Day 20

Trust and Obey

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God,[a] we do not lose heart.

2 Corinthians 4:1

We are presented daily with new opportunities, knowledge, and situations. When these new things come our way, whether it is an opportunity we want, some new knowledge that scares us, or a unique situation that we have no idea how to deal with, we must put our trust in God. We should trust God and ask if it is his will for us to take the new opportunity, even when we want it, because God's plans for us are bigger than the plans we have for ourselves.

We must trust God when we are scared by some new knowledge. We can have the courage to face it because Jesus and God our Father love us and give us eternal comfort. Paul pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn from his flesh. But God said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul declared he would boast more gladly of his weakness. When we are in a situation we do not know how to deal with such as the death of a loved one, a new job, a teenager, failing health, or an aging parent, we can have courage and not worry because, in our weakness, the power of Christ rests upon us.

Corrie Ten Boom reminds us that "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." We all have the ministry to share the gospel, and we do not lose heart to continue doing this when presented with new opportunities, knowledge, and situations because of the strength and courage from the power of Christ that rests on us.

 Application: Place a jar and post-it notes in a prominent place in your home. Each day, write a memory on the Post-it note. At the end of the year, your jar will be filled with happy and sad memories, showing that God is with you in new opportunities, knowledge, and situations.

Written By: Miranda Boswell