Are you facing an unwanted divorce? Can you trust God in this situation?  We can pray for you.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5&6, NIV).

What is God saying to you today? Sometimes God’s message is surprisingly simple.

When I think of the future and see the unsettling changes in the world, I  hear God saying: TRUST ME! “I am the sovereign LORD: my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please”  (Isaiah 46:10, NIV).

When I think of my children living on three continents and facing all sorts of challenges — without me! — I am tempted to worry. Again, I hear God saying: TRUST ME! I am the good Shepherd and I take good care  of my sheep. “All your children will be taught of the LORD and great will be your children’s peace” (Isaiah 54:13, NIV).

When one of my grandchildren faces a life and death surgery, I hear God saying, TRUST ME! “I formed his inward parts long before he was born…and every day of his life is written in my book” (Psalm 139:15  paraphrased)

When I face a personal challenge and wonder how I’ll get through it, I hear  God saying TRUST ME. “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is  anything too hard for me” (Jeremiah 32:27, NIV)?

What does it mean to trust? The Amplified New Testament uses the words: “lean on, rely on, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart.” It doesn’t  mean we do nothing. In fact, it’s doing something that goes against our  “take-charge” nature. It means acknowledging this thing is too big for me. I  better leave it in the hands of Someone who is much kinder and wiser than I am.

As I roll my cares on him, a quiet assurance settles in my heart –it’s in good hands now!

Trusting God means we know and love the One who is leading. It’s looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

Father, I know that your plans for me and my family are plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. I want to trust You more.  Amen.

Questions: What does “Trusting God” in all things, look like in your life? How can we start to trust God for greater things?

About the Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Is there life after abuse? We are here. Talk to us.

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EST.

Jesus Christ didn’t promise His followers freedom from trials. But He did promise help, peace, and guidance to those who believe and appropriate God’s Word. He promised to send the Comforter to His disciples after He departed for heaven. And the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is present in the hearts of all those who have received Jesus Christ as Savior. The Holy Spirit can imbue us with the power to overcome all things.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come not only to comfort His followers, but also to
teach and guide them. So He often can lead us as to what to do. So how can we have God’s comfort, peace, and guidance through difficult situations?

1. If we have never truly received Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we can bow our heads in repentance right now and receive Him. The Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts when we do that. And through the Spirit, God the Father and God the Son also indwell us. See (John 14:17,18,2).

2. If we already know Him, we can get back into a right relationship with Him. We can seek His forgiveness for indifference and wrongdoing, and then recommit our lives to Him so that the Holy Spirit can help, comfort, and guide us.

3. If we are right with the Lord, we can claim promises such as these:

“In me you may have peace,” Jesus said. (John 16:33, NIV) We can have that by trusting Him.

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24, NIV).

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:4-5,7, NIV).

Christ can use our serenity and faith during times of trouble as a supernatural testimony to His salvation, power, and grace.  If you are facing a trial and would like someone to talk to and pray with, you can contact a mentor using this form.

Questions: How can we have God’s comfort, peace, and guidance through difficult situations? If our relationship with God has been broken, how can it be restored?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Missing the mark of being a perfect mom? Discover how you can be yourself by taking this free online course.

It’s a spiritual rest that comes by faith.  It’s a faith that believes and knows that Jesus has already won the battle, made a spectacle of the enemy and destroyed all his works (1 John 3:8).  Resting in God means to have absolute trust and confidence in His care for you, knowing that He will supply all your needs, and that He is more than enough for you.

When we truly understand the finished work of Jesus at the cross, we will be able to enter more deeply into rest and gain a perspective greater than our eyes can see and louder than our ears have heard.

There is a level of intimacy with God that we can come into that brings us into such a deep place within Him and into His fullness that kindles a response from us which says, “Lord, I enter into You, and in this season of my life, in my hurt and in my pain, I will enter into rest; knowing, that YOU know…and recognizing that You hold all things in your hand; my life, my circumstances, my family, and in this darkness, You are here with me.”

The truth is, that the battle belongs to the Lord.  So, in giving our battles to Him, and laying them at the foot of the cross, we are entering into rest.  Taking upon His yolk, which is easy, and His burden, which is light, we are choosing to enter into rest.  We must yield even our emotions, our thoughts and the wrestle within ourselves to hold onto hurts and struggles and give them over to the One Who has redeemed us.  He has bought our souls with a price, bringing us from affliction into wholeness and trading our ashes for beauty.  He has given us the garment of praise for oppression.  As we yield, we enter into His rest.

It is then that we can then truly say as Horatio Spafford did when he lost his four daughters at sea, “It is Well with my Soul”.  What a beautiful hymn to come out of such suffering.  He had an understanding of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross that we must all embrace and the choosing of entering into rest.

Enter into His rest.

