Category Archives: Trust

Break the Bow

February 17, 2023 By in Contentment, Trust 2 Comments

“He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.” (Psalm 46:9)

Recently, I was becoming upset and discouraged over something that I had no power to change.

You know what I mean …

You start down the road of “what if this” and “what if that”?

As I was wrestling with the situation I felt the Lord say, “He breaketh the bow.”

At first, I didn’t know what that meant so I did some digging.

The Hebrew word for bow in Psalm 46 refers to a bow that is used for war and is a symbol of strength and power. To “break the bow” means to put the enemy into submission.

According to Clark’s commentary, “He breaketh the bow” also implies that God “has rendered useless all the implements of war; and so profound and secure is the general tranquility, that the bow may be safely broken, the spear snapped asunder, and the chariot burnt in the fire.”

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Fireball

December 17, 2022 By in Hope, Trust Leave a comment

Have you ever felt like you were hit by a fireball and then exploded? Sometimes life is like that and we wonder where God is in the midst of the explosion.

What are we supposed to do when the barrage hits? Our initial response might be to duck and hope it goes away. Some people might rely on alcohol or drugs to deaden the pain. What would the Lord want us to do?

A fireball can wear many faces …

Financial difficulties, marriage struggles, death of a loved one, a friend’s betrayal, illness, unanswered questions.

The list of possibilities is endless and the fireball could just be one or there might be a volley of fireballs. 

When Job was in the midst of the horrendous fireballs in his life, he said,”Though He slay me, yet will I trust.” (Job 13:15) Trust is difficult when it seems like our life is unraveling and our heart is shattered. Trust is reliance on the Lord’s strength. In the midst of the turmoil, we usually do not have much strength so it is imperative that we put our hope and trust in the Lord.

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The Plowshare

November 4, 2022 By in Contentment, Peace, Trust 2 Comments

Once upon a time a farmer surveyed his fields. As he looked, all he could see was the devastation left from the storm. His crops were ruined. What was he supposed to do? Was it too late to replant? 

Totally discouraged he prayed, “O Lord, give me wisdom, strength and peace. I don’t know what I should do?” Suddenly he heard, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10) 

As he pondered the word from the Lord, he realized that “Be still” was an inner attitude, not inaction. It definitely did not mean – do nothing!

Yes, he would have to clean up the damage from the storm, but when that was completed the farmer was unsure of his next step.

A week passed and the debris had been removed. “Be still” remained his focus. He rested, prayed and spent extra time with his family.

He had peace that he was following the Lord’s instructions. Meanwhile, his fields remained fallow (unplanted). 

His family and friends kept asking him what he was going to do. He replied that he was trusting the Lord and trying to “Be still.”

He sharpened his tools and got his farm machinery ready. Still his fields remained fallow. By now it was too late to replant.

He studied about the Israelite farmers in the Old Testament. They were commanded to let their fields lie fallow during the seventh year. “Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyards and gather the fruit thereof. But the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath unto the Lord.” (Lev 25:3-4) 

He came to understand that the fallow field year was a time of refreshing. He experienced the Lord’s peace and goodness.

He understood that the Lord had him in His hands. He learned to savor this special time with the Lord.

Then spring came. The Lord told the farmer it was time to “break up his fallow ground.” (Hosea 10:12) The farmer got his sharpened plowshare and joyfully began to till his fields. He was now in a new season…. And so it is with us.

Sometimes we get frustrated or discouraged when it seems the Lord does not allow us to plant. Sometimes He has us in a season of rest and trust. Pushing against the restraints often brings more frustrations, but when we decide to be still, and know that He is God, we discover that He really is able. When He is ready to restart our growing season, He, Himself, will take His plowshare. He will cut through the weeds that have been in our lives. 

The new season might look different than the past, but that’s okay. Life is not stagnant. Are you willing to be in a fallow season?

Being fallow is beneficial to both the soil and the soul. The Lord uses it to restore and refresh. If you allow Him, the Master Gardener will lovingly enable your life to grow, prosper and flourish for His kingdom. Are you willing?

~Marianne Wright

The Itch

January 23, 2021 By in Healing, Struggles, Trust 2 Comments

Sometimes life is like an itch. An itch can either be small like a mosquito bite or large like a rash that encompasses areas of the body. Everyone knows you should not scratch something that itches because it only intensifies the problem. Everyone also knows that it is a challenge not to scratch. The more you mess with it, the worse it becomes. Sometimes it bleeds, oozes or gets infected. Depending on the cause, it can often spread. The itchiness becomes your focus, even when you try to ignore it.

