Trust

•  Trust God to work out every situation--even those that are beyond our control.

For we have found him to be a troublemaker, a man who is constantly inciting the Jews throughout the world to riots and rebellions against the Roman government. He is a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes. Moreover he was trying to defile the Temple when we arrested him. Now it was Paul's turn. The governor motioned for him to rise and speak. Paul said, "I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, and this gives me confidence as I make my defense. These men certainly cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. (Acts 24:5,6,10,13 NLT)

Doing the Hard things

• What do you do when you have to do something you deeply dislike: Do it anyway, postpone it, or avoid it? Jonah chose the later. He ran.
  
  He did not want to preach to the people of Nineveh. He deeply despised them and wanted to see them destroyed. However, after some "encouragement" (swallowed by a giant fish!) he spoke what God told him--and the unexpected happened: Nineveh repented and was spared.
  
  Has God commissioned you to do something that seems impossible or that you do not want to do? Remember: God did not command Jonah to produce results; He only required him to complete a task.
  
  It is the same for us: Results are God's responsibility. Ours is only to complete the task He gives us. (Thinking about it that way takes some of the pressure off, doesn't it?)

---

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city--a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:1-5,10 NIV)

Humility

Be humbled by God's power so that when the right time comes he will honor you. Turn all your anxiety over to God because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 GW)

Prayer: LORD, help me humble myself before You and trust You in all situations that would cause me anxiety or worry. It is easy to overlook this aspect of humility. Keep me always mindful that You love and care about me and that I can trust You in any situation because Your promises will never fail, regardless of circumstances. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Think about it!

• Which is more important: what we do or who we are? Think about it.
  
  It is easy to be caught up in tasks and demands. I know; I am there right now. However, if in all the doing we lose our intimacy with the Lord--who we are doing things for--what good is the doing?
  
  "Accomplishments or results, however notable, are not a basis of our relationship but a result of it".

---

That evening at sunset, many sick and demon possessed people were brought to Jesus. And a huge crowd of people from all over Capernaum gathered outside the door to watch. So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak. The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. (Mark 1:32-35 NLT)

A Know it all

• One of God's qualities is omniscience. That means He knows everything. We say it almost flippantly sometimes without thinking about what it really means. That God really knows everything can be comforting or terrifying--if not both at the same time--depending on our relationship with Him and our circumstances.
  
  Example: The bad things we think or do? He already knows. And incredibly, He loves us anyway. That is comforting... and scary.
  
  So, do not hesitate to express your heart to Him: Nothing good or bad held back. You cannot surprise Him; He already knows anyway. He wants you to know that He knows and find strength in His knowing.

---

The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile. Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked. For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. (Psa 94:11-14 NIV)

The Struggle

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. (Rom 15:30-32 NIV)

The struggle

I am bent over and racked with pain. My days are filled with grief. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. Even my own family stands at a distance. Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps for me; they make plans to ruin me. They think up treacherous deeds all day long. But I am deaf to all their threats. I am silent before them as one who cannot speak. I choose to hear nothing, and I make no reply. For I am waiting for you, O LORD. You must answer for me, O Lord my God. (Psa 38:6,8-9,11-15 NLT)

Trust Him

God is always good. People are not.

• People are sometimes mean. God is not.
  
  Did I miss anything?

---

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. (Psa 25:1-5 NLT) 

Love

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?" But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 10:17-21 NIV)

A Different Weapon

• An illusionist (a.k.a. magician) distracts you from what is really happening and keeps your attention on what you think is happening. Then, when the act is over, you wonder what happened.
  
  We have an enemy that often does the same thing. Don't be deceived.

---

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor 10:3-5 NIV)

Emotions

• We have emotions because we are created in God's image; our emotions mirror His. We get into trouble when our "flesh nature" controls our emotions rather than being controlled by God's Spirit (Romans 8).
  
  Emotions can draw us to God or be the bond we feel for someone we love. They can also cause broken relationships, ruined opportunities, and so much more.
  
  Moses experienced the best and worst of both, you might say. God has given us these historical accounts in Scripture so we can learn from them. Better that way than the hard way...

---

So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes. (Deu 9:15-17 NIV)

Change

• unless you change..."
  
  Profound words. Especially when spoken by Jesus. 
  
  God has brought great revelation (and healing for me of some very, very old emotional wounds) through these circumstances. I am very grateful for that, however, this continues to be a very difficult situation on many levels day-to-day, the scope of which I simply cannot share in this brief format.
  
  

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 18:1- 4 NIV