If you cant trace His Hand; just trust His Heart

I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. "Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." GOD's Decree. "I'll turn things around for you.(Jeremiah 29:10b-14-the msg)

Why is trusting God so difficult at times? The bible tells us to Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding. (Prov 3:5) Still, most of us have difficulty trusting God at least at one point or another in our walk with Him. There are many reasons why we find trusting God difficult.

There are times in our life when things will happen and we wonder where is God? Does he not know or understand what is happening to us? As a pastor, I have experienced a mother whose only child was murdered. There was yet another family whose only child was about to be taken away from them because they had no place to stay. Both families found it difficult to trust God in their hour of greatest darkness. I remember standing outside of the location where the mother’s son was killed and we were praying to God. Our prayer was simple, God, we do not understand why you allowed this to happen, But we trust you. We know that you are too wise to make a mistake. You see we could not trace his hand in these events, but we trusted his heart.

Many of us want life to make sense. The truth is there will be times in your life when life makes no sense at all! How can a parent who has done all the right things still have a child who turns to drugs? What about the person who has dedicated 20 years to a company and one day unexpectedly this job is gone?

God works on a different timetable than our minds comprehend. Many of us want what we want, when we want it and most of the time that is NOW! It is difficult to trust in a plan that requires us to surrender all control. In order to trust in God, you must totally surrender your will, your ideas, your desires, and your future in to God's hands. If you don't believe that God loves you fully and really does have your best interests at heart and desires the very best for you, trusting Him is going to be extremely difficult. God is calling us to believe what seems impossible. Ask him to help you believe.

Most of us have a tendency to claim trust in God. However, at the first sign of any difficulty or trial, we think that God must not love us because He is allowing this difficulty to happen. The trial is exactly what God is using to test the level of trust that we have in Him. This is not for His benefit but for ours. This is to show us the true accuracy of our trust meter. Things are always the most difficult when we can't see the other side of our troubles

I received an email from a friend which simply said: "I will handle all your problems today. God" And here are a few reminders that if you can’t trace his hand, just trust His heart:

• Believe in God.

• Believe in God's abilities.

• Believe in God's willingness to help you through a tough time

• Believe God can and will work things out for good

The Scripture reminds us that God will show up and take care of us. He has a plan for our lives, plans to take care of you, not to abandon you, to give you the future you hope for. God encourages us to call on him and when we pray he will listen. When we come looking for Him, he promises we will find Him and we will not be disappointed. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. (1 Chronicles 28:20). If you can’t trace his hand; just trust his heart. God Loves You and so do I……Pastor Tammy

Finding Hope in Difficult Times

What would it take to restore your hope? In this life, we will all find ourselves at one time needing someone to help lift our spirits. Someone to remind us that our present condition is not the conclusion of the matter. Hope means "to desire something with confident expectation of it's fulfillment." The state of Hopelessness has been suitably described as a type of "Hell on Earth" filled with endless despondency and despair.

Today, more and more people are finding themselves alone and depressed. Many of us have at one time or another felt the sting of hopelessness and despair. It is possible to find Hope in Difficult Times. Help is available, not the kind the world has wherein it wishes for the best. It is one thing to wish, and quite another to have faith based on the promises of God.

And, perhaps most important, you need direction. Psalm 16 is a great source of encouragement when you are in need of hope. Psalm 16:7-9 states I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

Even if you reach what you consider to be your lowest point, God's word say's He will never leave or forsake you (Matt 28:20). He will give you peace and comfort even in the worst of circumstances. He can and will lead you through, over or around the muck and mire of your situation, and again set your feet on solid ground.

Our God is the God of new beginnings, and with Him nothing is impossible. Whether you are very young, or considered to be very old, trust in Him because with Him it is always just the beginning. You may even find yourself in such a situation through divorce, death of a spouse, loss of health, finances, or whatever, that forces you to begin all over again, but is that so bad? Trusting God in difficult times forces us to seek His guidance, and to trust in Him.

Trusting God through these uncharted waters takes faith and courage but is worth every effort. The path of His choosing is the only one that leads to true happiness.

As the Psalmist stated in Psalm 16 I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel and even in the night seasons he will instruct me. When you can’t see your way, the Lord will instruct you. The Psalmist realized one key factor in finding hope; we must set the Lord before us always. When you truly believe God is intimately acquainted with you and your situation; and that he will put no more on you than you can bear; and that his grace is sufficient you will find hope even in the worst situation. If you can’t trace HIS hand, trust HIS heart.

In order to reap the benefits of the Christian life and to have protection, guidance, and comfort from the Holy Spirit one must first be born again and become a child of God.

The born again child of God has the unique privilege of talking to, and hearing from God, but this, the greatest resource available, is often neglected. We should always pray! Even in the darkest moments, when you don't feel His presence and think you will never smile again, pray anyway, because He is there; He is listening, and is an "ever present help in time of trouble" (Psa 46:1) God Loves You and so do I……. Pastor Tammy