by Phillip Lemons
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Can I believe God loves me and not trust Him to take care of me?
The question came as I was wrestling with whether to trust God with something important. I say I believe God loves me. I say I believe He has my best interest in mind. Yet somehow, I’m uncertain. Like a kid who is told to eat his broccoli because it’s good for him, I think, yeah but it can’t taste as good as cake.
Sometimes it’s easy to trust God, but in other times I’m just not quite sure. I grew up afraid I would end up marrying an ugly woman. Somehow I got it into my mind that marrying a pretty woman was like eating cake instead of broccoli. That there could be a pretty woman that was also on God’s approved list was unthinkable. After all, to want to marry a pretty woman is selfish. For years I wrestled, afraid to pursue what I wanted and afraid to end up with what God wanted.
So we come back to the question. Can I believe God loves me and not trust Him to take care of me? Does a God who wants my best interest desire to stick me with a wife I don’t want? Somehow this doesn’t add up to me.
“When your son asks you for fish or for bread, do you give him a snake or a stone?” Jesus asks. “If sinful people know how to give good gifts to their children, wouldn’t God who is perfect give good gifts to His children when they ask” (See Matthew 7:9-11)?
Later Paul asks, “If God was willing to give His own Son to die for us, why would He refuse to give us a good gift of lesser cost?” (See Romans 8:32)
The only way I can believe God loves me and not trust Him to take care of me is to believe He’s too weak to take care of me. An all powerful god who doesn’t have my best interest in mind clearly does not love me. Can I look at the sacrifice of Jesus and believe God doesn’t love me passionately? That He isn’t willing to spare any cost to get me back?
Does God love me? Do I trust Him?
~Father God,
I want to love and trust You. Sometimes it seems like you don’t care, that you aren’t paying attention. Help me to remember how You’ve come through for me in the past. Remind me of the promises You’ve given in Your Word. Help me to eat my broccoli, even when I’d rather have cake. Most of all help me to always remember Your sacrifice for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Questions: As was asked in the devotional, “Does God love me? Do I trust Him?” Do you believe that God is there for you in the situation you are in now?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalformen/authors/phillip-lemons/
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THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN IN PAIN THAT I HAVE THOUGHT THAT GOD WASN’T LOOKING AFTER ME BUT I DO KNOW IN MY HEART, SOUL AND MIND THAT HE IS THERE FOR ME EVEN WHEN I DON’T FEEL THAT HE IS
CHRIS T.
i do beleive God is with me all of the time even in hard times
sharon b
Just yesterday in my Sunday School Class we studied about God the Creator. The same question was asked, Do we believe that God loves us, and do we believe he will supply all of our needs? I struggled with that. I bleieved that God loves me, but I was unsure that he supplied all of our needs. God just spoke the Word and everything was created. It was not some big bang theory like they are trying to teach now. I believe that God is always with me, I need more faith to truley believe that he supplies all of my needs. I don’t know why I have a problem with that, as I have had several prayers answered. I know the difference between wants and needs. Please pray for me. Thank You. Jean B.
A couple of years ago,I was facing the biggest storm of my life. I was told I had liver cancer and I would need a transplant to survive.The night after I was told I had cancer, I laid in bed praying and saying God, they told me I have cancer. I heard the Lord speak to my spirit. He said, you go to church, you say you trust me, but do you really? It hit me like a ton of bricks. At that moment I had to say, God I want to trust you, but I am araid. He already knew I was afraid. It took a while but thru all of it, I learned that I could trust Him and that He does love me and no matter what I go thru, and thru the times we dont feel Him. He is always there. Thanks and God bless.
Oh Yes, I know God loves me. As I think back on my life..even as a small child I can see His Hand on me. As a teen, I see His Hand on me. As a young wife and mother, I see His hand on me. During my 40’s, when my life fell apart….tho I didn’t feel His love, I now can see His Hand on me.
There are no words to describe His love for His children. He has walked with me when I thought I was walking alone in the dark, and He has carried me, when I couldn’t walk.
