Kathy Howard's Blog: Unshakeable Faith for Life, page 77

Battle Against Excess – Stuffed with Stuff

The popular children’s book “If You Give Mouse a Cookie” teaches some serious truth. When the mouse gets a cookie, he wants some milk to go with it. Then, he wants a straw for his milk… And on it goes.

We are the same. Some is never enough. If we get a bigger house, we “need” more furniture to fill it up. Then we need more lamps and pictures and throw pillows. Stuff tends to breed more stuff.

Rick Warren wrote about this in a recent devotional:

The problem with stuff is, the more you have, the more it takes to take care of it all — the more you have to clean it, the more you have to protect it, the more you have to insure it, and the more you have to repair it.  It isn’t too long before stuff dominates your life.

The 7 Experiment

In Week Four of “The 7 Experiment” Jen Hatmaker focuses on possessions. She digs deep into a well-known section of the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus had to say on the subject:

Jesus knew that an excess of stuff gets us off track spiritually. Here are a few things Jen pointed out in Matthew 6:19-24.

Material possessions don’t last.
Our heart will be wherever we invest our time, resources, and energy.
If we spend a large percentage of our life on acquiring and caring for our possessions, we end up wasting a lot of our life.
Greed swallows generosity.
We cannot serve stuff and Jesus at the same time.

The primary problem with possessions is they can so easily possess us. Stuff weighs us down and wraps us up. It turns our heart and soul away from God.

What’s the answer? How can we keep from becoming a slave to our possessions and keep our heart on Christ? It may mean an overnight, dramatic lifestyle change if that’s how God directs. But it may be a change in direction, decision by decision – the next one, then the next one.

I love Jen Hatmaker’s advice in this lesson:

Imagine this part of discipleship as a thousand little moments, thousands of small decisions that bit by bit, choice by choice, slowly draw us under the leadership of the correct Master. Every day, we have incremental chances to store up heavenly treasures… to serve and love our God and His people… Each small decision connects to the next and slowly forms a new pathway… They begin revealing a heart that loves people more than possessions, justice more than a huge savings account.

For the long term, each day, in each decision, let’s choose God, His Kingdom purposes, and people over more stuff.

Clothing Fast Flash Back

Before we get to this week’s challenge, I want to share how my clothing fast went. Pulling the first 75 items out of my closet was fairly easy. But the next 55 was difficult. I had to keep reminding myself I do not need all these clothes.

At the beginning of my “clearing out” God showed me again how awesome He is. He connected my clothing excess with a need. I was chatting with a friend a church who had just gone with a group to a Houston homeless shelter. They had taken things for the men but discovered they needed women’s clothing. I told her what I was doing in my closet and she said she would love to have the clothes for the shelter!

Possession Fast

I’ve been praying and thinking about what God would have me do regarding a “possessions fast.” Honestly, I don’t have an answer yet. I am asking God to connect specific needs with things I have, and help me give it cheerfully. (Maybe I’ll have an update on Thursday!)

In the meantime, I will continue to work on my closet and I am going to clear our half of my costume jewelry. (Did I mention I am also a jewelry hound? And no, I did not count this in the clothing area.) Clothing and accessories are definitely my problem areas.

Here are some suggestions for you from Jen Hatmaker:

Ask each family member to purge 7 items a day for the week.
Give away 7 items from every room and closet in your house.
Choose 7 categories to purge, like toys, kitchen goods, linens, etc.
Have a garage sale and use the proceeds to charity.
Sell big-ticket items online and donate the proceeds.

The key to breaking free from slavery to possessions is to open our hand and give. To swim upstream against the culture flow of acquiring more and more stuff. Freedom is found in giving.

Let’s talk about this. In what ways have you been held captive by possessions? What is God leading you to do this week to break free?

 

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Praise God!

When was the last time you praised God for His creation? How long has it been since you stood in amazement at His power and creativity? Recently, I was reminded that our Creator is indeed awesome!

Monday, my daughter and I took my grandson Micah to the zoo. It was his first time. And even though it was like 130 degrees outside – well, it was really more like 95, but it felt like 130 – we had a great time.

