Trust

Be Still And Wait For Him

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“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.”[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

We are so impatient and so hurried.  We all spend so much energy on trying to save time and want everything to happen on our own personal time table.  We were not created to go full speed all the time and to expect things immediately…the goal is not to fill time with life…we should strive to fill life by spending appropriate time in all areas of life.  Starting with relationships…we were made to be in communion and community.  In communion with God our Creator and in community with each other…focusing more of our efforts on our relationship with God by taking the first step (Love God) and then working on our relationships with each other (Love Others).  Be still and wait for the Lord.  Peace be with you.

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“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!”

Isaiah 30:18 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the north shore of Lake Superior)

Trust In The Lord

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“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

When you feel lost or alone…frustrated or disappointed…uncertain or afraid, turn towards the Lord in prayer.  Put your trust in Him, He is always with you.

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“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:3-4 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2022 at Temperance State Park in northern Minnesota)

Listen…Do What It Says

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“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Matthew 7:24 NIV

It is one thing to read or listen to the Word of God…it is the next step in your faith journey to do what it says.  We can go our whole lives reading the bible and listening to God’s word in church and if we never put it into practice in our lives…what have we accomplished?  The bible is filled with Action words and many of them came directly out of the mouth of Jesus Christ.  We are to go and do what He commands us to do.  May His peace go with you.  Amen.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 NIV

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“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

James 1:22-25 NIV

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 on Beartooth Pass in Montana)

Trust The Lord

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“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:1-2 NIV

“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.“

Psalm 91:9-12 NIV

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“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.“

Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 in northern Colorado)

Trust In The Lord

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.”[a]

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Instead of trying to control things beyond your reach…put your trust in the Lord.  Trust His way…trust His timing and trust the outcome to Him who has done more for you than any person in your life.  He is with you, He is for you.  Trust in the Lord.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Angels

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“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them.”

Psalm 34:7 NIV

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“If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:9-12 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Plans…Purpose

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.”

Proverbs 16:3 NIV

If we try to do things our own way for our own purposes all the time we will find discouragement and frustration.  Our purpose comes from the Lord, our Creator.  His purpose is based on love and if we are willing to follow Him we will find His way is better for us, His plan is for our good, we can put our hope in the Lord and trust His plan and purpose for our life.  Amen.

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“Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Proverbs 19:21 NIV

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

Work In Progress

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“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:4-6 NIV

Each day we are alive means God is still working on us.  He knows the number of our days and He is with us for each and every one of them.  It is up to us to seek Him…to acknowledge Him and His Presence…we are tasked with learning, growing and sharing as we go…it doesn’t have to be perfect and it never will be.  God tells us we are His work in progress and if we live our lives trusting, believing in and spending time with Him good things will come.  Amen.

God’s Not Done With You by Tauren Wells

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“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Commitment

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“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

Commitment is hard when things are difficult, when it feels like at every turn we try and failure is right there to greet us.  When we commit to something we naturally put some level of our own expectations of how things should go or what we believe should be the outcome.  Here is the issue with this approach…we are setting “our expectations” on the result with little regard for God’s will and God’s plan.  Following our faith and trust in the Lord means we can be free from the limited results our own minds can generate and be open to new possibilities.  For me this is hard to grasp and at times very difficult to embrace…even Jesus struggled in the last moments of His commitment to save us right before He was arrested and He prayed to His Father…“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  – Luke 22:42  Bring your commitments to the Lord in prayer and seek His will.  Listen for Him and for the Holy Spirit to guide you…find your quiet place and quiet time and rest in Him.  May the peace and joy of the Lord be with you.  Amen.

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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

Psalm 143:8 NIV

(This photo was taken in June of 2013 near Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)

Taste And See

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“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 34:8 NIV

If ever there was a time to explore faith…to grab a bible, sit down and ask God the questions you want to ask…if ever there was a time to be able to step away from the busyness and read what God has said in the bible.  As with everything, the current days  are all about your perspective…you can choose to complain about what you can’t do or where you aren’t able to go…and focus on why a self-serving life is not satisfying…or you can take the opportunity to learn more about God your creator and to seek a relationship with Jesus Christ…take time to taste and see what faith is all about.  Amen.

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“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

1 Peter 2:1-3 NIV

(This photo was taken in December of 2018 while visiting the Bahamas)