Tag: Trust

Christian

Is God Testing My Faith?

Cindy Dawson

I proclaim that I trust God. I urge others to trust Him, too. But what if God asks me to do something I don’t want to do, something really difficult? Is God testing my faith? Will I pass the test?

Charles Stanley said, “The only way to know how much faith you have is to have it tested.”

But suddenly, doubt shows its ugly head and you think, “Is this really God’s will? I need an angelic visit to know for sure.”

But will God send an angel? Probably not. So can we trust the witness of the Holy Spirit within us?

Jesus said,

“ … I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth … you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17

Questions of doubt will wreak havoc in your mind if you let them. Instead, we must depend on the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to strengthen our spirit.

The key word in faith is focus.

Dr. Charles Stanley

Where is our focus? Are we focused on God? Or, are we focused on what brings more doubt? When the disciples were in the storm, what was their focus? Was it on Jesus or was it on circumstances? Jesus had just healed all the sick when they set out in a boat. When a storm arose, the disciples woke Jesus and said, “Lord save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He rebuked the wind and the waves and it was completely calm.” (Matthew 8:24-26)

They had been focused on the winds and waves, not on Jesus who was right there with them.

CONSIDER ABRAHAM

Abraham may have had similar doubts when God told him to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. But,

 “(Abraham) said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Genesis 22:5 NIV

Abraham believed that God would provide the sacrifice and He and Issac would both return. And they did.

Is your faith being tested? Is God asking you to trust Him? Will you trust Him to guide you? To protect you? Do you have faith in His faithfulness?

FAITH IN HIS FAITHFULNESS

“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.” Hebrews 11:11 NIV

“Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
    as enduring as the earth you created.” Psalm 119:90 NLT

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NIV

“A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.” Proverbs 16:9 AMPC

“He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 NIV

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

He promises to guide us. Will we believe that promise even when it’s difficult? Jesus said,

” … when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 NIV

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV

“The LORD will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8 NLT

TRUST GOD WITHOUT FEAR

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.‘” Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV

“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid …” Hebrews 11:23 NIV

“By faith (Moses) left Egypt, not fearing the King’s anger …” Hebrews 11:27 NIV

“For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.” 2 Timothy 1:7 TLB

WHAT I LEARNED:

  1. God will test our faith. He already knows what we will do, but we will, ourselves, learn how much faith we have.
  2. He is faithful. He has promised to lead us and guide us in the way we should go. We must trust in His faithfulness and love.
  3. We must trust God without fear.
  4. We must focus on His promises, the Word of Truth. 
My Prayer

Your love, O God,
Will hold us near.
It shields us from
our darkest fears.

In times of darkness
Where I can't see,
Your loving eye
Will watch for me.

When I can't see
What lies ahead,
I'll trust you, Lord,
And what You've said.

Your promises 
Are my delight.
They guide my way.
They are my light.

With my whole heart
I trust in you.
Your loving hands
Will see us through.

Your faithful love
Forever watches
Your precious child
In all Earth's places.

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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1st Photo by Alex Radelich on Unsplash

Christian

Trusting God for Guidance

Cindy Dawson

Do you ever feel like God isn’t there? When we can’t seem to hear His voice or sense His leading, that’s when it’s time for faith to take charge!

God is always speaking to us in the sense that His Word is alive and all we have to do is open our Bible to hear God’s Word. Today, as I sought the Lord regarding what to write about, I realized that He is always leading me, even when I can’t “feel” it.

How do I know? Because He has promised me He would. If I look to His Word, He speaks. Psalm 119 is about God’s Word, but it also promises that those who love His Word will be rewarded with counsel, wisdom, insight, guidance, and peace.

“Your statutes are my delight;
    they are my counselors.” Psalm 119:24

“Your commands are always with me
    and make me wiser than my enemies.
 I have more insight than all my teachers,
    for I meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119:98-99

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

“Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.” Psalm 119:165

“Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
    and your servant loves them.” Psalm 119:140

I will trust Him to lead me because I have surrendered to His will for my life and I love the Word of God. So during times when all I hear is silence, I will trust that He is still leading me through the darkness. I believe His promises are true.

“For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him?
    His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” Isaiah 14:27

“In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

“From the east I summon a bird of prey;
    from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
    what I have planned, that I will do.” Isaiah 46:11

“He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3

“He who has compassion on them will guide them
    and lead them beside springs of water.” Isaiah 49:10b

“The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.” Isaiah 58:11a

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8

“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

Your Watchful Eye Will Lead Me

Your watchful eye will lead me.
You never look away.
I turn to you for guidance
Every single day.