I’ve seen elephants, anteaters, rhinos, and lions before, but seeing them with Micah was like seeing them for the first time. He pointed and grinned. He oohed and ahhed.

The giraffes were definitely his favorite. We stood and watched the long-necked mammals for a long time. When one spread her front legs wide in order to lean over far enough to eat something off the ground, Kelley and I began to catch Micah’s attitude.

Why do we lose the wonder? How can we gaze at a giant pachyderm and not praise the One who shaped its sturdy legs and agile trunk? Just consider the variety of mammals alone. With 5,400 species, mammals range in size from the tiny Pygmy Shrew to the massive Blue Whale. God made it all for His glory and our enjoyment. And yet so often we fail to praise Him.

Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small.

 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

Psalm 104:1, 24-25, 33-34

Let’s think about God’s glorious creation today and praise Him for what He has made!

What animals do you think are great examples of God’s creativity and power?

Battle Against Excess – Dethroning the Fashionista

Note: This is the 4th post in a series. I’ve declared war on excess and you’re invited to join me.

Seven days without coffee or chocolate and I survived! The biggest thing I learned during the food fast week is that walking away from foods I love will not kill me. Granted, there were moments during the first couple of days I thought I could kill for a cup of coffee. But every time I craved it or one of the other items on my fast list, I really tried to keep the spirit of the fast and purposefully turned my thoughts to God. And that is definitely one of our primary purposes for fasting.

Here are a few thoughts I’ve been turning over in my brain since the end of the week:

I knew that on Day 8, I could eat the foods again. Did that make it easier? Could I give something up permanently if God asked me to?
How can this one-week food fast translate into a lifetime of not allowing food to control me? Perhaps, I need to do this very regularly.
If I can eliminate excess in the area of food in my own life, how can that help the underfed anywhere? I’m not sure what to do with this.

What do we DO with this?

Here’s something else I’m really grappling with: I don’t want to merely rid my life of excess and the attitudes that come with materialism. I want to use the resources God has dropped into my life to help someone who doesn’t have enough. But the needs seem so great, the problems so overwhelming, it feels like one drop of rain in the desert. Are you with me?

I Don’t have Anything to Wear!

I won’t be able to answer these questions overnight. In the meantime, we need to move on to our next area of fasting. This week I’m going to be really vulnerable with you. This clothing thing hits close to home. I love clothes. I love shopping. The problem is not that I spend too much on any one thing. I simply have wayyyy too much.

In her book “The 7 Experiment,” author Jen Hatmaker shows from Scripture that our obsession with clothing and our outward appearance are signs of a moral and spiritual issue:

We fill our closets with far more than we need, while others go without. (Isaiah 3:13-23)
We tend to show favoritism and make judgments on an individual’s character or worth based on how they’re dressed. (James 2:1-6)
Many Christians spend far too much time, energy, and money on “fashion.” (Matthew 6:28-30)
Even Christians abuse and overindulge in fashion in an attempt to shape an image of ourselves for others through what we wear. (1 Peter 3:2-4)

I’ve known for a while this should be an issue for me, but this study has forced my hand. Jen challenged us to count the items in our closet. So I did. I counted clothes, belts, scarves, shoes, and purses. The number is outrageous: 511

I have definitely overindulged in clothing. There were many items I hadn’t worn in a year or more. There was so much in my closet I “discovered” things I had forgotten I had.

Fast Challenge for the Week

For her clothing fast, Jen Hatmaker limited her wardrobe to seven items for a month. Our fast is just a week, and we can determine exactly how and what we fast. I felt led to do something a little different. I want to do something permanent that has the possibility of changing my attitude and habits for the long-term. So I’ve challenged myself to reduce my total clothing item number by 25%.

This is a “before” picture of my closet. I plan to reduce my total by a minimum of 128 items, leaving a maximum of 383. And even more if I can. Next week, I’ll let you know how it goes and show you an “after” photo.

Here are a few questions I’d love for us to discuss today. Jump in and share!

