UNWAVERING TRUST
WALKING IN THE PROMISE OF GOD
What is trust? What is faith? Are they the same thing? Are they synonyms? How do I appropriate it? These are the things we are going to discuss.
Biblical trust is profound reliance on God and His Promises found in the Word of God, it is characterized by faith which is confidence and assurance in His promises.
Trust is the foundational element of faith. It is not merely a passive feeling but involve action and commitment to the Promise of
God.
Romans 15:13: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Trust in God fills us with joy and peace which leads to hope.
Trust is the expression of faith that acknowledges God’s sovereignty, goodness and faithfulness. You have to surrender your will and understanding especially during trials and challenges, thus you experience spiritual growth, peace and grace!
God hears us when we seek Him and answers our cry.
Psalms 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
You are not controlled by you circumstances or current problems.
You are not defined by your situation.
God is in control and turns all your situations into favor and grace.
I am going to make a statement, I want you to remember!
God does not need your help!
We want to pray and ask God for help but when we pray we want to
tell Him how to answer our prayer. Then we are upset when He doesn’t do it!! Nothing takes God by surprise. He is aware of your situation, my situation, how do I know this, the Word tells me so.
Psalms 34: 4.15,17,19: I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. 15. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 17. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
One of the most important things you need to remember to come out victorious is to remember WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST!
Remember what Jesus did for you on Calvary!
You are an overcomer, a daughter of the King, victorious in all you do,
Never forget that!
Jude 1: 24-25:Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25. to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.
The Holy spirit is able to keep you from stumbling and present you faultless before God!
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
So with these verses we see how God is in control of situation.
We trust in Him and not our own wisdom or ideas and He will direct our paths and keep us from stumbling
Right now you may feel “oppressed, beat down, worn out” by your situation. 1 Cor. 4:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion but of peace.
When you are so distraught about things remember God is in control of the storm not you!
He may tell you to trust Him and get out of the boat, and walk through the storm or He may leave you in the boat and calm the storm!
Just remember, He is with you in the storm, no matter what!
Psalms: 107:28-29: Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.
Matthew 8:26, Tells us Jesus rebuked the winds and the rains.
Mark 4:39-40, Tells us as Jesus slept in the boat as the storm arose and the boat began to sink- the disciples woke Jesus. He rebuked the storm and calmed it, but he questioned their faith. He said “have you still no faith”? After all the disciples had seen Him do! Let me ask you, where is your faith? Your trust?
This may sound harsh, but who are we to doubt and question God, the same God who has never let us down and has always proven Himself faithful and true?
Let me repeat this: “Biblical trust is profound reliance on God and His promises. It is characterize by faith, which is confidence and assurance in His presence.
Do not allow your mind to yield to things that are contrary to God’s word!
Ephesians 6:10: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
This is a commandment by Paul. We are to be strong in the Lord and the Power of His might. Make it a personal statement, “I am strong in the Lord and the Power of His might!
So How do I develop unwavering trust?
1. Recognize the source of the storm in your life, the opposition to God’s promises.
John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
God cannot work against Himself! He can’t give you life and life more
abundantly and kill, steal and destroy at the same time!
Remember our finite human mind cannot solve spiritual problems.
Yet that is what we do. We try to solve our problems first, then we go to God. Stop! Just stop! Go to God first.
Think in line with the Word of God! It is the devil that comes to kill, steal and destroy your health, family, marriage, children!
Remember: Gal 6:7 tells us that there is a spiritual principle that applies to everything. “You reap what you sow!
2. How do I “think in line with God’s Word”?
Make sure what you are praying for is covered by the Word, find a promise that corresponds to your need and claim it as your own.
To do this you may have to learn how to study the Word.
Start with a Bible with a good concordance. This will help you find the scripture you need.
Meet with a mature Christian, your Pastor, Bible teacher who can guide you in what the word says about your situation.
Be sure the books you are studying are spiritually sound.
Faith is based on what God’s word says.
Psalms 119:10 tells us that the entrance of the Word gives light.
Isaiah 1:19 tells us how important obedience is. There is an old hymn
“Trust and Obey”. The chorus goes “trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”
Romans 10:17 tells us faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Read the Bible out loud to yourself. Listen to it on CD.
3. Be quick to delete sin from your life and ask forgiveness.
Another harsh truth is unbelief, doubt, worry are opposite trust and faith. They are straight out sin! Something you have to repent of!
1 Corinthians 11:31: For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
We must judge ourselves!
Ask forgiveness!
