All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

How to THRIVE in the mess

Trust God fully … possible? T.H.R.I.V.E.

Listen to this podcast here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1f20c97a/how-to-thrive-...

This is you--at least the first part I hope! You get your morning coffee, retreat to your special chair to spend some alone time with God to start your day. Your time is good, your faith refreshed, your soul strengthened, your mind renewed.

And then you turn on the news . . . (is this ever going to end?)

You open an email from creditors . . . (how will I pay?)

Someone you were just with tested positive . . . (yikes! What about me?)

You are watching prices go up and supply go down.

Suddenly, the strength and assurance you felt when you closed your Bible has evaporated like a mist. Fact is, the rubber hit the road and you are shaken once again.

Last year at the start of all of this, I thought to myself, I do not just want to eke out my existence at this time, I want to thrive. I want to come out the other side better for having weathered the storm, and I wanted to help others do the same You see, I looked from side to side and saw so many worried people! Using the word thrive as an acronym, let us take another look.

The 'T' for T.H.R.I.V.E. – is Trust God fully. How is that possible in light of all that is going on? I mean, you trust him, you do—especially when you are reminded in his Word, but the nagging anxiety returns, rocking your world again. What happened? Is there a cure? Yes!

You can trust God fully when you truly believe GOD IS ABLE, not just capable, but mighty, sovereign and good.

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able

to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

to all generations, for ever and ever.” Amen. Ephesians 3.20-21

If you and I truly believe GOD IS ABLE, we must act as though we are counting on him to be at work, in control and on the move. We pray with that in mind and we go boldly forward into our day.

Life verses for all of us: Don’t worry about anything;

instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.1

First Paul describes that God will do far more abundantly than all you ask or think. ‘Far more abundantly’? That is super superlative! Paul is serious that God can outdo our finite thinking. So, let’s you and I pray expectantly--filled with faith and hope--because we are sure of both God’s heart toward us and his capability of doing anything.

God’s Word is very clear that when we ask, we are to have faith that we will receive. For instance, James wrote, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.2 When we pray, we are to believe … aye, to have faith and stand steadfast upon the object of our faith, our GOD WHO IS ABLE.

And when God answers our prayers, as he always does—either

‘no’, ‘not yet’, or

‘yes, and here is something extra to make you smile

so you know I love you, and have heard your prayer,’

‘because I have caught your tears in a bottle,’

or ‘I just love to bring you joy’—

we are to give God the glory that is his due.

We were created to give glory to our Creator. Just as an eye-catching, inspirational work of art brings attention to the artist, so we as the crown of God’s creation have been made to give him glory.

To the One who answers prayer, the One who works out his will in us and through us in this world … we give glory – all of us who claim his name down through the generations, telling and retelling his mighty works for ever and ever. The tune to a childhood chorus runs through my mind, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”3

Indeed, it is the chief end of man to glorify God,

And to enjoy him forever! Amen.4

Determine to get your eyes off your situation and on to the One who can effect change in your situation. Turn off the television, get off your social media and take a few minutes to pray to the GOD who is able. Commit yourself to God, give him what is on your mind, ask him to move - to heal, to comfort, to change --in short, to come and do what only he can do. Amen!

DO YOU BELIEVE GOD IS ABLE? Then act on it.

Okay, Lord, I will trust in you. song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_aVFVveJNs

Praying for you, my friends~

Christine DiGiacomo

PstorWoman.net

1 - Phillipians 4.6-7, New Living Translation

2 - James 1.5-6

3 - 1 Timothy 1.17

4 - Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1647, Westminster Assembly

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