How much time, energy, and money do you spend on clothing?
What do you want your clothes to communicate about you?
Do we view our material resources as our own to use solely for ourselves or do we see them as a potential source to battle injustice and help others?

 

 

Celebrating Ice Cream

I’m supposed to be working on a different post. But I just found out that tomorrow is National Ice Cream Day. So, I couldn’t resist writing a quick blog about ice cream and sharing a recipe.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. In the proclamation, the President called for all people of the United States to observe these events with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.” I’m in!

My childhood is laced with sweet memories of ice cream. Weekends at the lake watching my dad make ice cream with the old hand crank freezer. He let us “help” at the beginning before the cranking got too difficult. Mom making “sherbert” with Nehi Grape soda or crushing Butterfinger candy bars to dump in a batch of vanilla. My parents, brother, and I ate a lot of homemade ice cream while playing cards or dominoes on a Saturday afternoon.

Coconut Key-Lime Cookie Ice Cream

The ice cream tradition has carried over into my own family. We’ve had several electric freezers over the years, some better than others. But last year, Wayne bought a nice freezer from Bass Pro Shop. It has both an electric and hand crank options. When he brought it home, I started playing with recipes. I developed one for a contest at a women’s event at church and brought home first prize. I’m willing to share my recipe for Coconut and Key Lime Cookie Ice Cream.

Slow down. Enjoy your summer. Share this great tradition with your family. And may your ice cream celebrations be filling and fulfilling!

Share with us: What’s your favorite ice cream? What are your favorite ice cream memories?

 

Pleasing God – Intentional or Optional?

 

I’m thrilled to have Poppy Smith as my guest today. This post is adapted from I’m Too Human to Be Like Jesus: Spiritual Growth for the Not-So-Perfect Woman.  I sure can identify with that. Welcome Poppy!

“Lord, give me patience,” I prayed silently. “She is so irritating that I don’t think I can stand it!”

Driving to an event with another couple, I sat in the backseat with my companion, trapped and forced to listen to her non-stop monologue. She repeatedly jabbed her finger toward me, reinforcing her outrageous assertions. Apart from one brief challenge, I remained silent.

Staggering out of the car at our destination, I moaned to God, “I can’t face this again on the way home. I hate this and I don’t like what she’s saying or how dogmatic she is. But I know You love her. Please show me how I can love her, too.”

Much as I want to please God, it can be a challenge to do what Jesus commands and love others, especially people I’d rather avoid. In all honesty, I have to ask myself, “Does my willingness to please God depend on my circumstances or moods?” Too often, it does.

[image error]In I’m Too Human to Be Like Jesus, I write about finding the spiritual P.O.W.E.R. to become more like Jesus. (This acrostic stands for: Prayer. Obedience. Word of God. Examination. And, Relinquishment.)

Obedience to Jesus—doing what He asks of us even when we’re irritated, frustrated, and ready to blow—is foundational to a life that reflects Him. It’s something we can’t do in our own strength, but we can do it in His. Difficult as it was, Jesus did what pleased His Father (John 17) and that’s what He asks of those who follow Him. Here are three reasons why:

1. Obedience proves we love Him (John 14:23). Words are easy to say but the genuineness of our claim is demonstrated by action. When Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi, he specifically complimented them on their obedience to God (Philippians 2:12).  Why were they obedient? Not for appearance sake, but because it was their heart’s desire. They longed to please God first, to do what made God happy.

Question: Has God shown you some action or attitude that needs changing? Join me in praying for the patience, understanding and love we need to do what He asks.

2. Obedience proves we trust Him (Joshua 1:1-2).  Doing what God says can be tough. When Joshua was told to get the Israelites ready to cross the river Jordan, the proof of trust was their obedience. When God asks you to do something difficult—to restore a broken friendship, to forgive a father or husband for betraying you, to wish the best for someone who got the promotion you wanted—your obedience proves you trust God.

Question: Do you listen to your feelings that scream, “I can’t do this”? (As I did!) Or will you say, like Joshua, “God, I know you love me and mean this for my best. I trust you and believe that you will help me to act as your child, regardless of circumstances.”