Can I trust Him. Oh Yes, I can trust Him and do trust Him with my life. I claim Proverbs 3: 5 & 6………I don’t have to understand. I will stand on His word…..’For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angles, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creatures, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus…my Lord’.
Oh how I love Him today. Oh what a Savior…….who would take “my” sins….and give His life, so that I can live eternally. As I bow before Him, praising and worshiping Him, pouring my heart out to Him..seeking His Face, desiring an intimate walk…….I will never be able to choose the words that adequately express my thankfulness for the daily joy He is giving me.
Trusting him is no option, He is faithful. I can’t make it without him. When all fails, he is still there. When it is good, he is there. Enjoy the presence in every moment in life because he is standing with us in all seasons of our lives.Hope is the process of enduring the things that tend to devastate, it’s the eternal looking up of something better coming.I can only pray that when I come to the end of life that I will have looked back and although the struggle was hard I can say I had hope and a joy unspeakable. If I can’t praise him through the storm then my flesh needs to learn that he paid the ultimate price for us and it was so worth it all.
I would like to comment on the devotional. I think I would have misses a wonderful godly man if I had focused only on how he looked. You see when I married my husband 20 years ago he weighed nearly 300 lbs. I fell in love with him because he oozed God, his love for him was contagious. He now weighs 234 lbs and looks good, healthy and strong for nearly middle age. He is a terrific father and a loving husband, our life is blessed. I am no longer a size 9 but the love outweighs the present weight. God looks at our hearts and isn’t it cool that all of our hearts are the same color. The color of the blood that runs through ua all.Praises to the one who made us. Glory to his name, He is forever to be praised.
yes i agree with the writer {philip lemons},i’ve always admired tall men and have said since my childhood that i’ll marry a tall man.lately, i’ve come to understand that the height should not matter even though its difficult to admit, i know its true. but i keep asking if God says he is the short Guy, i have no other choice, but will i be able to love him. as much as i know he’s capable of giving us what we want,i also know that he knows what is good for his children and he does it for them.
so if God says its a short guy, then i know i will be happy with a short guy.
but the quetion is, cant i also have a taller guy that i’ll equelly be happy with?
is God not capable of giving me a taller guy who fits into his plan?
i know cake is not good for me,but is cake always harmfull to our halth, i know we can also eat cake with less suggar and fat and not have problems with our health.
so can’nt i equelly have my tall man and be happy as well?
is God not capable of doing that?
i know He is, so why would’nt he?
can someone hep me wth these questions please?
i am sure God supplies all of our needs, just not all that we think we need.
Tiysh…..Wait on Him…..God has someone especially for you…perfect in every way. When it is of God, you will not notice if he is tall or short. I always loved shorter men with dark hair…smaller men, as I am short. God sent me a tall, fair man who has no hair today except a bit of white on the sides. I believe my Joe is the perfect man for me and believe we compliment each other in our weaknesses and strengths. In other words, where I have weaknesses, my husband is strong. My strengths are where his weaknesses are….and we love each other more today than the day we married. I’m so thankful for him.
It is so wonderful to think know the Lord truly has someone, handpicked for us when we are willing to wait. This is another example of trusting Him with every area of our lives…..
Over and over in scripture says I will never leave you forsake you. God’s promises are true. What an encouragement the scripture is to us as I have read the promises through the other comments.
I know that Im guilty in my past of feeling God doesn’t care or wondering how or why certain things happen. I may have turned away from God a couple years ago but I know he never once let go of me. God did not promise that we would not struggle or face difficult situations but he did promise to always hold us when we do. Sharon I think you are absolutely right! He does supply our needs and sometimes they might not be the ones we think we need.
