Devotionals for the Heart: When you're wondering if you can trust God

Can You Fully Trust God?
A devotional by Patricia Russell

This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”—Jeremiah 17:5-7 (NIV)

“Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” is one of my favorite songs. It’s a classic.

The melody is easy. The words are simple to understand. There is one line that has become my constant prayer because I know my trust in Him will be tested often. My prayer is, “Lord, give me grace to trust You more.”

In high school, I had a teacher who taught us that trust is earned. That lesson has stayed with me over the years, particularly when people would say, often without prompting, “You can trust me.” Yet, they have only known me for five minutes.

How do you develop trust? Trust is developed in relationships when people have shared a variety of experiences together. When we first met at a youth rally, my husband did something very interesting. We had a brief conversation, but afterwards he spent the next couple of days doing research on me. He wanted to know who I was, so he did what anyone does when they’re interested in a subject: they research. This, I found very admirable. It meant that he was serious in wanting to truly know me to establish a solid relationship. Do you know that God knows us intimately right down to the very number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7).

According to Psalm 139:1-4, God tells us how important we are to Him and how much He loves us. He knows what we think, when we sit down, and how we move. When my husband tells me he loves me, it means a lot to me. When God tells us He loves us and shows us in His Word (The Holy Bible) how very important we are to Him, He wants us to know this so that we know we can trust Him. If God were to ask us to use a measure of 1 to 10—with 10 being the highest—to rate our trust in Him, how would we rate our level of trust and confidence in Him?

As we read the Scriptures, study them, and learn about who the Lord is, and see His character revealed throughout the historical records, our love for Him grows. Our confidence in Him grows. Our trust in Him should also grow. Our confidence in a God who never changes—He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—can be grounded in certainty.

Reading about Him and communicating with Him in prayer is one thing, but the greater test comes from obeying His commands. God knows what He is asking us to do, even though it may seem difficult for us. He wants us to believe He is in control. He wants us to obey Him and trust that He will work things together for our good as His Word declares in Romans 8:28. When I think about someone who was obedient to God even though it was dangerous, was Corrie Ten Boom. I highly recommend you read her book, The Hiding Place.

Corrie Ten Boom and her family rescued and hid hundreds of Jews from the Nazis. Someone betrayed her family, causing them to be arrested and taken to a concentration camp to be punished. They endured excruciating pain, heartache, stress, and torture by their enemies. Yet, because she learned from a very young age to put her faith in the One who sees, hears, and knows all things, she was set up to face this tumultuous period in her life.

Corrie felt pain in her mind, in her body, and in her soul, but after enduring, she had this to say about her God: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Although she suffered and was severely persecuted, Corrie did not backtrack on her love, commitment, and faith in her God. Her love was strengthened and her commitment grounded deeper.

Many times, it is through our suffering that our trust becomes deeper and our love for the Lord grows stronger. If you’re in a struggle right now, consider journaling the things God is teaching you as you sit in the pain. Yes, the struggle is real, but God’s love is also. Be encouraged!

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, today I trust You with my life. I do not know what the future holds, but I know that You hold the future. I’ve heard and seen You do wonderful things for others, so I trust You with my future. I trust You, Lord. Please give me grace to trust You more, especially when my mind and my heart are overwhelmed. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Song of Reflection #1: “Trust Me” by Crystal Lewis. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “I’ll Trust You, Lord” by Donnie McClurkin. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “For the Good” by Riley Clemmons. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #4: “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” by Casting Crowns. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Patricia is a worship leader, songwriter, speaker and compiler of her 2020 best-seller anthology "Stronger Resilience: Stories to Empower the Mind, Body and Spirit", as well as Lord I Trust You: Words of Encouragement to encourage readers and share life lessons during her cancer journey. 

Patricia writes, speaks, and teaches on the power of God’s Word to heal and empower you to become all that you are purposed for. She has traveled internationally and shared her gifts with audiences to encourage, empower and share life lessons through word and song. Patricia has sung on national television broadcasts and shared the stage with several respected speakers including Anne Graham Lotz and Rev. E.V. Hill.

Her greatest joy is being married to her husband, Wayne, for 34 years. Together they serve the community through their local congregation as well as providing premarital and marriage coaching. They have two adult children, Raquel and Benjamin. As a two-time breast cancer overcomer, Patricia coaches’ others to develop resilience and live life to their fullest.