Take some time now, remove all distractions, and pour yourself out, giving all those things that are at the present time disturbing you, to God. Enter into Him, and as you do, you will with greater confidence and assurance, know, that God is holding you, knows and sees all things, and has already worked it out for your good and for your benefit.

Heavenly Father, I come and enter deep into You.  I choose to enter into the rest You have given me through the blood of Your Son Jesus.  I give you my hurts and my sorrow, my grief and all those things that have been holding me down.  I lay them at your feet and at the foot of the cross, and I choose to enter into Your rest.  Let me feel Your presence here in this place and may I know You more deeply and trust You greater than before.  Amen.

Questions: Do you totally trust God that He can and will take care of you? Take some time and remove all distractions, and pour yourself out, giving all those things that are at the present time disturbing you, to God. Then tell Him that you know He has already worked it out for your good and for your benefit.

About the Author Brigitte Straub

Do you have situations in your life that are very stressful? Want to talk to someone?

As church pianist I started to play the introduction for the choir during the morning service. After several measures, I glanced at the keyboard and was so startled that I almost missed a beat. There, on middle D, lay a stunned cockroach flailing its legs. Obviously it had run into the path of my flying fingers.

What could I do? Gritting my teeth, I went on, gingerly trying to avoid middle D, but not always able to do so. (The choir number would be in the Key of D!) Finally, halfway through the first verse I was able to flick the now-deceased roach onto the floor. (Well, that’s one way to kill a roach!)

Some problems we may face are not so easily resolved as a cockroach on a keyboard. They might not be brushed off during the first phase of the situation. We may have to live with them longer than the first verse. But I have learned that if I just keep looking to the Lord for grace and trusting Him with a problem, He takes care of it one way or another.

Sometimes as we pray, He shows us ways to make the situation easier, as I did by avoiding the “middle” D while I played. Sometimes He shows us how to deal with the situation, as I did by flicking that roach to the floor during a whole note in the melody. (Thank heavens for piano “hold” foot pedals!)

Then during or after the resolving of the problem, there’s the cleanup.  After church I went to the rest room and washed my hands off using liquid soap.

But in dealing with life’s problems, we may often need a more comprehensive spiritual cleanup.

It may be necessary to ask the Lord to forgive us if we have sinned. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9, NIV).  We may discover a need to forgive any who have hurt us. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, NIV).   And let’s never forget the One Who guided and helped us! Let’s thank and praise Him for His help and deliverance.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever” (Psalms 107:1, NIV).

Questions: How do you deal with the problems in your life? Why do you suppose some problems stay longer than others?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Why did Peter deny Jesus? He confidently declared “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Matthew 26:35, NIV). But only a few short hours later, Peter did the exact opposite. He denied he knew Jesus three times, just as Jesus predicted. We don’t have to imagine Peter’s sorrow.  We’re told plainly that afterwards “he went outside and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75, NIV).

But this doesn’t answer the question of why Peter denied knowing Him. Part of it was fear: fear of losing his reputation by being associated with a man accused of being a criminal, fear of his responsibilities, fear, perhaps, for his own life. But another reason that Peter ended up denying knowing His Lord is because he was away from Him.

Peter lost sight of his Lord. It wasn’t until “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter” (Luke 22:61, NIV) that Peter came back to his senses and realized what he had done. After losing sight of Jesus, Peter had been trying to do things on his own strength. Rather than trusting God, he was trusting in himself.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).

Peter himself explains the immanent danger of trying to do everything ourselves God: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV). The apostle James advises us: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8, NIV). While even the strongest of men and women are no match for Satan’s temptations on our own, with God we have nothing to fear.

We can stay near to God by reading His Word, by speaking and listening to Him in prayer, and by living in community with His sons and daughters. Stay near to God, and you will never be overwhelmed.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NIV).

Questions: Why do we so often give in to fear? How can we remain close to God and not be overwhelmed?

About this Author Darren Hewer

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Running Back to God, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

When I was a girl, I was superstitious about four-leaf clovers. I held a common belief that they were lucky. I would find and pick them and put them in my Bible! When I came to know the Lord and realized how utterly contrary to faith in God and prayer they actually were–I cleaned the clovers out of my Bible and threw them away.

But I still like clovers in general and enjoy seeing them grow in my yard. They provide nitrogen for the garden, they make a good ground cover, and the red clovers especially are rather pretty.  Healing teas made with red and white clover flowers may be applied to some types of external sores or taken internally for specific conditions.

Our God has made so many provisions for our well being in this world! He has given us all kinds of good, nutritious food to eat that supply what our bodies may need. He has given us herbs for healing various ailments and some to even calm our emotions. We can know these things; but unless we partake of them, their invisible benefits do us no good. Some eat nothing but junk food. It fills the immediate void but has no substance or nutrition to it.

Superstitious beliefs are like junk food: in a sense they fill a need, but they stand between genuine fulfillment and us! Both superstitious beliefs and trust in God require faith.