Today as I was showering I found myself crying out to God because my wound hasn’t healed correctly and surely he knew that I couldn’t start chemotherapy this friday if it wasn’t healed,,,I was trying to step in and help God out letting him know how it needed to be done,,,Todays devotional was perfect for me because I do trust him and I do sing that song “Do I Trust you Lord” and the answer is always yes. At the beginning of this breast cancer ordeal that only started one month ago I was tested for my belief and yes I do believe, I prayed that someone would encourage me today because I am a bit down and how I needed to hear and read all the blogs and I am again encouraged…Thank you Lord for another day…Kathleen
Good morning Ladies,
THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN IN PAIN THAT I HAVE THOUGHT THAT GOD WASN’T LOOKING AFTER ME BUT I DO KNOW IN MY HEART, SOUL AND MIND THAT HE IS THERE FOR ME EVEN WHEN I DON’T FEEL THAT HE IS
CHRIS T
Yes Chris HE is!
From Jean B:
I bleieved that God loves me, but I was unsure that he supplied all of our needs. God just spoke the Word and everything was created. It was not some big bang theory like they are trying to teach now. I believe that God is always with me, I need more faith to truley believe that he supplies all of my needs.
I usually memorize GOD’s WOrd and when the enemy comes with unbelief, I recite the word to satan and my unbelief disappears like a bubble.
Lorelli:
Trusting him is no option, He is faithful. I can’t make it without him. When all fails, he is still there. When it is good, he is there. Enjoy the presence in every moment in life because he is standing with us in all seasons of our lives.Hope is the process of enduring the things that tend to devastate, it’s the eternal looking up of something better coming.I can only pray that when I come to the end of life that I will have looked back and although the struggle was hard I can say I had hope and a joy unspeakable. If I can’t praise him through the storm then my flesh needs to learn that he paid the ultimate price for us and it was so worth it all.
I like that Lorelli. When trials seemed tenacious we can be sure HE is testing us and developing our longsufering part of our character for HE is a character builder.. Thank GOD for it for you will come out like pure gold showing the image of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
Tiysh:
so can’nt i equelly have my tall man and be happy as well?
is God not capable of doing that?
i know He is, so why would’nt he?
can someone hep me wth these questions please?
I’m not a counsellor or anything. I will just share what I know. On this area I always recite out loud Psalm 89:34 and Psalm 34:8. Actually I want the whole chapter of Psalm 34 on my tombstone.
Knowing my daughter and her desire to whom to marry and my desire for her whom to marry (I did not tell her anything about it ’cause I depend on GOD’s wisdom) She marry a guy that I warned her not to but she went ahead anyway so I supported her till to this time. She made people around her depend on her intelligence and I thought the only man that can put her under control is a doctor or a minister ’cause she is a registered nurse and she attended Bible College. I know our GOD cares for what we want and knows what’s good for us. HE has permissible will and perfect will. She also had a boyfriend who came from BIBLE COLLEGE whom she thought she will marry and I was delighted but I know she is worldly so I let go everything in GOD’s hands. She did not marry the minister, she married a doctor. I got and she got the cake but she is going through lots of hard times and I set my face on GOD to pray for her and her family daily.
I never lost a sleep on them. I know our GOD is faithful. She might be backsliding now but I know she has never lost her salvation. I release all my cares to our GOD because HE is able and whatever comes our way, HE is able to handle. The earlier we cooperate with HIM the easier our life will be.
GOD is good all the time!
i’m going through a real struggle right now and feel so desperate inside physically and emotionally and reaching out to the lord in every which way i can knowing that he is with me and i just have to work with him and be calm and let him do his will. i’m still a nervous wreck sometimes and forget that he is with me and get worked up about things and then i remember that my lack of faith and doubt in myself and the lord has led to heartache and trouble, regret and lots of other bad things. all i can say to all of us going through life throws at us is what he says to all of us “be still and know that i am god.”
Trust? It is a question that I haven’t had for a long time. I recently read a quote that has really stayed with me. “All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Lord for all that I have not seen.”
I remember the day that I received a call while at the lake celebrating July 4th with my family. My house was burning to the ground. By the time I got there the fire hoses were being rolled up and I was left homeless with 3 little kids. We had left their Dad the previous summer as he was abusive, so it was just me anf the kids, and 2 dogs and one cat that survived the fire.
