Keep Your Trust In God
Guilt is concerned with the past. Worry is concerned about the future. Contentment enjoys the present.
Isaiah 58:9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
Where do you see God? For Moses it was a burning bush. Isaiah saw his majesty in a temple. Paul was blinded by his glory on a lonely stretch of road. Noah saw God in a seagull. John the Baptist in a dove. Peter saw him in the midst of a storm. And John of Patmos saw wonders in a dream.
At some time in your life you’ve seen God. Some moment. Some event or person has moved you beyond words and to tears. A time when you knew there was a God and that God loved you.
Was it the birth of a child? The hand of a homeless person you handed food to? A young child who smiles as you put new shoes on her feet? Standing at dawn in front of the ocean? Or on a snowy mountain top at sunset?
Do you hear the voice of God in a sermon? Do you see the majesty of God in the Fellowship Hall? Or the splendor of God in the desert of Mexico?
God makes all things holy. It wasn’t the seagull that gave Noah hope, but the One who sent it. It wasn’t the Dove that showed John the Baptist the Messiah, but the Holy Spirit that came with it to open eyes and hearts. It wasn’t the rocks that condemned the prostitute but the hand drawing in the sand that offered forgiveness. It wasn’t the nails that forgave spirit, but the hands of the one who held them. It wasn’t the cradle that gave us hope, but the baby laying inside it and it wasn’t the cross that gave us new life but the man hanging on it.
In all things, in all circumstances God brings holiness to our lives.
Sitting at a desk at work? God says, “Here I am.”
Preparing supper in the kitchen? God says, “Here I am.”
Washing dishes in the fellowship hall? God says, “Here I am.”
Singing a song while driving down the road? God says, “Here I am.”
Where you may be this day, whether it be good or bad, always remember, God is whispering to you, “HERE I AM!”
Let us pray.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of
our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The fellow who worries about what other people think of him wouldn’t worry so much if he only realized how seldom they do.
The pastor of Malvern First United Methodist Church. You can catch his daily video devotionals at their website: www.firstmethodistmalvern.org