TrUSt

  It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. Psalm 118:8 NIV 

Girlfriends, in whom do you place your trust?

Seriously, think about it. Do you trust your spouse? Your parents? Your siblings? Your best friend? Your co-workers or classmates? Your teachers or pastor? Your dog? Yourself?

Trust No One

Many will say, "Trust no one." Looking at the world today, that advice seems sound. People disappoint one another at every turn. Infidelity, betrayal, and divorce are rampant. The news headlines today scream about Secret Service Agents engaging with prostitutes; parents stealing $1M from a disabled son's trust find; and classmates being DNA swabbed in efforts to find a 13 year old's killer. The only good news comes surprisingly from dogs in Los Angeles:

"A loyal Labrador Retriever named Maggie, who was videotaped as she guarded the body of a yellow Lab hit and killed by a car in Southern California, was reunited with her family today....Maggie's loyalty to the dead dog was so poignant and so risky that shelter workers nicknamed her Grace, as in "Amazing Grace." The video shows traffic speeding by just a few feet from the dogs."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/17/loyal-dog-who-stayed-by-dead-dog-side-reunited-with-family/#ixzz1sJi99Wpu

Leave it to the dogs to put the "us" in "trust"!

Why Trust?

I have suffered the hurt and disappointment of broken trust. Sorry to say, I have also been the perpetrator of shattered trust. Can any among us claim otherwise? As today's Psalm tells us, God is the only One in whom we can have perfect trust...even our dogs will run away, chasing squirrels, birds, or one another, given the time and freedom!

Yet, I want to be a trusting person. Being married to law enforcement can challenge me in that area. Because he daily sees the evil face of human nature, my husband can make me edgy at times. Constantly reminding me to lock the doors, hang on to my purse, or face the entrance/exits in a restaurant, he fears for our safety because he knows what the psalmist wrote: our only true safe haven is refuge in the Lord.

Nonetheless, I fancy myself to be a genuinely trusting person. I believe in the goodness of man as created in the image of God. We know Jesus conquered sin on the cross and ultimately His Goodness wins. So I try to live life accrediting righteousness to the people I encounter unless otherwise shown. I guess I just do not want to live under the shadow of mistrust and skepticism all the days of my existence, which is the reason I could never do the job my husband thankfully performs. I do not want to acknowledge and face evil on this earth. I seek justice, yet I love grace and mercy.

For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Psalm 71:5 ESV


Do I Really Trust?

So, ladies, by now you may be wondering just why I have a photo of Mandisa and friends at the top of this blog for the Girls' Night Live Tour, and what does it have to do with trusting? (If you are not wondering that because my blog is so long that you have already forgotten what photo was at the top of the page, do not feel bad. My brain works that way too!)

Mandisa's music has been an inspiration to Joslyn through her pain and medical struggles. So a few weeks ago, my daughter invited me to attend this show with her.  The performances sold out in a matter of minutes, and she had only gotten two tickets. When this past weekend arrived, we needed another ticket for either my mother-in-law or my best friend to also attend. Joslyn put out a message on the local Christian radio station's facebook page and soon received numerous offers. I texted a response and located a ticket.

Now, friends, here is where the trust part comes into play. The woman making this offer was so kind. She scanned and emailed the ticket to me without any form of prior payment or identification. She simply trusted me to mail her a check for the cost, which did not even include the fees she had paid by the way! She also told me that she was using a scanned ticket for the show the night before we were to attend and would let me know if she encountered any difficulties.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10
 
Now, you would think I would imitate her nature and mail that $20 check asap. After all, she modeled the trusting nature I admire and seek to claim. Unfortunately, a little voice crept in my head warning me to wait until after the show just to be sure the ticket was legitimate. Doubt. Apprehension. I could not even trust myself to be the trusting person I think I am.
Ugh!
Why?
Well, just that day, my daughter's friends had bought tickets from a man outside the Cardinals stadium for the 2012 World Series Champions' Home Opener game. When they reached the gate, they were told the tickets had already been scanned for admission. They had been scammed to the tune of $300. Another example of deception and dishonesty for worldly gain. That memory was fresh in my head.

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. Prov 28:5

Trust Anyway

Dictionary.com defines TRUST as "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc, of a person or thing; confident expectation of something; hope." 


Girlfriends, I want to trust. I desire faith and confidence in my family, friends, associates and the public. I regret that I doubted this sweet woman who placed her trust in me. (I mailed her a check including the fees in a thank you card for her kindness.)  Yet, I also know that God is calling me to put in Him my ultimate faith and trust for salvation from this broken world. He is the Only One Who will never betray my trust in Him.

My prayer for you today is that you will spend some time reflecting upon "trust." In whom do you trust and why? Who trusts you and why? Do you trust in the Lord? Can the Lord trust you? Pray about it!


Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV


Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28 NIV


But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. Psalm 13:5

Good Friday

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all. 

Isaiah 53:3-6 NIV

Girlfriends, we are in the holiest week of the year, and today is GOOD FRIDAY. In my heart, I ask myself what is so good about a man full of love, devotion, compassion, empathy, and caring being beaten, tortured, crucified, stabbed, killed, and thrown into a cave? I can think of a lot of words to use as a prefix for this day but "Good" would not have been one of them.

For me, this day begins as one of sorrow and sadness as I envision the sins of the world--past, present, and future--cast upon an innocent man hanging from a wooden cross by nails through His hands and feet. A guiltless man dying for me--for all of humanity. His blood purchased for me what I could not earn, an eternity in the presence of God. It saddens me to know that I contributed to Christ's suffering and pain. Who am I to deserve this priceless gift of grace?