Because I love your Word,
And seek to know it well,
I trust your hand to guide me,
For in my heart Christ dwells.

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

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Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

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All Scripture references are from the NIV.

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Christian

Faith in God During American Slavery

Cindy Dawson

African-American slaves wrote many heartfelt songs, often referred to as Negro Spirituals. Perhaps it is surprising that the people who enslaved and and oppressed them are the same people who introduced them to Christianity.

One would think these slaves wouldn’t be open to hearing about Jesus from their oppressor, but Jesus opened their hearts to believe the Good News. That’s the only plausible explanation for it.

The Bible says of Lydia, ” The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” Acts 16:14.

Yes, He can do that, even under the most desperate and cruel circumstances. Just as the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, He opened their hearts as well.

One of my favorite hymns is Give Me Jesus. The words are simple, yet they are deeply moving. I was not surprised to find out it is an African-American spiritual, written by slaves looking to our Lord and Savior for deliverance. Just as He brought deliverance to Israel through the leadership of Moses, they believed He would deliver them from slavery. And He did.

In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise,
In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus,
You may have all this world,
Give me Jesus.

I can imagine these desperate Christians singing these words from their heart, looking for deliverance when Jesus comes to take them home. This exemplifies loving God with all your heart and soul, strength, and mind.

When I come to die
When I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Many of the spirituals and songs were birthed out of the trials and struggles of those in slavery. “Give Me Jesus” is an excellent example of how the victims of American slavery were able to express in song God’s presence and care in the midst of heartache and pain.

“Give Me Jesus” is but one of many spirituals written during slavery with no known composer or text writer.  “Persons in slavery, deprived and besieged in this life, might have nothing earthly to hold on to. But, if they were Christians, they believed they had an inheritance in God” (Warren, 1997, 37). 

The tune GIVE ME JESUS, written by African-American slaves, appears in nineteen hymnal collections and supplements today.

Dear Lord, May we cling to you, seek you, and worship you with the same devotion and love as our brothers and sisters in Christ who cried out to you in their pain and trusted you in the midst of cruelty and injustice. Forgive us for our petty complaints and help us to be thankful for all our many blessings. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

All Scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted.

Photo by Daniel McCullough on Unsplash

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Bibliography

Costen, Melva Wilson. African American Christian Worship, 2nd Edition. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007

Warren, Gwendolin Sims, Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit: 101 Best-Loved Psalms, Gospel Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the African-American Church. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.

http://www.negrospirituals.com/singers.htm

Christian

As Pure As the Driven Snow

Cindy Dawson

Have you ever wondered what that means?

To be “as pure as the driven snow” refers to the snow that has been blown into a drift where no one has walked through it. It is as clean as it was when it fell from the sky. 

King David cried out to the Lord, “Create in me a pure heart, O God.” (Psalm 51:10) And “God testified concerning him, I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22

I find it meaningful that David, a man who committed adultery and murder, would be God’s example of a man with a pure heart. This tells me that no sin, nothing we did in the past that has been forgiven, can keep us from being a person after God’s heart. “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)

What did God see in David’s heart? Does God see those things in my heart? In your heart?

No matter what we do outwardly that may look good to others, God sees our heart. If we are selfishly motivated, arrogant, or proud, God knows.

God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse and told him, “I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 1 Samuel 16:1

Samuel thought for sure that Eliab would be chosen, but the Lord said, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7

Finally, Jesse brought in David, his youngest son, who was tending the sheep. The Lord told Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” 1 Samuel 16:12

God chose David to be King, instead of King Saul. Saul didn’t obey God’s commands because he “was afraid of the people …and gave in to them.” (1 Samuel 15:24)

 He sacrificed offerings to the Lord. But Samuel said to Saul, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) We need to follow God’s commands, not motivated by what people think.

God knew that David was unafraid and would obey His commands. He knew that David believed the Promises. God knew David did not depend on his own strength and ability. He didn’t think too highly of himself, but was humble in heart. David said, “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” Psalm 18:17

David trusted in God and in His Word. He prayed, “Show me your way, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me.” (Psalm 25:4) We can get a glimpse into David’s heart when we read the Psalms he wrote. I want God to say that I am a woman after his heart. Don’t you?

In 1 Samuel 17:47 David said to Goliath, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands.”This is what David believed in his heart, but he didn’t become this strong overnight.

“David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:34-37

My prayer is that, just like David, our faith will grow stronger every time we put our trust in the Lord and depend on Him to win the battle.

