The Lord’s Love Surrounds

 

Many are the woes of the wicked,

but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds

the man who trusts him. Ps 32:10 (NIV)

 

Some people seem to have trouble follow them everywhere they go. Sometimes, these woes appear because of their behavior. Other times, the individual is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When we see a person who has few problems in life, we wonder, “What does he or she have that I don’t?”  Quite possibly, that individual has a better outlook, a godlier outlook on things.

One who trusts in God believes:

* that God is present with him or her in every situation-good or bad.

* God will bring him or her through the circumstance-whatever it may be.

* God uses the times of hardship to teach him or her something to make them more like Him.

Like a Tree Planted

 

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree

 planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream

. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

 It has no worries in the year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

 Jeremiah 17: 7-8 (NIV)

 

Jeremiah tells us that God blesses those who trust Him and rely on Him. We are told that people who trust God become strong, have deeps roots in Him and can withstand great quantities of stress. Their attitudes are always gentle and kind. A person who trusts the Lord does not worry about the hard times that come that are out of their control and are always productive.

As I wrote these thoughts, I had to confess that I haven’t always trusted the Lord as I should have because I have had times when I worried about how certain issues, especially those I could not control, in my life would work out. My attitude has not always been cheerful or kind. My days are not always productive. The bottom line is I have not learned to trust Jesus enough-yet. But I am learning.

I am partial to the saying, “I know I’m not what God wants me to be. But praise the Lord; I’m not where I used to be.”

God Blesses Those Who Trust Him

 

“Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust,

who does not look to the proud,

to those who turn aside to false gods.” Psalm 40: 4 (NIV)

 

”Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust. . . “ God showers us with multitudes of blessing when we turn our cares over to Him.  Our days go better, the colors of the flowers and leaves look brighter. When we know that He is in charge of our lives, issues don’t bog us down because we have turned things over to Him.

               We do have times when we have worried and stewed about a circumstance- usually one that we can’t control. We may find ourselves getting sick over that situation. We finally realize we have to let God have it and we turn it over to Him. All our worry- those sleepless nights, those rankled nerves- have left us weak and tired. We gladly turn to Jesus and practically beg for Him to step in and remedy the issue. I heard is said many times that we have to get so far down that the only way we can look is up.

               In order to trust God, we have to relinquish ownership of what seems to vex us. 

“. . . who does not look to the proud . . . “ As disciples of Jesus, we have been instructed to look to Him for our guidance. Our main source of our knowledge is the Father’s Word- the Bible. As we seek His guidance, Jesus aims us on a path and brings others into our lives that help us grow and aid us through those difficult times we experience.

 

“. . . to those who turn aside to false gods.” When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we begin a journey for the rest of our lives. We have to keep our eyes on Him and live our lives aimed for perfection. We will continue to strive for this goal until Jesus calls us home. When we trust Him, He is there to guide us, to teach us and to bless us.