3. Obedience proves He is Lord. We live in a world that says, “Don’t let anyone tell you what to do,” but as Christians we’re called to willingly let Someone else do just that. When we say yes to Jesus and obey what He says, even if it’s costly, we’re declaring to those around us that following Him is more important than putting our preferences first. To obey says: Jesus is Lord.

Question: How do you show that your life is yielded to Jesus?

 

Bio: Poppy is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Battle Against Excess – Food Fight

One of the greatest areas of excess and waste in our country – and in our homes – is food. Think about the amount of food we throw out every day. Things that sit in our fridge and go bad. Piles of food left on plates in restaurants.

I have a dare for you. Count the food items in your pantry and fridge. How does that make you feel? Here’s a pic of my pantry. I plan to do some serious cleaning out this week.

The first fast of “The 7 Experiment” is a food fast. (In my last post, we talked about the need to fast in general.) In her book, Hatmaker goes into a lot of detail about food in general, God’s dietary guidelines, and what is healthy for our bodies. She also elaborates on the need to care for our physical bodies since we are temples of the Holy Spirit.

“True Christianity is certainly more than eating and drinking, but it may be wise to consider that God desires for us to exercise stewardship over our bodies just as He expects stewardship over our resources. Maybe housing the Spirit of God is still holy territory. Do we treat our bodies like vessels of the very presence of the great I Am?”

What concerns might God have about the way you feed and treat your body? Are there some specific trouble areas?

In the Bible, the Greek and Hebrew words translated as “fast” mean “abstinence from food.” Jesus assumed His followers would fast. He knew the benefit. The Bible does not go into the specifics of how to fast. Hatmaker says this emphasizes the spirit of the fast over the letter of the law. “God spoke of our motives in fasting rather than the mechanics.”

Let’s pause and check our motives. “Fasting” is not to manipulate God; it’s for our own spiritual breakthrough. What results from a food fast do you hope for?

Shaping Your Fast

For her food fast, Hatmaker restricted her diet to 7 foods only. She did her research and chose things that would best keep her diet healthy and balanced. Hatmaker encourages readers to seek guidance from God and fast in a way that will best foster our individual spiritual growth. Her one stipulation was to keep it simple and eat healthy, “real” food. She suggests several options in her study. Here’s an abbreviated version:

Eliminate a number of items with no real nutritional value.
Eliminate fast food or processed food.
Eat the same simple foods or meals each day.
Eliminate your favorite “go-to” foods.
Eat only what you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.
Cut your weekly grocery budget by a certain percentage.
Fast one meal a day.

In order to help you decide what your fast should look like, really think about where you need a breakthrough. Consider how you answered the question about trouble areas above. For instance, there are certain foods in which I tend to overindulge or consume for comfort. I believe God would have me fast from these specific items. That’s why for this week of our food fast I am eliminating these biggies:

Coffee, chocolate, chips, ice cream, sugar in general, and all processed foods

I have to tell you – coffee is huge for me. I drink it throughout the morning and sometimes I have an afternoon Starbucks run or fire up the Keurig. And considering that about 6 weeks ago I eliminated gluten from my diet because of some health issues, I’ve already had some big changes recently.

What will you fast? How will help you shift your focus to God?

In addition to eliminating certain foods, Hatmaker offered readers some additional challenges. While most of us have plenty of food, not everyone in our communities do.

Read Matthew 25:35-40. What Kingdom principle is found in these verses that we should apply to our own lives?

Here are a few ways we can simplify our food issues and expand our focus on those in need:

Clean out the fridge, pantry, and freezer of anything you haven’t used in the last 3 months or that is unhealthy.
Volunteer and/or give to your local food bank, homeless shelter, or food kitchen.
Keep several “emergency food bags” in your car to give to people you pass who need help. (I tell what should be included in this post from 2009.)

I’d love to know what you’ll be fasting and why. Also share with us what spiritual breakthrough you long for God to accomplish!

Battle Against Excess – The Plague of Plenty*

When Jesus walked the earth, He said many things people found difficult to accept. One statement in particular emphasizes the necessity to fight this battle against excess in our lives.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard to a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easer for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:23-24, NIV

I’ve got good news and bad news. Bad first: There was not a Jerusalem gate named “Eye of the Needle.” Jesus truly meant that wealth keeps people from God. Now the good news: In verse 26, Jesus told His disciples that what is impossible for people is more than possible for God. We have hope!

The Hindrance of Wealth

Let’s chew on this for a moment.

How does “wealth” hinder a person’s relationship with God? Come up with as many things as you can think of.

Abundance or “lack of need” fosters self-sufficiency. Without a sense of need, we depend on ourselves and fail to turn to God. Our desire to “deny self and take up our cross” to follow Jesus wanes.

Do you consider yourself rich? Why or why not?

In “The 7 Experiment,” Jen Hatmaker points out that anyone who lives on $35,000 a year is in the top 4% of wealth in the world. $50,000? The top 1 percent. The problem is we usually compare ourselves to the small percentage of people who have more than us, rather than to the majority of people who have less.

How often have you had to go hungry? Have you ever been homeless? When did you not have adequate clothing to wear? Materially, I have never truly known need. And I dare say most of you haven’t either. Believers, we are rich.

This issue has been stewing in my brain for a while. Here are a few critical reasons I believe wealth – or lack of need – hinders us from pursuing Christ fully and passionately.

We slip into cherishing the gift instead of the giver.
Things become crutches that foster self-dependence.
We try to fill spiritual needs with things when we should be going to Christ.

Jesus warned us about this early in His ministry during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6.

Read Matthew 6:19-21. What are the weaknesses of earthly things? What is the value of spiritual things? What is the core danger of pursuing earthly things?

Break the Hold with a Fast

In “The 7 Experiment,” Jen Hatmaker challenges readers to fast in 7 critical areas. These areas – food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress – all have the potential to become idols in our lives, to greatly hinder our relationship with God.

So how does fasting help? In her book “Live a Praying Life,” Jennifer Kennedy Dean explains fasting this way:

“Fasting is a way to let go of that which binds us to this physical world in order to receive all our sustenance from the spiritual world. In fasting, you determine for a period of time you will deny your physical cravings to focus on your spiritual cravings… Fasting will sensitize you to the things of the spiritual realm so that you will be more aware of His presence and His present tense voice.”

When we fast, our goal is to replace the physical with the spiritual. In the process we seek God’s intervention and petition Him for a spiritual breakthrough.

“Fasting is an intentional reduction, a deliberate abstinence to summon God’s movement in our lives. A fast creates margin for God to move.” Jen Hatmaker

In Monday’s post, I will introduce the first of seven “fasts.” Our goal is to give God space to move and work in our lives. Between now and Monday, prayerfully consider the following:

What are the strongholds in your life?
What hinders you from drawing close to God?
What things control you?
Where do you need a breakthrough?!

I’d love for you to share your thoughts on these things in the comments section.

*Note: Originally I intended on starting the food fast in today’s post. But when I started working through the material, I found so much I wanted to share with you! Come back Monday for the start of the food fast. In the meantime, spend some time in prayer.

Battle Against Excess – You’re Invited to Enlist

Today begins my rebellion.  I have been complacent too long.  I’ve bought into the messages of our culture. Those not so subtle teachings that we really do need more stuff, bigger houses, larger plates to fill.

But in recent months God has been pointing out some areas of excess in my own life and showing me truth in His Word. (I wrote a bit more about this in an earlier blog post.) I’m not sure where it’s all headed, but the first step along the journey is to examine my life more closely in the light of God’s Word.

The 7 Experiment

This week I’m starting the study “The 7 Experiment” by Jen Hatmaker. She’s way ahead of me on this journey. God called her to fight back against our culture of excess by fasting in 7 critical areas over 7 months: Food, clothes, possessions, media, waste, spending, and stress. Her study covers them in 7 weeks, plus an intro and wrap-up.  Each week, Hatmaker calls readers to “fast” from excess in that area.

You’re invited to join me as I work my way through this study. Two options: 1)You can get a copy of her book for yourself and do the complete study; or 2) You can do an abbreviated version with me here on this blog. I will post about my journey each Thursday, starting July 11.

