Peace In Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. For most of us, it’s not easy to trust in the Lord in all things! There are times we feel pursued by financial trouble, bad health, a person who misjudges us, or someone who opposes us so that our “heart is in anguish.” In these and other hard times that may come upon us, we may want to retreat, give up, or simply run away! Although it may not seem like it at that moment, God is greater than the problems we face! The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 55:22 NLT, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Let’s cast our cares and burdens on the Lord. He will help us to do this! Our shoulders are not big enough to bear our burdens alone! God will show up! “Lord, we believe, but help our unbelief! Please increase our faith in you! Amen!

WHATSOEVER IT IS THAT PRESSES YOU. TELL YOUR FATHER; PUT OVER THE MATTER INTO HIS HAND, AND SO YOU WILL BE FREE FROM THAT DIVIDING, PERPLEXING CARE THAT THE WORLD IS FULL OF ( Archbishop Robert Leighton)

A Better Way

At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who He was. He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No, they replied. Then He said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” (John 21:4-6 NLT). The disciples did as Jesus instructed them, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. The disciples had been fishing all night and had caught nothing yet, Jesus was not only interested in what they were doing, He was also interested in the manner of what they were doing! He encouraged His disciples by telling them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They most likely reasoned in their own minds, “the water is the same everywhere! What difference will it make! But, they followed Jesus’ way of doing things and they pulled in a bounty of fish so large that the nets began to break! Jesus could have told His disciples to “give up! Try again another time!” No! He gave them a better way! There are times we may feel what we are doing for God in our calling, whatever that calling is, is not bearing much fruit and we want to give up! DON’T GIVE UP! Instead, let’s recommit our work to the Lord and ask Him to show us a better way that will bring us victory and peace. Let’s pray in the morning, pray while doing our specific tasks, and pray as we travel to our place of work! God promises to give us a better way with joy and encouragement, without finding fault (James 1:5-8 NIV). AMEN!

PRAYER FITS INTO EVERY PHASE OF OUR EARTHLY EXPERIENCE, AND THEREFORE WE MAY ALWAYS PRAY. YOUR PRESENT NEED, DIFFICULTY, OR TROUBLE MAY BE TAKEN TO GOD IN PRAYER. THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR LIFE IN WHICH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS NOT INTERESTED.  Charles Cook