Trust

Scripture’s call to faith is not an invitation to blind belief. An unsubstantiated belief system is what superstitions are made of. Rather, “faith is established upon coherent and consistent reasoning and upon empirical evidence. Peter writes, ‘For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty’ (2 Peter 1:16).”

The armor of God includes a shield as an essential piece of equipment. This shield is needed to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). The believer’s shield is not constructed with wood like the ones that the Roman soldiers carried. Our shield is built with faith.

Repentance is a word that doesn’t get a lot of positive press these days. We would like to blame it on the times we live in, but honestly, people have had trouble with repentance since Genesis 3. Today, let’s consider why repentance gets such bad press.

In Scripture, the heart refers to the control center of one’s life. It is the central point of our thoughts, desires, and actions. We must guard it with all diligence. Proverbs 4:23 says that the springs of life flow from our hearts. In the spiritual battle, our hearts must be protected with the breastplate of righteousness.

God’s grace is amazing! He gives us what we don’t deserve. He offers the free gift of grace without conditions or strings attached. And it all started with his grace in the garden.

Does God really love me? Is this the best God has for me? Why is God holding out on me? These questions, which have echoed through the ages, started in the garden when Satan showed up to bring down Adam and Eve. After Satan told Eve that God’s Word was not true, he moved to God’s motive.

Sebastian Coe was one of the greatest middle-distance runners in England’s history. During his career, he set eleven world records and won gold medals in the 1,500-meter event at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. He was favored to win the 800-meter event at the 1980 Olympics but lost to his archrival and countryman, Steve Ovett. That loss delivered fear to his heart when he faced Ovett six days later in the 1,500-race. What if he failed?

Some of you are reading this at a difficult economic time. Your business has shrunk. Your sales are down. Your customers are cutting back. Your salary has been reduced. Your position has been terminated. Many jobs in your company are gone, and the rumors are flying that more downsizing is coming. For some, the tough times have hit hard. For others, the tough times have hit home. Listen to the words of Jesus.

Prayer is a personal conversation with our Father. It should not be filled with clever Christian clichés or worn-out prayer phrases. It is fresh, real, and uninhibited—like any meaningful conversation in our lives. Using the Lord’s Prayer to learn how we are to pray, we see the principles of revering the person of God not only in quiet prayer time but also in the car on a backed-up road when we are in a hurry and in the interactions with our children at the end of the day when we are tired. We have considered our need to submit to the Father’s will. Now, we will focus on dependence.