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From Pastor Gary, SOULJournal From Pastor Gary, SOULJournal

TRUST=SURRENDER

  • Matthew 1:18-25, Hebrews 11:1

Trust is demonstrated when we make God's plans our own goals.

  • 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 (NCV) 6 So we always have courage. We know that while we live in this body, we are away from the Lord. 7  We live by what we believe, not by what we can see. 8  So I say that we have courage. We really want to be away from this body and be at home with the Lord. 9  Our only goal is to please God whether we live here or there,
The end result is that we see Joseph submitted to God.

Trust always means submission.

Maybe that's why trust is so hard, because we are so unaccustomed to surrendering ourselves.

Surrender means loser, quitter, not good enough, not strong enough, failure. Except in God's vocabulary --- where surrender .. or submission means strength and victory.Without faith, it is impossible to please God. The heart of Christianity is our faith .. the trust that we place in God. In Who He is. In what He said He will do. In what the Bible says He has already done. In the Jesus' death on the cross, for our sins. In His resurrection that sets us free. The victory that has overcome the world is our faith.Today, you are facing circumstances that you can't completely understand. Disease, death, debt, divorce, have sent the train of your life way off the tracks. And you can't figure it out! Joseph reminds us that waiting on Jesus isn't always about final answers, it's about complete faith.Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Faith is by definition, not quantifiable or measurable. We cannot diagram it on the board and examine its parts. It is the logic of the spiritual realm, the currency of the unseen dimension. SAVORINGWhat do you think that Joseph was most in need of after learning that Mary was pregnant?  What emotions do you think he felt?  What were some of the first words that angel said to him in Matthew 1:20?  How could these words be a demonstration of God’s love and concern to Joseph?

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From Pastor Gary, SOULJournal From Pastor Gary, SOULJournal

WILL YOU CHOOSE TO TRUST?

Matthew 1:18-25I imagine every one of us either has been, at some time, or is in now, a situation that we don't completely understand. We cannot fathom the reasons why such circumstances have overtaken us or, despite many sleepless nights and anxious hours, we just can't figure a way out, so what will be your response?

How do you get from restless uncertainty to complete trust?Joseph spent time knowing God.

Three times Matthew tells us that the Lord appeared to Joseph. Three times God revealed Himself and His will to Joseph. There are some powerful truths we can latch on to here.Trust comes easier the more that we know somebody.

  • Hosea 6:6 (TLB) 6 "I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.

Trust requires that we discern God's will.

  • Mark 14:36 (TLB) 36 "Father, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take away this cup from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
 

SAVORINGSpend time with God today not asking Him for anything except that He speak to you regarding what He wants of you.  Put aside at least half-an-hour where you can sit in silence after asking Him the question, “Father, what is on your heart?  What do you want to say to me.”

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