I stood on the street watching them roll the hoses and I had no doubt that God would take care of us as He always had. It was then that I looked down the street and saw a lady unloading a big black trash bag full of clothes for my daughter. The gifts didn’t stop coming until we had all that we needed. We even got toothbrushes and a salt shaker (with the salt already in it!). What a great God we serve. He thinks of the little things to keep our lives spiced up!
Since that day almost 10 years ago, God has blessed us with a new “Dad” and husband who never got the chance to have a family of his own and truly appreciates us and is good to us. We have a modest 3 bedroom home on the farm, which was always a dream for us too. We have lovely pets and a full life.
All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Lord for all that I have not seen. I do not question IF God will do things now. I look up and say, OK God, It will be interesting to see how You do this one. It always surprises me how He chooses to answer prayer because it almost never is the way that I would have done it, IT’S BETTER!
My dear sister Kathleen. I’m sorry to hear about what you are going thru. I’m actually crying as I type this posting. I’m so enraged against satan who afflict and persecute us physically. It was 1990 when I heard whispwers from medical personnels who were looking at my ultrasound that I have only 3 months to live. But they know I’m strong minded and would not receive bad news so probably they are waiting for that time when I will be down to break the sad news. That time has never come. I only depend on our GOD to be my deliverer. Let me pray for you my dear sister:
“DADDY, I stand in proxy for my sister Kathleen. I raise my hand to YOU while holding my wound to receive healing from YOU our dear LORD. DADDY, I stand on what YOU have said in Mark 11: 24 that when we pray believe that we have received it and we shall have it. I thank YOU DADDY for healing the wound, for giving kathleen strength to receive the Chemo. and wipe out the stupid cancer cells giving her problems. I also pray 1 Timothy 4:4-5 and Mark 16:17-18 over everything that Katleen receives that YOU will lift all the ill effects from them that it will not affect kathleen in anyway. DADDY, thank YOU so much for YOUR faithfulness. I know, and I know that we can depend on YOU and what YOU have said. YOU are our faithful GOD. YOU are our true GOD.
Satan, I command you to take your hands off Kathleen. Take that stupid cancer you are afllicting her with. Kathleen is GOD’s child and you have no right to touch her. Be gone in JESUS name. FATHER, I loose from Kathleen’s body all infection, all inflammation, all sickness, all diseases, all abnormal changes in her body cells, tissues, blood, nerves, bones and all things that are parts of her body in JESUS name. I stand on YOUR word in Matthew 16:19 that its already done in heaven. I also bind her to the comfort and grace of CHRIST. I pray for peace for her and her family that JESUS bought on Calvary with a dear price being chastised for their peace.
In the dear name of YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST, AMEN.
Kathleen, I have added you on my prayerlist.
Peace my dear sister. GOD bless
Tyish,
A quick word from an loder lady who has gone through it:
God will make the man you love seem beautiful even if only to you. If it is a tall man that you desire, it is probably a tall man that He has created for you. Be careful not to lead God in this, but to follow His guidance. He will allow you to choose. Be careful that you are in His will and not just your own. It can seem like we are allowing Him to lead when in reality, He is allowing us to use that free will that He has given to us.
The best advise I can give is to spen your time serving Him, forget about finding the right man and He will drop one in your lap. I’ll bet he’s tall, but in any case, he will be beautiful to you! Sometimes He makes broccolli taste like cake!
Yes God is faithful Kathleen! I will pray for you. My heart goes out to you. I have never had cancer and I am so thankful! I have arthritis that lets me know about aches and pain. I pray when I have a flare up Not my Will but thy will be done. My grace is sufficient and it is enough! for each day! Keep us posted in how you are doing! What an encouragent this blog is!
kathleen
i am a breast cancer servivor of 13 years. just a few weeks ago i had another scare with it something was saw on the other breast. i had many prayers and wqas anotited with oil at church God blessed me with no cancer this time. but when i had it the first time He was with me all the way and he will be with you breast cancer can be beat and God will help you through it all i know this. when you are down just talk to Him.if you are in a church that anoints please go to your pastor and elders and ask for this, i truely beleive it works and i will be praying for you as i am sure others here will be too
sharon b
God never closes one door without opening another
I had a problem with my relationship on the 11th of March, 2008. And i was really asking God whether he is around and looking at the enemy laugh at me. i kept on wondering if he loves me and is around me. I wept on my way from my office praying that he will come into my situation. And Devotional for Women within my hard times it seems God used you to talk to me and i was encouraged any time i get a mail from you. God has started working on my situation. But one thing you made me realise today is that no matter what happens God loves me even when im not sure that he is around. God Bless all the people who came together to make Devotional for Women a possible reality. Thank you.
