Trust Signs

Have you seen the Lottery billboards along the highway? I regularly drive past two of them, and have gotten lost in thought as I've considered those big numbers. When I have seen mulit-multi-million dollar jackpots advertised, my mind has begun playing with the idea of what I could do if I had that kind of money. I’ve mused, “Wouldn’t it be nice to not worry about the kids needing new shoes again? How wonderful it would be if I didn’t need to be concerned about how we were going to pay for this and that.”

It isn’t as though I wanted to get really extravagant and buy lots of things we don’t need. I just thought, “If we had all that money, I wouldn’t need to worry.”

And, wouldn’t that be nice?

But as soon as that thought came into my head, God spoke to my heart. It was as if He was saying, “Karen, you already don’t need to worry. Haven’t I always provided exactly what you needed? Have any of your worries ever become realities? My timing has not always been as you like it. I know sometimes you’ve wondered how I was going to come through for you. But I always have, dear one. I have never failed. You don’t need to worry. I am always faithful. If you had all that money, you wouldn’t need to trust.”

Oh, I knew He was right! I struggle with trusting. But God showed me so tenderly in that moment that I don’t need to worry. I need only to trust. Because HE is faithful.

I realize we all have different worry triggers. Finances may not be your issue. Whatever it is for you, as you consider your trigger, may I encourage you to turn it into a statement of faith? This is how I’m doing it: Now, each time I see those billboards I proclaim, “I trust YOU, God!”

Karen Hossink

Bags

Ever wonder why you tend to collect more of one kind of thing? Last week, while cleaning out my extra closet, I noticed an unusually high volume of bags — duffel bags, backpacks, rolling bags of every size and shape. I guess it would be safe to call me a “bag lady.”

Ironically, God showed me how I tend to package my worries and problems into similar sorts of bags. Some burdens I can quickly throw into a tote bag (for easy removal) and others are just so huge that they require industrial-strength wheels to carry them around. Still, other concerns seem so large that they require a storage unit to lock them up with a deadbolt!

God shows us numerous times in His word His desire for us to trust Him with our burdens. But while I have experienced many breakthroughs in my walk when I surrender my burdens, it seems inevitable that I return to old patterns and start packing things up again. It is not until the bags become so heavy once again, that I am reminded of His desire to carry them.

A friend shared this moving video about bags and I thought you may enjoy it too.

Sheryl Patry