Each Thursday I will:

Introduce the area of excess
See what God’s Word says about it
Tell you what God has asked me to do for the week
Challenge you to take part

The Tyranny of Things

When God wants to make sure we get something, He usually shows us the same truth repeatedly from multiple directions. In addition to starting “The 7 Experiment” this week, I’ve been reading A.W. Tozer’s book “The Pursuit of God.” In the second chapter, “The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing,” Tozer elaborates on how our pursuit of “things” can easily replace our pursuit of God.

God gave us endless gifts in this life to enjoy. But our fallen human nature tends to exalt those things over the God who gave them to us. We allow them to push God off His rightful throne in our hearts and sit there to rule. The list of possible rulers is endless: things, relationships, power, position, money, entertainment, and more. But the result is the same. We pursue things over God and in the end our possessions possess us. Tozer calls this the “tyranny of things.”

“The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.”

God’s Word on Excess

The Bible has a lot to say about the dangers of plenty. When Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, Moses warned them about the danger of living with no material need.

Read Deuteronomy 8:6-19. What is the primary danger to our souls?

No matter how much we have in this life, it will never be enough to buy our salvation or redeem our soul (Psalm 49:7-8). So why do we run after things so hard? We only end up materially rich and soul poor.

Read Matthew 16:24-26. What did Jesus say about this?

This week’s challenge

My personal goal for this journey is to take “things” off the throne of my heart and put God back where He belongs. Will you join me? If so, here’s my challenge for you before Thursday (I will be doing the same things):

Pray about the condition of your heart when it comes to excess and stuff.
Evaluate your motivation for “fasting” from excess. Is it for obedience and worship?
If God has revealed you have a problem with excess and you are ready to allow Him to change your heart, commit to this journey with me.

What do you think? Do you think many Christians struggle with excess? What about you? Is there a specific area of weakness for you? Let me know if you plan to journey with me over the coming weeks.

 

Happy Dependence Day

This post originally appeared on July 5, 2010.

Today is Independence Day for the United States of America. July 4th commemorates that day in 1776 when, as a people, we declared our independence from Great Britain. Our forefathers declared the right to “dissolve the political bands which have connected them” to Britain and claimed the right “to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station” to which they were entitled.

Independence from Britain was a great and good thing for the people that became the United States of America. But independence is not a good thing for the people of God. In fact, as God’s people we should make a formal “Declaration of Dependence” on our Creator.

Those of us, who have been born again spiritually, by the power of God in Christ, have no rights. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20). We have been set free from the bondage of sin and death so we can become slaves of Christ (Romans 6:22).

In fact, according to the Bible, we are totally dependent on God for everything. We can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5) but with Him we can do everything (Phil 4:13). Without Him, nothing. With Him, everything.

So why do I still try to do things my way, in my own power and strength? Maybe it’s because I still think too much of myself and too little of Him.

Lord, I declare today “Dependence Day.” Will you help me be totally and utterly dependent on you in everything I say and do?

What about you? Does our culture of independence get in your way of depending completely on God?

Who You Gonna Trust?

Would you rather be cursed or blessed? I dare say almost – if not all – of us would choose blessings over curses.

But the sad truth is that at times all of us actually choose curses.

The Bible teaches two choices for how a person can live her life. It’s laid out really clear for us in Jeremiah.

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

6 They are like stunted shrubs in the desert with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

The choice seems like a no-brainer, yet again and again I end up relying on myself or other people rather than putting my trust, hope, and confidence in God alone.

Why do I do that? Why would I choose stunted growth and a future with no hope over a healthy, fruitful life?

Curses or blessings? Death or life? The choice is simple, but not easy. I long to fully and always trust God, but my sinful human flesh keeps popping up. “You can handle this just fine.” “God wouldn’t take care of it the way you want.” “God is really dragging His feet on this one.”

Today I purposefully choose to trust in God and not in myself. Today, I choose to remember who measures the oceans in the palm of His hand and weighs the mountains on a scale. Today I choose blessings.

What about you? In what situations do you find it hardest to trust in God?