Kathleen I just want you to know that I have been praying for you since the first time you came on & told us you had breast cancer & I will continue to pray. Jesus I just ask that you would be with Kathleen right now, you see how her wound hasn’t healed correctly & needs to be for her to start chemotherapy on Friday. I just ask that You would Reach You Healing Hand Out Right Now & Touch Her Wound, Heal It Completely by Friday Lord so things can go along as scheduled. Help her to feel Your arms of Love around her, fill her with your peace & joy. Give her reassurance that everything is going to be ok. I just pray these things In Your Name In Faith Believing Amen & Amen.
Tyish I just have to say I was where you were 33yrs ago exactly and number one my husband had to be a Christian, number two he had to be “tall” as I am 5′8″. Well God definitely had different plans. I was a widow with a four year old daughter & was ready to get married again. My sister set me up on a blind date and my first question was How Tall is he? She said Oh, really tall. So we went to some friends house and played some board games & there I met Terry my future husband. All I wanted was him to stand up & see how tall he was & when he did it seemed like he was the same height I was. Well to make a long story short, Terry said the minute he saw me he knew he was going to marry me & that he did 4 months later. He has been & is still the most wonderful, supportive, understanding & helpful husband
anyone would want but he is only 5′ 9″ tall. I love him dearly & wouldn’t trade him for a 6′ 2″ man for anything. God has the Perfect Man for you and you wait for him as it will be well worth it, believe me it is. Hugs Linda!!!
thanks a lot for all the advices, i really needed that
mostly,i thank GOD i found this website. it feels good to have such a haelthy discussion with Gdly people like u
God bless u all
I know without a doubt that God’s loves me and I love him.I also know that I can trust God and I do trust God. Davidsaid when he was going through it that he would have
fainted if he didn’t dnow he would see the goodness of the
Lord. David had confidence that no matter what was going on
God goodness would prevail. Years ago when I was going
through something it was difficult. I was in the bathroom
looking in the mirror talking to God. The Lord spoke to me
and said, Regardless of what lies the devil tells you or
what your circumstances are,my word is what you relie on.
My word is truth, and it will never lie. I don’t trust my
feelings, they are not trustworthy. I don’t trust what I
see and even hear unless it’s the word or voice of God. I
don’t totally trust any person. I do totally trust the word
of God and God. Thank God he just didn’t tell us to trust
him with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding
and in all our ways acknowledge him and he will direct our
path(proverbs 3:5-6); also 66 books to go along with this.
we all all have personl experience with God that we can look
back on that will encourage our trust in him. Patti it is
good to have you back on, we must you brief time of silence.
Kathleen I still in agreement with the prayer that was
prayed according to Matt.18:18, we call forth total healing
in your body in the mighty name of Jesus. We claim it is done! Tiysh trust God for the husband he has for you, this
means God will also take into consideration your desire for
a husband. When we delight ourself in the Lord he will give
us the desires of our heart. We don’t serve a God that will
only supply our needs but we server a God that will also
sometimes grant us our wants. Remember the children of
Israel in the wilderness wanted meat, was tired of manna.
Remember when Israel wanted a king and God gave them a king
which was Saul. Trust God at all times, knowing he knows
whats in your heart and knowing he has your best at heart.
Ladies have a peaceful and restful day in the Lord as you
put total trust in his.
Dearest Kathleen,
I join Linda and others, lifting you up to the very Throne of Jesus… asking for His healing touch. You are so deeply on my heart today…..you are His precious child and how He loves you!