“(David served) God’s purpose in his own generation.” (Acts 13:36) I believe that God is looking for people with a pure heart to accomplish His purpose today. Will he use me? Will he use you?“

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

All Scriptures are NIV unless otherwise noted.

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Christian, women

Has God Put a Desire In Your Heart to Serve Him?

Cindy Dawson

Has God put a desire in your heart? Has He made it so crystal-clear that you know for sure it came from Him?

Did things go great at first, but then problems started to arise? If things don’t go the way you expect, don’t begin to doubt what you first believed. Do not doubt yourself and your ability to accomplish the task.

Remember: God never does things the way we think He will. Just because problems arise doesn’t mean we should give up. In fact, I think it would be safe to say, problems will definitely arise!

Nehemiah spoke about “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:12)

God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild Jerusalem. Do you think he may have run into a few problems? Of course he did!

We are instructed to learn from the past. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 NIV

When God puts it in our heart to do something, we can expect a spiritual battle to be right around the corner.

At first, everything happened quickly and easily for Nehemiah. The king granted all of his requests: letters to the various governors to provide safe travel and permission to take lumber from the king’s forest. The king even sent army officers and cavalry along with him on his journey to Jerusalem.

When Nehemiah asked the people to take on the great challenge to rebuild the wall, they enthusiastically agreed. They “worked with all their heart” (Nehemiah 4:6) and repaired the walls. Things were going great!

Then opposition began. The people were ridiculed mercilessly. “What are those feeble Jews doing? (Nehemiah 4:2) The enemy will always attack you personally. Who do you think you are? You can’t do that!

The enemies plotted together to stir up trouble. The strength of the laborers began to give out. What they started doing with all their heart, they began to doubt their ability to accomplish. They began to fear their enemies. (See Nehemiah 4:10-12)

Does any of this sound familiar? Because this is exactly how things work today! Be encouraged because things are right on track.

When the enemy came against them, “Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” Nehemiah 4:18

When spiritual forces come against us, we must take up the Sword of the Spirit as we work. What does that mean for us? The Word of God and prayer are our weapons against the enemy.

By staying in the Word, we can hear the voice of God. Through prayer, we commune with the Almighty, which is intimate communication and the sharing of thoughts.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12

“Take ..the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God … and pray” Ephesians 6:17-18

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12

Is my faith being tested? Will I still believe what God has said when the enemy comes against me? Am I trying to accomplish something in my own strength? Or am I trusting Him to do it, knowing that my part is obedience?

Paul said, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” Philippians 1:6 NIV

Put your trust in God, pray and read the Word. Now carry on, Christian Soldier!

Read about Nehemiah’s determination to rebuild Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah.

With Love, Cindy

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

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Christian

Can’t Sleep?

Cindy Dawson

One day, I was looking for a particular toy for my son. Stepping on my tippy toes, I blindly reached into a large box on a high shelf in my closet and scooped up a handful of small toys.

As I held it up to see if I had the desired toy, this is what I saw: Twined around the toys was a 3 foot-long snake skin! Startled and panic-stricken, I quickly threw it all into the air and screamed!

At this time in my life, I was terrified of snakes, mice, lizards, and all creepy creatures in general. I’m happy to report that 30 years later, not so much.

The problem was, I couldn’t sleep at night. What with (who knows how many) snakes loose in the house!

Now this happened during the days of heated waterbeds, and we slept in one. In my imagination, this would be the exact place a snake would slither into during the middle of the night.

What’s a waterbed, you ask? Well, you can google it. Now back to the story….

“Lucky” for me (tongue in cheek), I happened upon a Bible verse that set me free from this fear. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

Every night when I went to bed, this was my prayer. I passionately thanked God for His promise and repeated it over and over until I went to sleep. I was putting my faith and trust in God and in His Word; it carried me through a very scary time.

This is why it is so important to make Bible study a priority. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart when I read this verse. God did keep me safe. I was able to sleep peacefully, and eventually we were able to move to a better house.

Wherever I go, and whatever comes my way, I will trust in God’s Word.

The more I study God’s Word, the more I trust in Him.

“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. Psalm 119:92

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119: 105

“You are my refuge and my shield. I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:114

This is My Journey Unscripted.

With Love, 

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Do you know Jesus?

If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you can do it now. He loves you more than you can comprehend, and it will change your life forever.

“IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH, ‘JESUS IS LORD,’ AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS WITH YOUR HEART THAT YOU BELIEVE AND ARE JUSTIFIED, AND IT IS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU CONFESS AND ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS, ANYONE WHO TRUSTS IN HIM WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME.”   ROMANS 10:9-11

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