Archive for the ‘Trust’ Category

19 Jan

It Will Be Worth it All

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Eternal Life, Faith, Salvation, Trials, Trust.

Dear readers,

It is time for another edition of my attempts to encourage you in your spiritual journey. I have considered putting this project to an end, but after all these years, I wonder if that is possible. The Lord has been good to give me ideas of what to write, and I don’t expect Him to stop now. If He does, I am sure He will let me know when that time comes. As I have mentioned before, this project started in 1999 as a weekly newsletter charting my journey as a new Christian. It has become something far larger than I first envisioned. This week, I will share some thoughts that have encouraged me along the way.

There was a time I understood that I couldn’t make it without Jesus. Along came a word from the Lord that changed my life forever. Let’s look at some important things to remember from the Bible.

First, we have all sinned and need a Savior. (Romans 3:23). Second, there is a way to be saved. It is found in Romans chapter ten: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ an believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (‘Romans 10:9) Verse 13 sums it up nicely: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It does not say life will be a bed of roses, only that we are saved by confessing Jesus as Lord. Difficulties still come but as the Scripture says, the righteous will live by faith.

In my experience troubles do come. From financial hardships, health issues, family tragedies and the trials of old age we must trust that the Lord is there. Along with the trials of life, He also blesses us in many ways and through it all, His plan for us is being worked out in our lives.

Jonah, as we read in the Bible, suffered great loss because God had allowed Satan to test Him. Jonah couldn’t see what brought on his trials, but he knew God was there with him. There is an old hymn that says it well.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!

Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Simply His,

Pastor Jerry

12 Jan

Standing on the Rock

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Culture, Hope, Peace, Trust.

Dear friends,

January continues to provide mild temperatures. We usually don’t see this, but I’m not going to complain. Facebook reminds me occasionally by way of those memory photos, that we could be experiencing deep snow. We have much to be thankful for, as we remember the recent holidays. We have another great-grandchild. The oldest great grand turned six last week, and we are in relatively good health. God is Good!

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know that the world is a mess. From demonstrations here at home to unrest in other parts of the world, one wonders who is in charge? I have the answer from the Word of God. Bear with me as I share some encouraging truths from the Bible.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121: 1-2).

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly He is my rock and salvation; he is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:1-2, 7-8).

He (God) will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).

Then this, from Romans 8; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword…? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

The person who trusts in the Lord for his salvation has nothing to fear from this world. It’s in the Bible; we are on God’s side and His side wins. Be blessed and encouraged with these words.

In His grip,

Pastor Jerry

29 Dec

Joy In Trials

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Happiness, Joy, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,

We had a good family Christmas. We gathered at Ryan’s house in Neligh. The boys fed us well with steak, lobster tail, and all kinds of other goodies. There were also home-made cinnamon rolls that were to die for. Needless to say, we are in fasting mode the day after.

We are about to enter a new year! 2026 is almost here. The greeting of the week will be “Happy New Year!” We always salute the turning of the calendar to January with those words, but for some it probably will not be happy every day of the year. There will be disappointments, sicknesses, deaths in families and other kinds of personal tragedies. The optimism we have will fade away to reality and we find it hard to be happy all the time.

The Bible speaks of joy. When the angels announced the birth of the Savior, the greeting was Joy to the World! I believe joy is separate from happiness, In the middle of unhappy times, we can still be joyful. The psalmist wrote, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19). In this sense, joy is based on the writer’s relationship with God.

In another psalm we read, “The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy… Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy” (Psalm 126:3, 5). Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We will not always be happy, but through our faith and trust in the Lord, we will have joy in our hearts.

 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8).

Trials will come, but they are not unexpected. The good news is that the Lord is with us in those trials. Joy is knowing we have Him in our hearts in those times.

Have a blessed New Year,

Pastor Jerry

17 Nov

Trust and Obey

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Gospel, Marriage, Obedience, Relationships, Trust.

Hello friends,

Again, we have extra nice weather for mid-November. I expect we’ll be paying for these nice days. The past few days have given us an opportunity to get a bit of work done on the house. The shingles on the little bay window overhangs were in sad shape, so over three days we were able to get three hours of work done.

In this there was a lesson in trust between two people in a long-term marriage relationship. To get the shingling done, I had to be lifted to the eave on the tractor loader. Since there were only two of us to get the job done, it fell to Milrae to operate the loader controls. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience.

I needed to give her directions on operating the loader controls, and she is willing to help, but somewhat anxious about getting it right. If she happens to move the control lever the wrong way, I could find myself on the ground in short order. She trusts me to give right directions, and I must trust her to follow them. I can report that she handled it well; I didn’t get thrown to the ground and the repairs were done.

It reminds me of the old hymn Trust and Obey. It speaks of our need as Christians to trust and obey the Lord Jesus. Trust comes first, as we put our faith in Him to give us proper instructions as we serve Him. When we have faith, we can then obey His commands without fear or hesitation. He says do not fear, for I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Trusting and obeying, in our current culture, are words that are not often well-received. Perhaps you have trusted someone, only to find out they are not trustworthy at all. It is hard to be obedient to someone you cannot trust.

Jesus asks us to trust Him in the everyday things, and to obey His commands. In doing so we can live knowing He is in control and his commands are for our good. “In fact, this is love for God: to keep His commands, And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

For Him,

Pastor Jerry

14 Jul

God is In the Storm

Posted by sandhillspastor in Eternal Life, Faith, God's Word, Hope, Peace, Trials, Trust, Worship.

Hello friends,
We may see a return to a ‘normal’ life this week. It seems lately we have spent a good deal of time and energy with various appointments, but that may be ending. The weather has been summer-like, but there have been cooler temperatures the last few days. When we were in the ranching business, we looked forward to those sunny days when we could make hay.

Much of the news of recent days has concerned the flooding and loss of lives and property in Texas and other places. One wonders, where was God in all this? But rest assured He was not unaware, nor was He sleeping through it all. There is no situation that is not in His control, or that He cannot use for His purpose and His glory.

The loss of those campers and counselors is being used to bring attention to their faith in the creator God, and their witness to His goodness. There are many stories down through the years telling of people who have come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through times such as this.

Some scriptures that encourage us are found in the lives of Jesus’ 12 disciples. “Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a furious storm came upon the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed, and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him” (Matthew 8:23-27).

From the Psalms we read, “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed” (Psalm 571-2). Also, “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:4).

Finally, these words from Psalm 23: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”.

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

30 Jun

It’s His Plan

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Blessings, Faith, Miracles, Planning, Trials, Trust.

Hello all,
We continue to recover from our car wreck. The bumps and bruises are healing, and we continue to attest to God’s providence and protection in all of this. Weather-wise, in the past ten days we have recorded 6.5 inches of rain in our high-tech gauge. After what was a long, dry spell, we are grateful for abundant moisture.

In feedback from last week’s column, it was pointed out that it sounded like I was promoting the idea that God protects us from everything all the time. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. What it does say is that in this world there will be hardships, including death and dying. There is sickness and disease, pain and sorrow. Sometimes He protects us from harm, but sometimes He doesn’t. Whatever the outcome, God is never surprised and His perfect plan is being carried out.

Let me share some informative scriptures with you: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1:2). Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of glory that God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). Notice that James said when you face trials, not if you face trials.

Peter wrote this, concerning trials, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1: 6). Also, Peter said, “Dear friends do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

The words of Jesus after telling His disciples of trials to come: “I have told you all these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In Romans 12, Paul reminds his readers to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12).

We may say, If I had done this or that, taken a different road, or chosen a different route, this would not have happened. But as I have said before and continue to say, it is all in God’s plan and through it all He is fulfilling His purpose in each life and in each experience.

Trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 May

No Worries

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Faith, Peace, Prayer, Trust.

Hello friends,
Another week has gone by with no rain. As I write this, we are experiencing another windy day with high fire danger. Concerns are being raised about whether there will be enough grass in the pastures. It is certainly a time for fervent prayer to the Lord who makes the rain fall.

In times of drought and in many other situations where we are prone to worry, or as Christians would say, “be concerned” (because worry is a sin), we would do well to remember Romans 8:32; He who did not spare His own son, but gave Him up for all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

There is nothing more God could do to prove His commitment to you. Surely if he cares enough for you to send His Son to the cross to die for you, then He will do even more than keep you fed. You can trust Him with your bills, your career, the future of your family and yes provide the needed rain.

“Fear not” is the most repeated command in the Bible, with 366 mentions. The only way those commands make sense is if God is thereby promising He will take care of the things you are worried about.

So, He says, instead of being anxious, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7)

The key words there are “with thanksgiving.” It is impossible to thank God for His answer if you’re still worried about it.

The kind of prayer Paul is talking about in Philippians 4 means laying your problems before Jesus and leaving the burden of them with Him. You cannot say thanks if you do not trust Him to answer.

The God who stands outside of eternity can manage the days of your life. He is always good, all the time, and you can leave your worries (and concerns) at His feet. [Credit to Pastor J.D. Greear].

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

Fully trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

24 Mar

The Real Thing

Posted by sandhillspastor in Bible, Culture, False teachers, God's Word, Trust, Truth.

Hello friends,
March is almost gone, and I won’t be sorry to see it go. Hopefully, April will bring those proverbial showers, followed by the May flowers. We got very little snow from the last storm, but oh how the wind did blow. I know the wind must blow, but really?

This week, due to time issues I am going into the archives for our devotional thought. I think this still applies to our current situation.

I have always enjoyed a glass of grapefruit juice, but because of the different medications I take, I no longer am afforded the pleasure. I would at times buy it in place of a sugary soft drink. I believed one grapefruit juice was the same as any other, but I found out otherwise when I purchased another brand with a look-alike label. I soon discovered there was no comparison in the taste of the two. The “real stuff” was much better tasting than the bargain brand in spite of the similarity of the labels.

How do I apply this to spiritual matters? In our search for meaning in life, we try many things and seek answers in many places. If we know where to find the right answers and experience them, it is easy to spot the counterfeits and the “wannabes.” If we are grounded in God’s word, that is if we study and learn from the Bible what it says about Jesus Christ and the way to eternal life, we won’t be led astray by false teaching and popular thoughts and ideas. We need to be able to distinguish between the authentic and the look-a-likes.

In his letter to Titus, Paul gives advice that should apply to all of us. “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Tituss 1:9).

To the church at Ephesus, he wrote that we are to be mature in our faith so that, “We will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching (doctrine) and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching… then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

For Him,
Pastor Jerry

17 Mar

Take Heart

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, Hope, Peace, Reward, Trials, Trust.

Dear friends,
Another week of late winter weather has passed. It has been interesting to say the least. Our prayers go up for those affected by the storms of last weekend. Also, our thanks to those dedicated volunteers who battled the wildfires of last week.

Everywhere we look it seems there is unrest or chaos of some sort. Also, persecution of God’s people is on the increase. I don’t think it is any different than in the past; perhaps we are made more aware through all the media sources available today.

The Bible tells us there will be trials in this life, and I believe it to be true. Jesus said to His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

We should not be disheartened by the troubles in life but, look to the Lord for assurance in those times. Nowhere in scripture does it tell us that life is a bowl of cherries. Peter wrote this to those suffering for their faith, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as tough something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

In Romans we read this; “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23).

In the Old Testament book of Jeremiah God told the prophet, ”Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land of ruler against ruler’ (Jeremiah 51:46).

Jesus said to his disciples, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come” (Matthew 24:6).

James tells us to ‘hang in there’, so to speak: Consider it joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

In the words of Paul, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

13 Jan

In all Things

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Creation, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Hello friends,
The weather has taken a more winter-like turn. These temperatures remind us there are seasons. We don’t get to have just one kind of weather. That would get old after a while. We need to keep California in our prayers, along with the folks in Appalachia as they continue to recover from hurricane and fire disasters. There is much to be thankful for here in our little corner of the world.

As we see all the destruction from hurricanes and wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters, we wonder if God is really in control. However, we live in a fallen world. Because of sin, God’s creation is broken. To Adam, God said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field” (Genesis 3:17-18).

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not be its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pain of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:20-22).

Hear this word of God through the prophet: “I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and disaster; I the Lord, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:5-7).

In the middle of disaster, the Christian can be encouraged. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose… What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?… neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:28, 31, 39).

In His hands,
Pastor Jerry

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