someone mistreating a senior or a senior struggling with their medication or just their daily lives, you want to do something about it. And it moves you every time you see those type of scenarios that is probably one of your purposes.
[00:09:29] And if you were to look a little deeper, or maybe even take one of the spiritual assessments that are available online, you may find out that that is part of your spiritual gifts. And it is the spiritual gifts that are planted within us for someone else.
[00:09:53] Now we have talents and skills that we can practice and hone and make a good living in the marketplace, but our gifts are strictly for someone else. It is to improve the lives of other people based on what God put uniquely in you.
[00:10:16] There is a person out there right now waiting for a solution that only you can provide. What we have to do, what we have to do is trust God to help us be prepared when it's time for us to meet that person.
[00:10:38] And that comes through reading God's word, that comes through fasting, that comes through Bible study, that comes to listening to podcasts that have an opportunity to share different points of view with you. But all of it works together to prepare you for another level of growth.
[00:10:59] And it is to this growth that God can bring a different type of person to you. And you trust in Him will allow you not only use your gift, but the Holy Spirit will also back you up.
[00:11:15] So if you have times where maybe you're a little tongue-tied or maybe you're bashful, the Holy Spirit will give you utterance. He will help you move through and bring that person what it is that day we're looking for.
[00:11:29] To make it simple, let's say it as God uses us to prove something about Himself. He said that we were created to bring Him glory. So how do we bring Him glory?
[00:11:44] By loving Him with all our heart and all our mind and all of our spirit and loving our neighbors as ourselves. And the way that we love, the name our neighbors as ourselves is to first love ourselves.
[00:11:58] And allowing God to lead us and accept Him Jesus Christ's our Lord and Savior is the beginning of loving ourselves. Because when we put Him first then He is able to give us all of the things that we desire.
[00:12:16] And He also is able to use us to bring glory to Himself through us helping other people. So if you really think about it, trust in God is about allowing Him to use us to be that example to someone who's seeking Him for a life.
[00:12:36] And if you're looking for Him for whatever reason, it could be someone who is a seasoned Christian and going through a personal problem or it can be you working in the marketplace.
[00:12:48] And I know for some it may seem strange that I say that but God wants us to represent Him throughout the ends of the earth.
[00:12:57] And that includes the marketplace where you work. If the people see that you treat them well and that you genuinely care about them and that you generally are there to help them, then they will wonder why and they want to get to know you better and maybe you will have an opportunity to lead them to Christ.
[00:13:16] So brothers and sisters, I say to you, slow down, take your time, get to know God, get to know what He's promise. Read the word and understand it and take your opportunities to go to Bible study or have conversations with seasoned things to help you understand how to implement it.
[00:13:36] So until we come together again, I wish you peace, love and joy and Jesus Christ name. Amen. I've wandered far away from the earth.
[00:13:53] This program is cared for by listeners who care, your prayers and financial investment in this ministry helps to keep the good news on the air. We look forward to hearing from you and invite you to write us at Harvest International Post Office Box 6600 Vol. Calaflora 3448
[00:14:14] Again, that's Harvest International Post Office Box 6600 Vol. Calaflora 3448 Never much wrong. Lord, I'm coming home.