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11/19/2014 Trusting When It's Not Okay

"Just trust in God" is one of the most used phrases for pretty much any situation, but it honestly isn't accomplished as much as we would like to admit.  I can think of so many times people have told me that, but it's almost like we hear it so much that we forget what it means.

That phrase is becoming more like a catchphrase in times of stress, decision making, after a loss, or pretty much any situation that it seems as if people just say it when they don't know what else to say.  Let's bring back the importance of what that phrase really means.

So to start, what does it mean to fully trust in God?  I feel like we sometimes confuse what having faith and trusting in God really means.  Does it mean that when we trust in God we know He will give us whatever we have been asking for? Nope, probably not.  Honestly, trusting in God doesn't even mean that we know everything is going to be okay.  Sometimes life is hard and things DON'T feel okay at the moment.

So that seems pretty depressing.  If that's true, then what does it mean for us to put our trust in God?  While praying for things is amazing, and God without a doubt listens to our prayers, trusting in Him is much bigger and more beautiful than even an answer to a prayer.  It's not the knowledge that everything will workout how we want it to, but it's the knowledge that God has it under control for eternity.

Let's look at the book of Job.  Job put his full trust in God even though his life was the farthest thing from okay in the midst of his struggles.  His children didn't come back to life, and his house was still collapsed.  However, Job was a man of faith and he kept praising The Lord.  God reminded him of His power at the end of the book, and we can take comfort in it.  Our God created the earth (which think about how big the earth for a second-that is a pretty big task), but He also created the heavens and all of eternity!

Life on earth may be challenging sometimes, but we can have joy in knowing a few years with some suffering is nothing compared to the rest of eternity…as in years and years and years and years…where the only emotion we feel is pure joy.  Being confident of THAT is truly trusting in God.

Like I said, asking God for things in prayer is wonderful, and He hears and answers every prayer.  But when we trust in God, that means that we know the bigger picture is still in God's hands even if He says no to our request.

Today someone reminded me to not to trust that God HAS all we need, but that He IS all we need.  Yeah, He has the ability to give us what we are asking for, but we don't need anything else.  Even when earthly life doesn't seem okay, we can still have joy in knowing that we are wrapped up in the loving hands of the God that created the whole universe, and before we know it we will be celebrating His greatness without a trace of sadness in our hearts.

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