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7 ESV

This gift of grace puts the "good" back into Easter Friday. Only a good, loving, merciful God would make such a sacrifice for disobedient, selfish, and trespassing people of which I am one.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT

Only a God of understanding would submit to the hands of evil to suffer the atrocities of this broken world in order to be a living example to us of overcoming adversity, finding strength, and gaining everlasting peace. Only a good God would offer us a choice, knowing fully well that we may turn away from His provision and choose death.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 ESV 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23 ESV

As Good Friday progresses, I begin to feel the "good" in the day--the goodness of my God, my Savior, my Jesus. The goodness of the hope His death offers to a beaten, battered, broken world and me living in it. By one man sin entered the human race and by one Man sin is forgiven for each human who comes to the foot of the cross humbly seeking restoration and salvation. That is the Good News of Good Friday!

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—Romans 5:12

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:15-17

Girlfriends, I pray you will meditate upon the meaning of "Good" in this Friday for you. Weep if you feel like weeping; cleanse your heart with tears of sorrow and grief for the suffering of the Beloved One sent to save you. But ladies, let that water wash away the debris and walk toward the place where glory will be revealed by the Resurrection in three days! Soon, my dears, soon our mourning will turn to celebration, for the grave in which Christ was laid could not hold Him. Good is about to turn into Great...a great day for all of creation!

Love you all!

Viruses

"O Lord, you will keep us safe

and protect us from such people forever."

Psalm 12:7

 My Idea

Well, once again, I sat down to write to you, my friends, with a topic in my mind. And once again, God has stepped in and said, "No-No--not your idea, but Mine!"

Now, I am not going to reveal my original plan because I want to try again later this week, but what I will tell you is that in my research stage, I contracted a virus. "Contracted" may not be the correct word since I chose to download the program that introduced that little bugger to my laptop. Suddenly, ZoneAlarm sprung into action, scanning and isolating the virus, asking me to perform an operation to erase it. Whew! Safe and sound--this time. I have not been that fortunate in the past.

As I sit here typing, I cannot help wishing for a ZoneAlarm anti-virus program for my bodily systems as well as my computer. Apparently, I contracted a virus while on vacation in Florida, and this time I think "contracted" is the right word. Somehow, this annoying illness entered my body and began wreaking havoc. I feel pretty good if I do not move or breathe! I wish I had the capability to isolate and eradicate the germs in the quick and efficient manner that the technology age employs. Alas, I will likely suffer through a few more days of misery until the normal process runs its course.

 

Viruses

 

"Suffering" and "misery" are such unpleasant words often associated with viruses. To understand why, let's go to dictionary.com for the definition of virus: (Definition #1) "an ultramicroscopic... metabolically inert, infectious agent that replicates only within the cells of living hosts." So, a virus is an infection replicating within us--miserable. (Definition #2) "a segment of self-replicating code planted illegally in a computer program, often to damage or shut down a system or network." Now, a virus is also an infection replicating within our electronics--more misery. (Definition #3) "a corrupting influence on morals or the intellect; poison." Ah, a virus is ultimately poison attacking the center of our being--total misery. Is it any wonder we are suffering?

 

At first glance, viruses appear to be at the root of suffering, sneaking their way in and taking over the host; however, the truth is that viruses are just tools used by Satan to perpetuate His plan. Satan tries to pull us away from God through misery and suffering. Make no mistake, only evil lies behind viruses as they are employed in an attempt to weaken and destroy our love and trust in God. 

Consider the first virus implanted on earth, the one Satan ambushed Eve with in the Garden of Eden. He infected her mind with prideful thoughts and doubt which have been replicating themselves in man ever since that day:

 

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”Genesis 3:1

“You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman.“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5

 

This virus, this sin stain for all mankind, came to us via choice by Eve and Adam, yet they did not create the infection. Just as I chose to click the mouse and download an enticing program, I allowed entry of the virus into my computer; however, someone else full of malice created the infection for the purpose of evil. So too Satan authored the virus that attacked our first parents, and He has been at it ever since. 

Virus Protection Plan 

The Good News is that God sent Christ to earth to live, teach, die, and raise to new life so that He could be our Savior, our Victor over sin, death, evil, and yes, viruses. Jesus is my personal "ZoneAlarm Anti-Virus Protection!" And guess what, the cost of His program is FREE! Yes, free, because He paid for it with His blood upon Calvary. Just as I can choose activity that allows viral access, I can also choose to block them with the presence of Christ and the Word in my life and my heart. 

 

Our victory over the suffering and misery caused by Satanic viruses is through Jesus Christ. When our Lord Himself was tempted by Satan, He used God's very Word to isolate the lie and destroy it:

 

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him" Matthew 4:1-11 NIV

 

Girlfriends, you and I need to model Christ. When you feel assaulted by evil, when the virus of Satan is infiltrating your system, activate your virus protection plan and delete evil with the Word of God. 

 

Name the poison, recite the remedy, and live it out daily: 

 

Impatience: 

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

Anger:  

"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

Pride:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

Greed:

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:36

Forgiveness: 

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:15

Ladies, I pray today that you have accepted the Virus Protection Plan offered to you by Jesus Christ. He gives freely to everyone, while we are still sinners, and pardons. Ask His forgiveness and be made new. Live under His umbrella of security with full access to the weapons against evil.  Give misery and suffering the boot and replace them with joy and peace. Why wait? Do it now. Viruses are lurking everywhere but our God has victory! Amen!