Trusting a Loving God

If God is good... truly good... then we should be able to trust Him.  And what a comfort it is to know that as we trust a God that is all good, we know that all His plans toward us are made fully in love-- as He is LOVE Himself.:)

So how do we grow in trusting God?  One idea would be to count your blessings.  If you need a little inspiration to get you started, here are some of the blessings I've noted on my own list (in no particular order)!

• Jesus
• coffee
• kittens
• crackling bonfires
• dark chocolate
• iTunes playlists to fit my every mood
• warm down blankets
• God's grace
• looking at a backyard full of snow with no footprints
• high heels
• journaling with multicolor pens
• good makeup
• a big hug
• the comfort & leading of the Holy Spirit

I encourage you to make your own list of blessings-- it surely helps me open my eyes and practice the discipline of thankfulness!

Also, to reflect more on God's loving trustworthiness (even in the midst of HARD times!), read a story of a hard time in Jesus' life (Mark 14:32-36).  Reflect on how Jesus was able to call God "Abba" (aka "Father") even in the midst of knowing He would be crucified.  How can Jesus speak this way when He knows torture, dearth, and separation from His Father are coming?... (because Jesus TRUSTS God!) :) 

Also, read about Jesus and Peter walking on water... and think about times in your life when you've been scared and falling on the waves.. and you've heard the gentle, powerful voice of Jesus saying, "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid"...  What is your storm?  And how can you walk with Jesus in the midst of it and trust Him when He says, "Come".. ?    I pray that as we read more stories of Jesus and see His goodness, trustworthiness, and love, that we can walk with Him through the storms in our own lives.

God is Good

Last year when I lived in Rome, a worship band played this song called "The Goodness of God" at a conference we went to.  The lyrics to the first verse & chorus are:

My God is a giver, an overflowing river
pouring His lavish love on us.
Season after season, we give Him every reason
to stop but He never does.


Oh-oh-oh, the goodness of God
is flooding my heart with peace.
Oh-oh-oh, the goodness of God
is bringing me to my knees.

Isn't that beautiful?  I was struck with the imagery of these words: My God is a giver, an overflowing river, pouring His lavish love on us.  God is truly a giver of love and life, and in His goodness, He never does stop!  Even though these words struck my heart and led me to worship at the conference in January, there have definitely been other times in my life when I've wrestled with the concept of God being good.

At youth this past week, we read Psalm 34 and talked about the goodness of God.  We discussed questions such as, "Have you ever experienced a time in your life where you doubted the goodness of God? What happened? How did you feel?" and "Does knowing that God has the final say in all of life offer you comfort? Hope? Frustration? Fear? Why?"  We then went across the street to Fountain Park to sit, each of us, alone, in silence to connect with God, take time to think, appreciate and be aware of creation, and reflect on God's goodness.

In getting away from noise, distractions, and even each other!-- we were able to stop and really analyze what kinds of thoughts and feelings were going on in our heads and hearts.  After our time of silence, we got back together to talk about things we thought about.  It was, in all, a beautiful evening of discussion, wrestling through different things in our lives, and trying to see how the goodness of God is true in the midst of all of it.

Thank you for praying for us that we'd continue to "taste and see that the LORD is good"!! :)