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Once you do this DO NOT ALLOW THE ENEMY TO BRING UP THINGS YOU HAVE ALREADY PUT UNDER THE BLOOD!
Allowing the enemy to rehash your past robs you of your future!
Matthew 7:24-25: "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25. "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Read the hymn on handout).
Isaiah 26:4 tells us God is the eternal rock.
Be quick to forgive, repent Believe!
Don’t over analyze your situation!
Hebrews 12:1:Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
What is the weight that is holding you down? It won’t be the same as my weight or your neighbor’s weight.
Is the weight the inability to stop worrying?
Is it the inability to stop speaking doubt?
RELEASE THAT WEIGHT! GIVE IT TO GOD!
Psalms 37:7-8: Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret it only causes harm.
Fretting or worrying is a sin and it only causes harm!
4. Get Rid of doubt and unbelief.
This may surprise you when I say this, but we don’t have to fight the devil. This is something we have always been taught. We don’t have to fight him because Jesus already defeated him!! If we do fight it is on our knees! I love that song we sing by Phil Wickham, “The Battle”.
“So when I fight I’ll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
Oh God the battle belongs to You!
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I’ll sing through the night
Oh God the battle belongs to You!”
It is our job to pray, sing through the night, write Psalms – encourage ourselves in the Lord by getting in the Word and finding out what God says about our situation. Yes you can rebuke the devil, remind him he is a defeated foe, to get out of your situation. To take his hands off your marriage, children, health finances! That is the authority you have been give by The Lord.
Remember the devil is a liar and a deceiver! You just need to remind him that he is defeated and you are the victor because of Jesus Christ!
Amen!
1Peter 5:7-9:, 7. casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11 to put on the whole armor of God and stand firm! He is referring to standing on the promises of God! You can’t stand on them if you don’t know them!
Get in the Word and learn for yourself what God says about your storm not what the devil says!
Doubtful, discouraging thought may fill your mind. That is where the battlefield is, you mind. That is what the devil does- fill it with wrong thoughts!
F.F. Bosworth said’ Doubt your Doubts!” In other words let your spirit dominate your thought life with the truth of God’s Word!
Dodie Osteen in her book about being healed of cancer said, “Faith will work in your heart with doubt in your head!”
There will be times when you doubt. When you are tired discouraged
feeling alone, wondering where God is in this storm.
That is not unusual, just remember though, God has not forsaken you, given up on you or forgotten about you. H has never failed you and he never will!
Mark 11:23 tells us that if we speak to our mountain and don’t doubt in our heart But believe that what we say will come top pass- it will.
Speak it- Believe it!
James 4:7 tells us to submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee from you!
2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear but a sound mind.
1 Corinthians 1:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ. Jesus has no doubt, no fear, no loneliness, no discouragement! NO! It has life, joy, peace, love, kindness, all the fruit of the spirit.
I am talking about GODFIDENCE!
Gofidence is a quiet unshakable confidence rooted in faith- knowing you don’t walk alone, trusting God’s timing over your own and standing boldly because He goes before you!
Think about David when He defeated Goliath!
He armed himself with 5 smooth stones and ran toward the enemy while the armies of Israel hid in their tents. You can run toward your giant or hide in your tent ! It is your choice! Just remember running toward the giant puts you in a place of victory! You just have to stand in it!
5. Pray – asking in faith nothing wavering!
Here is where the unwavering trust manifests!
Mark 11:24: "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Let’s consider this verse for just a moment. Jesus said whatsoever things you ask when you pray! Believe you have them. Jesus is talking about your individual prayer. When you pray, believe! It is scriptural to
ask for pray when you need it but be sure the person who is praying with you is believing in line with the Word and you. Be careful who you ask to pray with you, be sure of their beliefs.
2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to cast down vain imaginations which come from the enemy and is contrary to the Word of God. No not for one minute entertain them!
6. Embrace the Lord’s purpose.
His purpose was to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8: He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Understanding this verse is paramount to your victory! Jesus destroyed the works of the devil! Praise Go for evermore!
2 Corinthians: 5:7: For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Call those things that are not as though they are! Speak life over your situation not defeat or death! When you do this you are speaking forth what God has decreed!
1 Peter 5:6: I read this verse earlier, you must remain humble before God.“But I do, I am humble”, you may say. Are you? We must acknowledge that you cannot calm this storm, defeat this giant, solve this problem – Only God can! Amen!
Finally:
Do not accept defeat!
Do not be denied!
Answer to prayer is your right and inheritance!
Always give God the Glory!