Our lives are often the same. The “itch” might be a person, an upcoming decision, a sin in our life, a poor choice, resentment, bitterness or unforgiveness. The possibilities are endless and just like a physical itch the spiritual itch can consume us. You might find yourself constantly rehashing what happened, mentally creating “worst case scenarios” or gossiping to justify your version. You might even complain in “great holiness” to the Lord about the unfairness. This merely intensifies the pain and itchiness.

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Though He Slay Me

November 16, 2020 By in Faith, Struggles, Trust 1 Comment

“Though He slay me …” Job 13:15 

Have you ever wondered how Job must have felt when he went through his trials? His friends made fun of him. He lost his health, family and possessions. He lost everything and it appeared that God had abandoned him. His situation looked hopeless. Yet Job never turned his back on God. Instead he proclaimed, “Yet will I trust in Him.”

Trusting in the Lord when trials and tribulations come into our lives is a daunting task. Often, self wants to have a pity party. Sometimes we whine and complain to our friends. Sometimes we just hold it in and worry. None of these are a “trusting in the Lord” response. 

Trials will come into our lives. That is a guarantee. James 1:2 reminds us to, “consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds.” 1 Peter 1:2 says we should rejoice when we suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Thankfully, when trials come into our lives, the calamity is usually not as extreme as the one Job faced. However, we can still feel worried, hopeless and sometimes abandoned. Overwhelmed by emotions, decisions or uncertainty, we can often feel like the Lord is not listening to our prayers.

It is hard when the Lord is silent. Job did not have the Lord encouraging him as his friends expressed their dark opinions. Elijah discovered that God was in the gentle whisper rather than the wind, earthquake or fire. I believe that it is often challenging to wait for the gentle whisper. Too often we feel consumed by the wind, earthquake and fire.

When you are in the midst of the tempest, pour your heart out to the Lord. He never forsakes us. In fact, I believe He takes delight in our coming to Him. He is the Father listening to His children’s concerns. He orchestrates the best for His children, even when it seems like that is not happening. He uses these trials to mold us into His character, if we let Him. He is our Daddy God who loves us with an immeasurable love.

“If God is for us, who can stand against us?” (Romans 8:31)

~ Marianne Wright

The Pathway

March 25, 2020 By in Courage, Faith, Trust 3 Comments

Once upon a time there was a little girl who had to stay in the castle because a great malady had come over the land. She filled her days with reading books and spending time with the Lord. He became her best friend. They would have deep conversations.

forest-clearingOne day He asked the little girl if she would like to go on an adventure with Him. She enthusiastically responded and asked where they would go. He told the little girl to trust Him, took her hand and said, “Follow me.” 

Soon they came to the edge of the forest. The woods were thick and wet from the recent rain. The little girl hesitated because it seemed like there was no way to pass through the thick undergrowth. The Lord, sensing her dilemma, told the little girl to just trust because there is always a way. As He held her hand they both stepped in the underbrush. Continue reading →

Take A Plunge On The Wild Slide

July 21, 2014 By in Obedience, Trust 2 Comments

Have you ever experienced the thrill and excitement of going down a giant water slide at a water park?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the joy the Lord and I experience by plunging down the slides He places in my life.

water slide 2The plunge comes towards the end of the journey, after lots of preparation.

First, I need a destination by choosing which water park. I can’t just hope to arrive without knowing where I’m going.

On my spiritual journey I also need a purpose. I can’t wander aimlessly hoping that somehow I will make a difference in God’s kingdom.

Once I have chosen a location, I must pack a few essentials for the trip. Suntan lotion, beach towel and swim suit are the bare minimum.

I believe that the Lord only has one essential for my journey with Him. I need to pack the attitude that I am willing to do whatever He asks.

That is a tough one to fit into the pool bag because self often wants something very different. Sometimes it seems like I have to keep shoving the desire to be obedient back into the bag when it tries to escape.

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Trust

June 3, 2013 By in Faith, Struggles, Trust 4 Comments

Probably at some time in our lives we have all wondered what it means to trust the Lord.

Trust can be elusive. It is not something that we magically create, but it is something that the Lord develops in us over time. It usually requires walking through difficult circumstances for the Lord to implant trust in us.

bungee jumpingI believe that trusting God is like bungee jumping. You jump as a choice of your will, while you are connected to a large elastic, bungee cord. In the same way, we trust as a choice of our will while we are connected to the Lord.

For those who enjoy bungee jumping, the thrill and excitement come from the jump and the resultant rebound. Often when the Lord asks us to trust Him, it is difficult to experience the joy and the excitement that could be ours if we are willing to jump with abandon.

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