Complete trust in God meets our needs in every way. When we trust in our Father in Heaven no matter what happens, without trying to understand in our own human way, we have peace.

Psalms 37:3-4 says, “Trust in the LORD and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and you will be fed. Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Often I have looked back at things that happened–which at the time I just could not understand–and I can see how wonderfully God worked them for good (Romans 8:28). Some things, however, I still don’t understand; and I don’t know if I ever will until I get to heaven. But one thing I know: I know in Whom I believe! And I know that He knows so much better than I do what is best!

Lord God, today I want to recommit my heart to You and trust You fully with my life. Give me patience and grace in the areas where I do not fully understand what is happening. I release my worry to You and trust You to take care of the details and work good in and through my circumstances. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Questions: How can one learn to trust God in ALL circumstances even though some are difficult to understand?  What does the word “faith” mean to you in relation to having faith in God? What are some of the characteristics of God that helps us trust Him?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Reconciling Love & Justice, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

My daughters would tease me on our many ‘spring’ walks.  The snow was almost gone, the sun was beginning to show promise of a new season, and I was constantly looking at the trees and plants for new life, new buds, and new beginnings.

I believe that we all look for new beginnings in our own personal lives.  Mary Engelbreit’s daily calendar quotes, “Life is just so daily”. We begin our routines in the morning and continue to carry them throughout the day, week, months and year.  We all need new beginnings. We all need hope which begins in our hearts.

Life will just be that…DAILY.   Despite routine and mundane activities, there is always the HOPE of new beginnings. I love what King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9: 4, “As long as we are alive, we still have hope….”

No one is without stress and trials in life, yet we have the privilege of new beginnings because of Christ’s sacrificial death and His resurrection to new life.

New Beginnings can happen daily
King Solomon continued to say that despite all the questions of life, that nothing on earth is more beautiful than the morning sun.  Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day….” In many instances, we have new beginnings as soon as we open our eyes in the morning.  We have a choice each day to take the day set before us and live our life in obedience to God.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness “ (Lamentations 3:22-23).

We have a new slate this morning to believe we are living in a new day and a new opportunity to be the best we can be as God’s masterful creation.

New Beginning can take time
For me, there have been times when I opened Scripture revealing something that I never thought about before yet when I took it to heart it changed the direction of my life and my attitude.  Sometimes I have asked God to show me new starts and had to wait for God to answer.  New beginnings can be like plants.  There are cycles and seasons.  But when it does happen it is a great joy to begin that new journey.  Psalm 16 is beautifully penned with promises and comfort.  The last verse says “You have shown me the path of life, and you make me glad by being near to me.”  Our humanness often wants new beginnings all the time and in our frailty of being human we almost expect it.  There is richness in hoping for new beginnings and trusting God that He is working things out.  He is near to us.

We need to live for today with the promise of a future.  God understands how our hearts beat because He makes it tick.  Bottom line, we need to be content with our daily life with a balance of hope.  Philippians 1:6 says, “God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns”.

Father God, Even though my life is daily it is encased in the fact that I first of all have a new beginning in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  Thank you for the opportunities of new adventures and new paths because of You. Thank you for Your fresh mercies every morning and for Your constant faithfulness to me as I await new beginnings. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Questions: What new beginnings are you hoping for?  Do you trust that Jesus Christ, who died to give new life, can give you a new beginning?

About the Author Linda Goodhand Rodgers

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, How to Pray for a President, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30am EST.

“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, but born of God” (John 1:12).

Many people say, “Sure, I believe in God. I’ve gone to church most of my life.” But is this all there is to it? What does it mean to believe?

To believe means more than intellectual consent. It involves extreme surrender. We must give ourselves to God before He can give Himself to us.

We practice this kind of surrender every time we fly in an airplane. We board an aircraft, sit down in our seats and put the seat belt on. And for the next four hours or so we’re at the mercy of a pilot whom we don’t even know. We trust that he knows what he’s doing and he’ll get us to the right destination safely.

We do the same with a doctor. Before surgery, we sign a consent form, right? We allow the anesthetist to put us to sleep. Talk about complete surrender! Then the surgeon can help us and not before. The principle of complete surrender holds true in many situations in life. Complete surrender is needed before help can come to us.

It’s no different with God. Before He can help us, we must give ourselves to Him completely.

It’s faith with action that brings results. Trusting and obeying.

We have the mistaken idea that when we surrender completely we’ll become spineless and mindless persons. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, when we surrender we tap into God more fully. We become more alive, more realistic, more courageous, more truly ourselves than we’ve ever been before.

Dear God, forgive me for being so independent. I want to trust you more in every situation. I give myself to you now in full surrender. In Jesus name, Amen.

Questions: What is keeping you from fully surrendering to God? What steps need to be taken in order to fully surrender to Him?

About this Author Helen Grace Lescheid

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Jesus Placed the Highest Value on Relationships, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog