Now what ... in the wake of Las Vegas, Houston, Mexico? Oct. 5, 2017

The stories from Vegas first trickled out, and now they are pouring out from everywhere it seems.  People who saw loved ones shot in the face, shot in the stomach, and everywhere ... people running for their lives.  We do not understand why God allows such tragedies, but then, he did give us free will, right?  That free will allows for the choice of evil, and the choice of a godless existence. 

 

Okay, but for those of us who say we trust him - how are we doing in that?  I mean, really.  Allow me to get personal with you: when your back is up against the wall, what do you do?  When you are backed in a corner, who do you call upon?  When things in your life go awry and you have no control, are you anchored or flitting to and fro?

 

Because you tell me you trust God, and I believe you.  I really do.  But I have seen your reaction after this news bit broke.  And maybe you forgot, but I was having lunch with you when that phone call came, and everything about you seemed to change-like a snap of a finger.  Oh, I do not doubt your heart for God-I've watched you faithfully serve!  But sometimes your heart is so heavy over those circumstances out of your control, I am not sure you know that you really do trust God-that is, if you do.

 

Scripture reminds us of how big and how great is our God.  This morning I read David's words, 

Just eleven short verses in this song of David,

       and I guess I haven't ever felt quite so keenly about how fitting        it is for life, or just how beautiful for situation.

 

I had a childhood flashback of a purple mimeographed sheet with my memory verse on it, "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations..."2

 

We trust God, we do believe he is able, but the challenge is to keep his promises uppermost in our minds as we go throughout our day-at work, at home, in our vehicles, at the beach or lying awake at night.  Is there a solution to increase our awareness of his presence and involvement in our lives?  Because I've got to tell you, I can be ever so sure, ever so aware, and then I get a disturbing phone call from someone I love and boom--my God-trusting mental peace is threatened!

 

Is there a solution?  Is there some other way of living so I am not the flimflam man?  Yes, I believe so.

 

I am proposing a Trust Plan:

*For your fifteen, you might use these briefings for two days.  First day - read/listen.  Second day - look up the scripture verses, make a note of them, apply them! 

             ~Post-it notes... 3 x 5 cards... Screen-savers or 

               cellphone wallpaper....

    3.    Consumption Awareness. Is your media intake helpful?                    I love what Paul said on this: "Everything is permissible,"                  but not everything is helpful. "Everything is permissible,"                  but not everything builds up.3 Recently, a woman told me                she had let Facebook overtake her life ... wait, what?

 

           Consider how you feel, what you think about after you listen            to 'that', or watch such and such a thing? Are you better for              your time engaged on that website or... activity?

 

 

God is more than able, and if you are like me, you want to live like you really believe that.  You really want to live in trust ... so now you've got your very own Trust Plan.

Work it.

 

 

1 - Psalm 46.1

2 - Psalm 100.5

3 - 1 Corinthians 10.23, HCSB