Have you ever been in a place of seeking after joy, real joy?

There was a season in my life when I was unsure what joy was, but I knew what I was living was anything but…tied to IV support to keep me alive. Every day of that journey I cried out to God to show me His joy.

Do you know what He showed me?

He showed me that if we want joy, we must trust Him. We do what He has called us to do and obey His leading, and then we trust Him for the result.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get wrapped up in “the doing” for God. I want to please Him with what I do.

But that’s not what pleases Him. What makes God happy is when we trust.

His word says, “And without faith (trust) it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe (trust) that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Despite all the times that David wallowed in his misery in the Psalms, he continually came back to “and yet will I trust Him!” That’s what pleased God.

During the difficult trials, my trust muscle often seems weak. I find it hard to trust myself because my feelings are unpredictable. They are simply the outward manifestation of the thoughts I’ve believed.

I find it hard to trust others because their words often relay lack of understanding or compassion. Embarrassingly, I often also struggle to trust God, even though that’s my heart’s desire.

Trusting God is not that complicated

Morning after morning in the quiet of the dawn I silently prayed for God to help me trust Him more.

One morning as I prayed that same prayer again, I sensed God saying, “We’ve been over this before.” We had–just the day before, and the day before that, and several days in a row before that.

I wanted desperately to trust God more, but trusting Him was an area of weakness for me. This particular morning, however, He took a different approach with me.

“Yes, Lord, I know. I just seem to keep struggling. Please help me trust you more.” He surprised me with His next response (which was a typical clue to me that it was the Lord and not my own thoughts):

“It’s really not that complicated. It’s your choice. Either you choose to trust me or you don’t. Either you believe in me or you don’t. Either you believe I’m sovereign or you don’t. Don’t make it any more difficult than that.”

Hmm. When you put it like that it certainly does simplify things. If I’m honest, however, it doesn’t necessarily make it easy. I have to get past myself, past the sum of my human interactions with others that has weakened my readiness to trust in any capacity, and decide to re-engage.

Trust God: What do you have to lose?

Still, it is a choice. It is a risk. But what did I have to lose? My control? My responsibility? My burden? My loneliness?
Wasn’t that worth the risk?

Scripture repeatedly encourages us that if we “trust in the Lord, we will not be disappointed” (Psalm 25:3, Isaiah 28:13, Isaiah 49:23, Romans 10:11, 1 Peter 2:6). This is an empowering promise.

My struggle to fully trust God has been much like a game of tug of war. At times I trust Him so easily, yet at other times, I seem to fight with all my might by trying to achieve in my own strength rather than trusting His.

I have found, however, that God is not interested in fighting a battle to persuade me to trust Him. The Bible provides all the reasons to trust Him. Then He waits patiently for me to respond.

Sometimes I quickly come into agreement with His word, while other times I have to learn the hard way. Given His promise that we will not be disappointed when we trust Him, I have endeavored to trust Him more quickly in all matters.

What’s keeping you from trusting God?

 

(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)

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Depression doesn’t have to become a permanent part of life.

There is hope.

Depression doesn't have to become a permanent part of life. There is hope. Hope Prevails and Hope Prevails Bible Study.

Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.

Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study are must-reads for anyone suffering from depression or knows someone suffering from depression.

“If you or a loved one are walking through the valley of depression, be encouraged that you are not alone. Dr. Michelle Bengtson has provided a powerful resource to help you on your journey toward hope. It is a personal and positive book, as you learn from Dr. Bengtson’s own story as well as her practical knowledge in the field. I love how she shares a prescription, a prayer and a playlist at the end of each chapter to give you an extra boost of strength. Hope Prevails is a must read for every person who struggles with depression.”

Karol Ladd
Author of Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive

 

During the difficult trials, my trust muscle often seems weak. Sometimes, we make situations more complicated than they really are. One morning, I gained clarity on why it’s not complicated to trust God more. #trustGod #faith #God

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