Mix the Word with Faith and Trust God - Part 1 of 3

Mix the Word with Faith and Trust God <> Part 1

Don’t forget to trust God!

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You” (Psalm 5:11a).

We hear it said, “Trust God.”   <><>  YES—that’s excellent advice.

I would like to suggest, “Mix the Word with Faith—Then Trust God.”

“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2 KJV).

In other words—They heard the Word preached but it did not benefit them because they didn’t mix it with faith. So, when we mix the Word of God with our faith we have the wherewithal to trust God. And we can be assured the Holy Spirit in us is powerfully blending it all together to give us peace all we need to truly trust. 

When was the last time you HAD to trust God? I mean really trust Him.

I wanted to say, “When was the last time you were forced to trust God?”

Though it may have felt like you were forced, we’re never really forced. We have a choice. 

Trusting God is a choice—in any situation. Have you needed to trust God for something today—this very day?  Think about that for a moment.

Thinking back to one of my own experiences in trusting God was when our son, Shannon, who was eleven at the time, had a head injury in a bicycle accident.

I know—I know. You’re thinking, “Why wasn’t he wearing a helmet?” This was back before helmets were required. At that time only big-time bike athletes wore helmets. So don’t judge me.  😊

Anyway, the ER doc said he had temporary amnesia.

AMNESIA! That word will stop you in your tracks—especially when it’s in regard to your child’s head injury. But the word that meant the world to me was, temporary.

I remember, clearly, sitting by Shannon’s bed, hour after hour, hoping Dr. Cook meant it when he said temporary. Fear rushed through me as I considered the possibility that Dr. Cook may have said that just to comfort me in the hopes that it really would be temporary.

So, I sat there alone, hour after hour. My husband was in Michigan for a week-long business trip. My parents were at work and our younger son was with a neighbor who offered to tend him until my mom got home. 

I knew, though, that I wasn’t alone. I was well aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence. 

When fear rose up and wanted to overtake me, I realized that I had a decision to make. I heard a voice in my spirit (not an audible voice). It said, “Okay, Connie, what are you going to do? Are you going to trust God—or fall apart?”

I knew my God. And I had enough of God’s Word in me to know He was trustworthy. I decided to trust God.

What I did was mix the Word with faith and trust God.

Though this was many years ago, I remember sitting there, nodding my head and telling God, “I’m going to trust You. I know Shannon will be fine. I believe Dr. Cook is right—that this amnesia is only temporary.”

So, I kept vigil at Shannon’s bedside answering his same questions over and over in between his periods of sleep. Every few minutes he asked:

“What day is today?”

“Did I miss Neil’s birthday party?”

“Who is my girlfriend?”

I patiently answered him each time as we went through the series of questions, and I would thank God that I could trust Him that Shannon would be fine. 

I had stopped asking Dr. Cook, “How much longer?” because I knew his answer would again be, “I don’t know.”   

Instead, I would pray, “God, You know and that’s what counts.”

Occasionally, I would wipe a tear from my eye and say, “God, I trust You.”

There are a lot of things in life that are completely out of our hands. 

Are you a control freak? We often want to control people. And we often want to control situations to the point it can drive us crazy. It’s amazing the stress relief we can achieve when turn a person or situation over to God and just trust Him.

Think about how frustrating it is when people won’t do what we think they should do. In just a few weeks, my husband and I will have been married for 48 years. 

A long time ago, when I learned that I cannot and should not try to make him to do what I think he should do, a huge burden was lifted from me. My maturing in that area possibly saved our marriage. 

Besides that, I am not to take responsibility for his actions. 

I put him in God’s hands. Instead of talking to him about what I think should happen, I talk to God. 

That’s not to say that Guy and I don’t talk. Certainly, we do. But I don’t keep repeating things and trying to convince him, hoping to manipulate the situation. I speak my mind to Guy and to God. Then I trust God. God always knows what’s best.

Sometimes things go my way and sometimes they don’t. But I’m letting the ultimate result be God’s. If Guy and I mess up, I know God will help us straighten things out.

We can do this in all relationships. God knows more than we do. He knows every minute detail of every thing and every one. He knows what the outcome should be. He’s trustworthy.

When an outcome seems to be not what is best, due to human error or weakness, sin, rebellion, or whatever— God’s not shocked. He doesn’t fall apart. He stands ready to forgive and turn what Satan meant for evil into something He can bring good out of. God’s like that. He’s trustworthy.

Trusting God is about having faith in God and we know that without faith it’s impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The Bible teaches us how to trust and why we can trust God. We need to Mix the Word with Faith, make every effort to follow God’s leading and do things God’s way, and trust the results to Him. He’s always trustworthy. 

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll look at a woman in the Bible who trusted God. Her life and the lives of her family depended on it. I hope you’ll check back in.  

Please share about a time you needed to trust God. Your comments are welcome.

©Copyright 2018 Connie Wohlford

Woman, why are you weeping?

Woman, why are you weeping?