Dearest Jesus, we come to You and join together asking for Your healing touch on Kathleen…
Give her Your grace, added strength and Lord, we ask that Your loving peace will pour down upon her….with the fragrance of a gentle spring rain…..renewing her spirit with a fresh touch of faith.
We love You and ask…..believing…
I just read this devotional today and now I know why it was just now that I read it. As my heart is heavy and this is just what I needed to lift it. My husband seems to be moving farther away and I do not feel his love today. I do trust God to take care of my marriage and know he is at the center of this marriage. I have been reading Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage by Lee and Leslie Stroebel which is a must read for those struggling in this area. God is showing me through these people how to deal with this struggle. I know this is only for a season and as Joel Osteen said this weekend, when we are tested in a big way, there is a higher place God wants to take us to. Praise God for His glory and thank you Patti for the verse in Proverbs. I claim it for my own today as well and know that I will stand on His word no matter what comes my way!
Lorrie Wallace….I am praying for you, as I know that desperate feeling all too well. I know the emotional pain that brings on the physical, but let me assure you, that there is nothing you have done that our precious Savior won’t forgive.
How I struggled with that very thing….to the point of feeling that I was lost forever. I was not tho………let us minister to you. Please get some professional help if you need…..some Christian counseling, perhaps……….but reach out and He will take your hand. He uses others to pray and minister…as you walk this journey, but know, above all, that He loves you and never leaves you to walk this journey alone.
Praying and believing………
Sometimes the answer is NO, just as my Dad, just as me as a loving parent too will say to my kids, He too says NO, or wait.
When we pray we expect the answer will be Yes because we asked… I am like that. When I am more aware then I can see why at times He has said No to me… He has another plan which is not my plan but it is much better. Other times I do not see or understand…. so trust and faith are indeed very important.
Besides, don’t you want to do it His way and not our own way now? Have we not learned our lesson!? Not always! If He does not appear to answer you, that is His answer… so wait for it.
I realize it sounds so easy. It is not. When you have important decisions or medical situations, time is not always on our side.
We all question God and we all get angry at the Almighty… but surely He knows we are only human and afraid. I do not pray as much as I should, nor do I listen as I must, and I turn to God in my dire times and then forget Him later on… I am sorry Lord. It is up to me to change that and to put You and Your will and plans first.
Is there any other way when we are sad OR happy? Thank you God for being like a Father to me. I need you. Thank you for this lesson today, and let it be a reminder to us all.
Dear Ladies: This is my first time responding to any devotional, although I have been receiving devotionals for several months. There is much I could share with each of you! However, let me share the story of my beloved “big sis” [only by 5 years], Donna.
My sister, my best friend, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. We thought the radiation “cured” her, but in February 2003, we found the breast cancer had matasticized to the breastbonem a rib, and the left hip; she began chemo and radiation. To sum-up the last five years: the bone spots are still there, but “maintained’; however, Sis received radiation for cells in the brain twice. Now, there is cancer, again, in the brain. My sister is weak, can barely walk, and the brain cancer has affected her state of mind. However, she has never doubted Our Lord and has been such a testament of faith and strength to family, friends, co-workers, and strangers. I must admit, however, that fear suffocates my heart, for I fear the time is drawing near, as in the devotion of 3/30/08 about “Mary”, that my beloved sister/best friend will join our wonderful [earthly] father and Our Lord Jesus in paradise. My sister still says, “Sis, it’s not my time”; but, the rest of us — we just keep saying, “Your time, Your will, dear Lord.” It is so, so painfl to see my beautiful, strong, intelligent “big sis” slowly crippling [just as Alzheimer's did to our daddy]. Only the Lord gives my mother, step-father, friends, and me peace — my brothers shunned Jesus a long time ago.
Some are forever survivors of breast cancer — like Joyce Meyer and SharbonB, above — and others, for whatever reason, must endure the path of my sister [she has lost about four friends to breast cancer -- it matasticizes in same fashion].
For Kathleen: Everyday, lift up to the Lord all your fear, all your questions — that’s what my sister did and still does. He will never leave you nor forsake you!
Next time — I’ll address waiting for the right man [I gave up} and "unequally yoked marriages" [that's me!].
