Do you trust God?

Do you receive His gifts?

We build trust. We choose to believe, have faith, before we have the evidence of what we hope for. (Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.)

I was talking with a friend recently about how I feel God is calling me to deeper trust. Deeper trust in Him. Deeper trust in His Sovereignty over my life and my husband’s life, and each of our sons’ lives. Like really believing that everything that happens is for my good and for their good. Believing that all shall be well. Believing that God is able. He can provide. He can heal. He can make a way when there seems to be no way. That I can rest easy and not worry or fear because I trust in Him no matter what happens. And her response was that I was making it sound like it is hard to trust.

I don’t know about you, but I think trusting takes work, is a discipline, an on-going decision I choose to make.

I have prayed Mark 9:24 for years, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” And prayed for and practiced Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Also, Daniel 3:17-18, “the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, ……But even if he does not,” 

Trust leads to peace and calm. I don’t think trust is easy. Our human tendency is to want to control and cling and do what we can to make happen what we think should happen. Our human tendency is to worry and fear and doubt.

If we are trusting God’s provisions and sovereignty and control/plan then we would be at peace, resting in His goodness and grace for us.

I find that it takes intention and effort to trust. I must keep focusing and refocusing my mind on God’s Truth over and over again throughout the day. My brain is prone to wander but I can take my thoughts captive and renew my mind on Truth. (2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:2)

We build trust with God by talking to Him and listening for Him to talk to us. We build trust by listening and responding and experiencing Him. We build our trust in God by practicing trusting.

We choose to believe and practice trusting that God is faithful. He is consistent. He is always with us. He is working for our good. He is helping us out. It may not always look the way we think it should, but we practice trusting and believing He knows best.

We choose to be honest with God. You tell Him what you are mad about, sad about, anxious about, happy about, pour out your heart to Him (Psalm 62:8). Sit in His presence and soak up His shalom (Psalm 46:10). We sit in a quiet place. We breathe deeply. We repeat a scripture, or a word, or focus on an image, then we kindly, gently, firmly bring our mind back to keep focusing on His love when our mind wanders. You remember what God says about you and choose to believe it is true.

Choose to believe in the goodness God has for you. Choose to receive His Words about you as true. Then choose to speak life over yourself.

We decide to believe, and we practice believing. We build our faith muscle. We increase our ability to trust and receive.

We choose to receive. Believing God is giving to us all His goodness and grace without us having to do anything. We choose to accept.

Receive what God has given you. God has given us Himself! His love, peace, joy, hope, grace, power, and so much more. Accept it!

Trust God’s goodness that He knows best what we need. Trust that He is building our character through all our experiences. Trust that He loves us. Trust when He says, you are enough.

Trust the mystery of God and that He knows what you need. And receive what He gives. Accept yourself and your life.

Receive what God gives. Trust His provision. Open handed. Without entitlement.

It is usually easier to give than to receive.  Sometimes we think “giver or taker?” and we want to be the giver.

We must learn to receive well. Practice receiving. Feel the blessing. Actively receive = let it sink in. Because we cannot give what we do not have, and we will not have unless we receive!

Receive so that you can give well. We must have self-compassion, self-love, joy, peace, hope, kindness, grace to give those things to others. We receive and then bless others with the overflow from our lives.

Receiving starts by trusting in God! Believing that what He says is true!

Keep practicing! Keep seeking and discovering!

Trust and Receive!!