It was daybreak in Jerusalem.  The sunbeams were just beginning to spill over the Mount of Olives and the birds were waking.  To Mary, their melody had more clarity than she’d ever noticed before and it seemed like every bird in Judea was singing with all its heart.  Though she loved hearing birds, she wished they’d tone down their joyous chorus, as she was in no frame of mind to rejoice. She had a job to do.  

Dread flooded her mind as she thought of again seeing and touching Jesus’ dead body.  Yet she yearned to be near Him once more.  She needed to anoint Him with the customary burial spices.  The task could not be performed right after He was lowered from the cross and laid in Joseph’s tomb because it was late in the afternoon and nearly sundown on the Sabbath.

Mary’s mind raced as she walked quickly toward the garden tomb.  She hoped the Roman guards would be willing to roll away the massive stone that sealed the entrance.  She thought about how privileged she was to get to honor her Lord this way and recalled how broken she was before meeting Jesus.

Mary had never met anyone like Jesus. He’s the One who had cast from her seven demons.  He’s the One who did not condemn her for her sins but instead lavished her with compassion and forgiveness. 

Never a man spoke like Jesus.  Mary had followed Him all over Galilee, listening to his teachings and witnessing His miracles.  She believed he was surely the long awaited Messiah. 

Yet they killed Him.  She couldn’t understand how this could have happened to an innocent man who did so much good and spoke such peace.  In disbelief, she wiped a tear from her eye and continued to walk.

The narrow path took her through the garden.  She didn’t even notice the array of brilliant wildflowers along the way but their gentle fragrance captured her attention.  As she neared the tomb, she stopped for a moment.  She stood there with eyes closed and whispered a prayer asking Yahweh to give her strength.  She took as deep breath, then continued on.

As Mary got within sight of the tomb she was confused by what she saw.  She stopped, rubbed her eyes and gazed ahead at what appeared to be an open tomb.  She glanced around, then ran to the opening, right past two Roman soldiers laying on the ground appearing to be sound asleep. 

She stepped inside as the sun streamed in, showing her the truth that she had not expected.  The tomb was empty!  He was gone!  Jesus was not there!

She whispered a quick, “What? --- Where?” and turned and ran to find Peter and John, who were together mourning the death of their Master.

They looked up at Mary as she poured out her announcement, “They’ve taken away the Lord from the tomb and I don’t know where they’ve laid Him!” 

The two disciples jumped up and ran to the garden. They entered the tomb to find Jesus gone and the linen cloths lying there. The facecloth that had been around His head was neatly folded and placed to the side.  Peter and John didn’t understand what had happened either.    

 

 

In his Gospel account, John wrote, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away to their own homes.”  John 20:9-10 MKJV

So we wonder----- apparently Peter and John did not remember or comprehend that Jesus had told them He would rise again on the third day.

 

Continuing in John’s Gospel, he went on to explain what happened next:

“But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. ¹³ Then they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ 

¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’   She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, ‘Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’  ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’  She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ (which is to say, Teacher).”

 

When Jesus called out her name, she knew with certainty it was really Him. 

 

The same Jesus, Who had lifted her out of torment and shame, now stood before her--- resurrected from the dead--- alive again.  The same compassion she had known before poured out on her again when she heard Him ask, “Why are you weeping?”

Jesus showed Mary, in that moment, that she needn’t weep any more.  Her Savior was no longer dead and lying in a cold, dark tomb.  He had conquered death.  He had put Hell in its place and proved the grave could not hold Him.

 

Years later, John the Gospel writer was also John the Revelator. In his encounter with Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, John wrote, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.’”

“Woman, why are you weeping?” is a question not just for Mary--- and not just for women.  Jesus won the eternal victory over death that day, not just for Himself, but for those of us who are in His family.  He has conquered death for us as well.   We can dry our eyes and be assured that the sting of death has been removed.

If you know Jesus as your Savior, I know you rejoice with me in this assurance.  If you do not know Jesus as your Savior or are not sure enough to be assured of your own eternal destiny, please take care of that matter right here, right now.  This is the bottom line on why Jesus left His Heavenly home and came to earth to die on the cross and rise again.  You must believe in your heart this story from the Bible is true. Think now--- you know it’s really true, don’t you?  Please pray this prayer to receive Jesus and His eternal life: “Heavenly Father, I know I’ve sinned and I need Your forgiveness. I now believe that Jesus is Your Son and He took the punishment I deserved for my sins.  I want to receive Him now as my Savior.  Thank You, God. In Jesus name I pray---- Amen.”

If you’ve just prayed that prayer and meant it, I welcome you to the family of God.  If possible, tell someone who is a committed Christian, about the decision you’ve just made.  Also, I encourage you to talk to God daily in prayer, read and study your Bible routinely and become a regular participant of a good Bible teaching church fellowship. 

We needn’t weep any more.  All is not lost when a fellow follower of Jesus dies.  We’re on this earth for a short while.  Doesn’t time seem to just fly by?  But eternity is a long, long time and we, who are in Christ’s family, sure have a lot to look forward to.  He is risen indeed!

May God richly bless us all as we joyously celebrate Resurrection Sunday!

HAPPY EASTER!