Patricia has released two gospel music recordings: “Draw Me Nearer” and “Lord, I Trust You”. In March 2022, she launched her podcast “Becoming Resilient” which can be downloaded wherever you get your podcasts and also seen on YouTube.

When not reading or studying, Patricia loves to eat Thai food and spend time with “Lucy” – her daughter’s Yorkie-poo who has taken up room in her heart.

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Connect with Patricia:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrussellsings/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.russell.98877/
Email Patricia: patrussellsings@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: God can help you believe in Him if you ask

Asking God to Help My Unbelief
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”—Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)

Lately, the Lord has been asking me the question, “Do you believe?”

Repeatedly, I find myself answering, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

This situation makes me think deeply about what we want out of our life. And it makes me wonder, “Why are so many of us hesitant to ask or believe God for great things?” Though we read of miracles throughout the Bible and hear of modern miracles such as the “unexplained” disappearances of cancer cells in a person’s body, it is so easy to act as though those things were for other times or other people. We would never deny that it is within God’s power to do them, yet we are reluctant to ask for these miracles. Or if we do ask, we do so with lingering doubt.

Let me say that it is important to recognize that God’s answers to our prayers may not look like we expect or want them to. However, we have to check our heart when we pray. For example: When I pray for someone’s healing, why do I feel the need to tack on, “God, even if Your ultimate healing is to bring that person home to be with you.” Am I genuinely relying on God’s sovereign plan or am I safeguarding myself because I already believe that what I’m asking for isn’t going to happen?

Even as I write this devotional, I have to let that thought sink in. For many years, I have unwittingly fostered the attitude that what I am asking God for probably isn’t going to happen. Even when He has given me a specific promise, I tend to treat it with an “If God blesses me with this” mindset, rather than a “When God fulfills His promise” mindset.

Recently, I have been convicted about that, and I have started to open up to God about it. My fear of Him not coming through, coupled with the tendency in many churches to brush these things aside, left me feeling alone and sitting on this promise in silence instead of pursuing it prayerfully with trusted friends. I was even discouraged from talking to my husband about it.

Where does this fear of believing come from? God spoke to people many times in the Bible. He made promises and fulfilled them just as He said He would. Battles were won, miraculous provisions were made, people were healed or even brought back from the dead. Who are we to think that the God who did those things thousands of years ago doesn’t work the same way today? Has He changed?

Malachi 3:6 says that God never changes! Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Numbers 23:19 (ESV) says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

I know how it feels to think, “Maybe I heard God wrong.” For those like me who are a little thick-headed or slow to hear, God is patient. Sometimes, He confirms things over and over until we get it. I really don’t believe that it is wrong to ask for confirmation either, especially if it is a matter of importance. God already knows that sometimes we lack faith, so it is better to be honest with Him about it than refuse to keep an open line of communication with our Father in Heaven.

It’s time to grab hold of God’s promises! I’m not saying to, “Name it and claim it.” I’m saying, “Take God at His word.” Maybe it simply means speaking honestly about what God has told you, or maybe it means acting on those things.

Remember: God can give us the faith we need to please Him and move mountains. All we need to do is ask Him, believe in Him and put our faith into action.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me for any areas in which I have allowed unbelief to prevent me from walking in Your promises. Even if they remain unfulfilled, help me to begin to walk as though they are assured because in You, they are. If I need to share my prayer requests with trusted friends who genuinely believe in You, help me to tell them how they can support me in prayer. If there are actions I need to take, empower me to do those things. May You be glorified as I take increasing steps of faith. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “What Faith Can Do” by Kutless. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

The only child of a single parent, Aubrey Taylor filled her younger years by creating characters and writing stories. This ended around age sixteen when music, friends and part-time jobs began to fill her time. After that came college, work, marriage, and children. 

It wasn’t until the world was beginning to come out of the COVID pandemic that God led her back to her love for writing, coupled with a passion she’d always had for history. It was time to start a new adventure!

Along with writing devotionals, Aubrey is the author of the German-perspective 20th Century Fiction series, Gott Mit Uns. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children. When she’s not writing or taking care of her home and family, she enjoys singing and dancing with friends from a German choir and a Bavarian folk dancing group. She is also a lover of Jesus Christ, The Holy Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats!

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8