Practice Trusting Jesus in the Good Times

As we grow in our ability to lean on Jesus for all our needs, we find that when we've learned to trust him when things are going well, it will be easier to call on Him when we face a crisis. Jesus calls it 'laying up treasure.' Here's what He says in Matthew 6:20-21: "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 
Some of us have discovered that putting money in a savings account is a "habit:" the more we get used to adding to our savings account on a regular basis, the easier it becomes. In much the same way, the more we make a habit of trusting Jesus, the easier it will be to go to him for help when we really need it.
It is also much like a friendship. We are more likely to go to a friend for help than a stranger. If we are not strengthening our friendship with Jesus when the sun is shining, then He will be more of a stranger than a friend when the dark clouds start building up. If we have treasure in heaven, we won't be bankrupt when disaster strikes.
Jesus never fails; He never turns us away. What a blessing to know that we can always count on God's help. Psalm 56:3-4 teaches us, "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose work I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid ..."
Are you laying up treasures in heaven? Try trusting Jesus in the good times and just see how much easier it will be to trust Him in the bad times.

Jesus says, "Hold up a minute."

Are you someone who tends to rush ahead with your own plans instead of waiting to hear what God wants? Do you make decisions and then go back to get God's approval? Guess what ... we're all in the same boat.
I've made plenty of wrong turns; rushed into things before finding out what God's choice might be. Yet, praise Jesus, He has always found ways to clean up my messes. He is faithful even when I'm not. He doesn't abandon me, even though I run off in the wrong direction.
Are we willing to take the advice of Psalm 27:14? "Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord."
Jesus simply asks us to wait. Why do we find that so hard? We put ourselves into stressful situations when we fail to wait for God's timing. My prayer is to learn to wait patiently until I'm certain I've heard God's OK before making any more life-changing decisions. I know my life will be so much better when I know I'm within His will. Life will be more enjoyable when I make the journey with Christ at my side ... not behind me, trying to catch up. I only hope in the future I pay more attention when Jesus says, "Hey, hold up a minute."

Can Hope in Jesus Overcome Depression?

The 'Jesus Calling' devotional today claims: 'Hope in Me, and you will be protected from depression and self-pity.' Will the golden cord of hope bear the weight of your despair? Can hope in Jesus really overcome depression? I believe there is reason to think so. I can affirm from my own experience that hope brought me out of a troubled time in my life.
Nearly three years ago, right after I moved from Hawaii to San Diego, I experienced a 'dark night of the soul.' Near my birthday in March, I started feeling disconnected from the world around me. I had no friends in the area. I wasn't reading my Bible. I had stopped going to church. I lost my sense of purpose. My days were almost surreal. Other people seemed happy ... but why? Life seemed meaningless.
Thankfully this period of depression was short-lived. I connected with old friends. I began attending a good church again. I found new purpose and direction for my life. I started to hope that tomorrow would be better than today. Jesus led me out of that spiritual desert to a place of refreshing water and tender care.
Depression is often a soul-sickness. Despair may mean we've forgotten that Jesus offers all the help we need. Purposelessness can be the result of losing our connection to God.
If you struggle with depression, try looking outside of yourself ... to Jesus and to friends. Focus on others: find a way to serve someone else. Believe that Jesus is only a prayer away. Start reading the Psalms. Be encouraged by Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You can find a purpose for your life again if you trust God to supply it.You can overcome depression if you ask Jesus to give you hope.

Jesus Gives More than We Can Imagine

"More than we can imagine!" What a promise Jesus gives us in Ephesians 3:20: "With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine." Has this happened in your life? I know it has in mine. I never imagine I'd ever own my own home ... yet Jesus provided one. I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to go back to college ... yet Jesus gave it. So many times I've asked the Lord for one thing and He's answered with more than I knew I could ask for.
You'll notice in the scripture above, that the operative phrase is "With God's power working in us, ..." It is only when we surrender all to Jesus that we can expect the unexpected. When we try to fix things on our own, we may achieve what we set out to do. But when we turn to Jesus for help, we often get something beyond what we could do ourselves.
Seems like the more extreme the difficulty, the more we see God's power at work. Just listen to this great promise in Isaiah 40:31, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." Don't get tired or weary, just keep imagining the unimaginable.

"I Trust You, Jesus."

My selected devotional for 2014, "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young makes this suggestion today: learn a new habit, say "I trust You, Jesus," in response to whatever may happen in our lives. Sick or in poor health? "I trust You, Jesus." Broken relationships or strained friendships? "I trust You, Jesus." Loss of a job or financial difficulties? "I trust You, Jesus." Depressed or directionless? "I trust You, Jesus."
In every situation, the answer is always, "I trust You, Jesus." Just think of His power ... to heal, to calm, to bring joy and peace. Believe He is beside you, ready to help you in the trying events of life. Why do we fret? Why worry? What have we to fear? We have the master of the universe as our friend.
In Isaiah 30:11 we find comfort: "Like a shepherd He will tend the flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes." 
What more can we ask for? What joy to be held near His heart. We receive these blessings with gratitude ... and the fortitude to just keep repeating, "I trust You, Jesus."