Trusting God in the ordinary things of life

I'm really learning how to trust God. I mean, literally. 

Yesterday I received a check in the mail. I wasn’t expecting it. It was for $100. I saw that check as a blessing. It reinforced the promise God made to me over 13 years ago that I would not have to be anxious about my finances. 

At that time, I had almost finished 14 months serving on a kids' ministry team, making about $80 a week. I had left my well-paying job, not guaranteed that I'd be hired back. 

But I was hired back, and eventually made an even higher salary. I recently retired after 27 years there. And currently my only source of income is Social Security. A much smaller amount than my work check had been. So that $100 check I mentioned meant a great deal.

The whole trusting process sounds easy. But it isn't. 

The fact is, there are times when bills come and it's a stretch to pay them. I still need to trust that God's promises are true. For example, I'm looking for part-time work. As this blog post is being written I'm waiting for a call-back following an interview at an elementary school. So I'm not speaking out of a position of absolute certainty, borne of my own ability to secure my financial future. 

I'm simply relating what God has been teaching me about how trust works in everyday life.

God has been showing me, in very concrete, extremely ordinary kinds of ways that God's promises are true and that God's words to us are true and that God is for us!

God's son said, "Peace I give you, my peace I leave you."

And that peace is part of the foundation that helps us rest secure.

We have peace because God is for us. We have peace because God is at work in our life. We have peace because none of what God has given us can be taken away – God's grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, comfort, joy – all of those things can’t be taken away from us if we remain in relationship with God.

God's son was the perfect embodiment of God. He was the perfect expression of pure love. That’s why he said, “No one gets to the Father except through me.” Part of what he meant was that if we want relationship with God, to know what that relationship looks like, if we want an example of how to go after it, we can follow the example of God's son.

Those who are grounded in relationship, those who know God, are blessed. 

Every part of our life bears fruit when we're in that relationship. In fact, there is a river flowing through our life, strengthening every aspect of our character. Those in relationship can run and not be weary, they mount up with eagle’s wings because they have learned how to wait on God. 

So that's why the photo above, with the caption: "Trusting God when you don't feel like it means you're putting your faith where your heart is," makes perfect sense to me. It means I'm not putting my hope or trust in myself, or in my ability to figure it all out. 

When troubles come, we can know exactly where to go – under the shelter of God's wings. And we can know, despite suffering, that ultimately, the tears shed as we go through trials and experience pain will ultimately be exchanged for the oil of joy. 

That is true security. That is true happiness. That is true joy. That is life without limits. That is kingdom living!! And that is true peace!

Photo Credit: www.ccsouthbay.org/blog