In His Name,
Sus
Another Susan! I’m the one who wrote at 5:21 p.m. I’ll change my name to Susan Elaine!
Dearest Shirley,
What is it you see in the mirror and why is it that you trust no one?
People in my life have failed me over and over….especially those I thought loved me….family.
I have, however, thankfully trusted friends……….yes, I have been abandoned by several…but I understand more today. Had I not reached out…trusted those and on this this very site, oh my, where would I be today?
Just as I sent my 5:21 p.m. message [at 6:--- took me a long while to write!], I noticed another Susan! So, I will change my name from “Susan” to “Susan Elaine”.
In october my 4 year old niece was diagnosed with leukemia. My sister and husband were beyond devestated. So many people have been praying for my sweet little niece and just recently my sister has had such a calmness about her and she told me that she has just learned to trust God in this situation. I was so amazed as she is not a christian and has never thought too highly of christian people or the church. It is amazing how many people are praying and trusting in God through this battle. My niece is a sweet little angel on this earth and has managed to touch alot of hearts through her fight with cancer.
Tiysh, I would like to encourage you to be praying for the man that God is custom-designing for you! Linda was so wise in her setting such a high priority on her husband being a Christian, as God has commanded us to not be unequally yoked. Be praying for your future husband’s spiritual growth and development, that God would be preparing him to be the spiritual head of his home. Ask God to give him integrity, wisdom, strength of character, sensitivity, and kindness. Qualities such as these are enduring, and will carry you through the challenges of married life! While physical characteristics play a valuable role in attracting us to our mates, relationships built on physical attraction are like houses built on sand. Know that God, having made you, fully knows what would be perfectly suited to you, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Trust Him with the details, as you wait on Him!
Marilyn, You are so correct when you tell Tiysh to look for the Godly characteristics in her mate and not the physical. When I first met my future husband, I did not find him physically attractive at all. It wasn’t until I began to get to know his spirit and what was on the inside that he became attractive to me. His kindness, caring and giving nature, and deep compassion for others what I was attracted to. When I see him now, he is very attractive to me because of his inner traits. I continue to love him as God loves him and pray that he will walk with God in a closer relationship where he will find true peace, love and joy.
Dear Debra, you are so richly blessed to have such a wonderful husband with those qualities — kindness, caring and giving nature, and compassionate towards others — these truly are the lasting traits that make for a life-long romance! Please be patient with him, dear one, in his spiritual journey, as he is right on time with God! Everyone has their own race to run, their course mapped out by the Master, and your dear husband will cross the finish line as a finished work of art! Love him with all you have, where he is, trusting our Lord to make a masterpiece out of him in His due time!
susan
welcome. i am sorry for your sisters pain and know He has a reason for what is going on. i watched my big brother,he was 9 years older,and my only sibling die from lung cancer, my mother had breast cancer although it was her heart that gave out but she suffered with the cancer and asked my self why them and not me? God must have a plan for me that i just can not see yet. i will be praying for your sister and you and the rest of your family just keep trusting in Him.
sharon b
kc i am praying for your little neice and her family may God bless all of you
sharon b
Dear Sharon b, could it be that you are fulfilling God’s plan by your loving prayers and encouragement here? And, your beautiful testimony to His grace in your life? Sometimes, we can miss what God has laid before us, looking for what we view as greater things! God bless you, Sharon b, for your faithful service in His Name!
in good or bad times we should trust God in spite of every storm
Great Article – Thanks!
I am so encouraged by all of these posts. I have lead a life thinking I was a good Christian… but I didn’t trust God. I have been studying with a small group at church. Reading my bible more and more and recently found this site. The daily devotionals are life savers! They keep me focused and I do now trust God. It’s funny, all the talk about what our chosen mate is in “our minds” versus what God’s plan is.
I find this verse comforting: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
God Bless everyone!
Welcome Kimmielee, you will love all the ladies here they are all so encouraging & yes Proverb 3:5-6 is a great verse to memorize. Hugs Linda
It was extremely encouraging to read your thoughts about God.