Day by Day: Moment by Moment

God leads us through life day by day and moment by moment. He doesn't promise to let us in on His plans for the future. We want to know what lies ahead but God asks us to be satisfied with this present moment. Leave the future in His hands. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God ..." I believe that the future is one of those 'secret things.' When we try to figure out what comes next, we are grabbing at things that belong to God. This gives us a spirit of rebellion: we begin to doubt God's promise to care for us.
Instead of worrying about the future, return to God. He will show you the next step.
Trusting Christ to see us through whatever life may hold, is one way to develop a perfect relationship with Him. Psalm 32:8 assures us, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." We are never overlooked by God. His eye is on us. His lovingkindness surrounds us. Begin today in a new journey with the Father. Let Him teach you about His Will. Trust Him to care for you day by day: moment to moment.

Building Character in Hard Times

It is easy to follow Christ and focus on His Presence when everything is going well. But what happens when tough times come your way? Although your world may be shaken to the core, Jesus still offers Peace, Light and Joy. If we can take our eyes off our troubles long enough to see God at work in our lives, we will find that the hard times ... times when we need the most help ... are when our faith is strengthen and our trust can grow.
When we face trails and temptations, we can find comfort in such scriptures as Matthew 11:28-29, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Sometimes we need correction. Sometimes we're headed in the wrong direction. Yet Jesus always provides a way out. Keep Him at the center of your life and everything else will fall into place. Who else can offer such a promise?
Don't give up when the going gets tough. Hebrews 10:35-36 warns us, "Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." 
If you face hard decisions or life seems particularly difficult today, keep your focus on Jesus: bathe in His Peace. Be glad that He is offering you the opportunity to build character and develop greater faith in the hard times.

Grasp Jesus' Hand and Let Go of the Rest

My devotional, Jesus Calling, contained this interesting thought today: "The only thing you can grasp without damaging your soul is My (i.e. Jesus') hand." Holding onto worry and fear will only damage your spirit. When you 'let go and let God,' you find that He will fill your mind and spirit with contentment. The mind controlled by Christ's Spirit is full of Life and Peace.
Romans 8:6 says, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." You can have as much of Christ's peace as you want, as you make thousands of correct choices today. Decided to trust Him instead of worrying. You will never run out of things to worry about until you place your mind under God's control. He will replace the worry with joy and the fear with courage and the weakness with strength.
Rely on the words of Psalm 46:1-2, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;" Now that is faith ... to have no fear even when the earth starts shaking and mountains tremble and fall.
Let go of the things that weigh you down and grasp the hand of Jesus. He will never fail you. Just believe.

Jesus Will Catch You When You Fall

It's not a matter of 'if,' it's a matter of 'when.' We are all bound to fall someday. We have days when things just don't go as planned. We run into trouble and our sense of God's presence fails. Maybe the car won't start or a friend says something mean. Do we find ourselves cursing or retaliating? Maybe we hear of job cuts or we get a diagnosis of cancer. Do we panic or lose faith? Whatever our circumstances, when we just can't walk this tightrope life any longer and feel ourselves starting to fall, we can be certain that if we have put our trust in Jesus, He will always catch us before we hit rock bottom.
I love the promise of Deuteronomy 33:27: "The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; ... "
When our home is with the Lord, we can be assured that He holds us in His 'everlasting arms.' He's never going to fail us. Friends may abandon us; spouses may leave us; children may resent us; we may feel like a failure. But God will never forsake us. Our position with Him is secure.
Earlier in Deuteronomy (31:8), Moses assures the people of Israel, "The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail your or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."
Really, what in this life is there to fear? No matter what life brings, Jesus will give you the strength to get through it. Cast you fears on Him. Jesus will catch you when you fall.

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.

"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."