Trusting in a Faithful God

As the final hours of 2008 dwindle away and we prepare to welcome the new year, my heart is full. Like so many others, this has been a year of great blessings, challenging difficulties, heartbreaking losses, surprising victories and certainly a few unexpected twists and turns. That being said, I feel blessed. My grateful heart has chosen thanks for each and every situation orchestrated by my loving Father this year. Do I understand them all? No. Do I still have questions? Many. Am I free of all worry and concern? In all honesty… no. But through these things has my faith grown stronger? Yes. Has my dependence on Him increased? Without question. Has He provided for every need? Undoubtedly. Can I trust in His grace and faithfulness to carry me through whatever lay ahead in 2009? Most assuredly.

Regardless of the highs and lows of any given year, my ultimate hope rests in Christ. Though momentary circumstances may at times threaten my calm, there is peace at the very core of my soul that comes from the knowing…I am His, and He is mine. There is no greater assurance we can have.

I read a beautiful passage this morning:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” ~ Lamentations 3:21-24

What a precious promise for the coming year! Not surprisingly, it brings to mind the words to a favorite hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” -- a beautiful blend of worship, thanksgiving and continuing trust in He who is most faithful. As you reflect on the passage and the words to this hymn, consider His goodness, grace, love and faithfulness to you this year. May we then fully rest with renewed hope in Him for the year to come.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not:
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus: Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided--
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow—
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

I pray God's greatest blessings for you and yours in the new year. I count your friendships among my sweetest gifts of 2008.

Much love,
Tracy

God's Cake

All this talk about cake reminded me of an e-mail I received a while back. You’ve probably seen it, too. It’s called “God’s Cake.” Though not deep theology, it is quite a vivid illustration of the way God blends everything (even the seemingly bad) in our lives, for our ultimate good.


A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says,

"Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

“Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.

"Yuck" says her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"

"Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"

"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!"

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

I hope your day is a "piece of cake!"

Commit and Rest

I read this passage today from Streams in the Desert. It spoke volumes to me and I wanted to share it with you (in paraphrased form)…

Faith is...the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1)

True faith drops its letter in the post office box, and lets it go. Distrust holds on to a corner of it, and wonders why the answer never comes. I have letters in my desk that have been written for weeks, but because of some slight uncertainty about the address or the contents, they are yet unmailed. They have not done me or anyone else any good, and they won’t -- until I let them go from my hands and trust them to the postman and the mail.

This is also the way with true faith. It hands its case over to God, and then He works. Psalm 37:5…'Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He worketh.'

But He only works when we fully commit.

Dr. Payson once said, "I have made this one test of my prayers: if after committing anything to God, I can like Hannah, come away and have my mind no longer sad, my heart no longer pained or anxious, I look upon it as proof that I have prayed in faith. But, if after praying I am still heavy with my burden, I conclude that faith was not in exercise."
~~~~~~
Lord, how I desire this kind of faith…one that casts my cares and burdens upon You and then fully lets them go. Forgive me for the times I’ve held onto them in distrust. Help me to make no effort to reclaim that which I’ve given over to You, interfere in Your workings, or anguish over Your ways and means. Instead, may I fully and completely trust in Your Sovereign will and timetable, and may my faith in You be strengthened and evidenced in the waiting… In the name of Jesus, Amen.