I don’t love change.

Anyone else with me?

In my quiet time this morning,
I realized I was sitting on 20 year old couches,
looking at walls painted 20 years ago,
dressed in pjs and robe that were,
yes, you guessed it,
about 20 years old.

Girls, change challenges me!

I barely like change even when it’s my idea!

But,
keeping things the same
is no safeguard from pain.

Things break and wear out.
Children grow up and move away.
Friends die or move on.
Opportunities evolve and disintegrate.

Change is necessary.
Change is good.
Change is inevitable.

We have to be adaptable.

Over the years,
the Holy Spirit has whispered,
“Trust me,”
More times than I can count.

There is a difference between
BELIEVING God IS,
and
TRUSTING God WILL,
isn’t there?

I know there is a God in Heaven
who loves and cares about you and me.
I know that nothing is impossible for him.
I know that all the promises in the Bible
are as true for us today
as when they were written. 

But, I often have the disconnect.

I believe that even though
God can do all things,
there is a distinct possibility
he won’t.

When faced with
contentious elections,
an ugly diagnosis,
rebellious children
financial crisis,
disorder and chaos of any kind,
the temptation is to falter …
not into disbelief –
but into distrust.

Even though we know God IS,
fear displaces our faith
because we don’t trust God WILL.

We don’t trust
that God will make things
turn out the way we want them.

What if God has a plan we question?

In Judges 7,
Gideon (a man with no military experience)
was called to fight several hundred thousand Midianites
with only 300 men,
each armed with a torch, a trumpet and a pitcher!

In Exodus 9,
God invited Moses,
(a man with a speech impediment),
to return to Egypt,
(a land he’d fled to avoid prosecution for murder),
to talk Pharaoh into freeing millions of slaves.

How did they ever
find the faith to trust God?

By hearing from him!

I bet I know what you’re thinking.
It must be nice to hear God’s voice thunder from a cloud
or entertain an angel with his message.

I’m telling you,
you don’t need heaven to open up to hear from God.

We can hear from God, too.

When you get a check in your spirit,
that could be God.
When the song on the radio makes you cry,
that could be God.
When the verse in the Bible jumps off the page,
that could be God.
When a friend calls at just the right time,
that could be God.
When the Sunday sermon is just for you,
that could be God.

When you know God’s heart by
studying his Word,
listening for his whisper
and are willing to be led by his Spirit
you will know his love for you
and be able to
trust him
even when plans
unravel or delay.

You can only muster the faith to embrace change
and trust God by
knowing his love,
knowing his character
and hearing his voice.

How do you hear from God?

Scripture Refresher Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORDwill renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31