Trust

Unfailing Love

/ pastorpete51 / 18 Comments

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. Psalms 36:7 NLT

Two nights ago I spent a mostly sleepless night alternately praying and worrying about our two daughters in law. On the same day one was going through major cancer surgery while the other was diagnosed with Covid-19. I know, because I have taught about prayer, faith and trust in God that He has them in His hands. Yet the human side of me struggles and silently repeats over and over the same requests.

So last night when I woke at 2:30 gripped again with fears and anxiety I prayed not just for them but for God to help my faith to grow. Of course the answer did not immediately jump out at me like toast popping up. But I followed my dad’s advice on sleeplessness and got up and changed the subject. I grabbed a bowl of cereal, put my earbuds in and listened to the Bible. Then as I relaxed my mental grip on the situation (partly from exhaustion partly faith) I could feel God’s heavenly wings around me and I knew that He can handle this. His plan- and unfailingly love is enough no matter what my fears. In the words of the song, I stopped all negotiations with the God of all creation” and I found my rest in the Father’s hands. If some nights you are also caught in that anxious crossfire between worry and faith then stop and take a deep breath. Change the subject just long enough for those mighty yet gentle wings of God to cover you and then find your rest in the unfailing love of our Father’s hands!

Bearing Fruit

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7‭-‬8 ESV

A tree in a commercial orchard is as pampered as any king or queen on planet earth. It is planted in the best soil, fertilized and kept free from weeds. In the growing season it is sprayed and treated every 10 days to guard it from pests and disease and irrigated in drought. Yet with all the advantages the farmer gives it, there are years when the harvest fails because of a late frost, an unexpected new disease or a late snowfall. Ultimately the farmer may do his best but only God is really in charge of the results.

The same is true in our lives. As today’s verse tells us, our fruitfulness is dependent on only one thing. We must decide to trust the Lord. Unexpected events and even calamity strike without notice. But God is never taken by surprise. Are you trusting in His care? Is He the stream your soul drinks from? Is He the keeper of your heart?

No Care in Prayer

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 KJV

If this were my letter I would have written, “Things are terrible here in prison. Please pray and if you can, send me a warm sweater and a box or two of cookies!” But instead, Paul writes to encourage his friends that God answers prayer, even while he is sitting in a cold Roman jail.

He begins by telling them, “Stop worrying!” That is because being in trouble, is like driving on an icy road. Prayer is our steering wheel; faith is the accelerator and worry our brakes. If our car starts to slide, the worst thing we could do is slam on the brakes. To put our foot on the brakes means taking it off our gas pedal of faith. A situation without faith will always skid out of control and directly towards the ditch. Instead, Paul tells us to grab hold of the steering wheel of prayer. We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can always pray. It is as if Paul is saying, “Stop gripping the steering wheel in fear, instead relax and thank God.” When we give thanks in a crisis, is like gently keeping our foot on the accelerator of faith so we keep our traction on the road. Does it feel like your life is sliding out of control this today? Trust God and pray and He promises that a peace greater than we can understand will guard our hearts bring us safely on the road towards home!

I really love listening to David Wesley’s acapella renditions of some of the classic hymns of the church. I hope you will not only enjoy “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, but also listen and watch the short documentary at the end about Joseph Scriven. Have a blessed week everyone!