Archive for the ‘Trust’ Category

13 Mar

Sleep Well

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Christian Living, Faith, Peace, Rest, Trust.

Dear readers,
We have been experiencing typical March weather, in which conditions change day by day and sometimes in minutes. The next phase appears to be a return to cold temps for a few days, followed by a two day warmup, then a little snow thrown in for free by the end of the week!

On the home front, my sweet wife is recovering nicely from her knee replacement surgery, in spite of my best nursing attempts. She will see the doctor on Thursday and start therapy after that. Thank you for your prayers, they are much appreciated.

As we get older and those doctor’s appointments become more frequent, we may begin to worry about the future. This is not much different from the worries and concerns we can have at any age. We worry about feeding our families, or if our job is secure. If we are involved in agriculture there are concerns about the weather or the price of grain, the price of cattle and whether we will be able to make expenses. Many parents believe that if they don’t stay up late, get up early, and stay on top of every detail, then not only will things fall through the cracks; the whole physical, emotional, and spiritual health of their family might be in peril.

If you are sleeping, who is watching over the city? If you’re not up at the wee hours, who is making the crops grow?

God is.

You can place your trust in God, who cares more about your children’s well-being than even you do. You can work hard and then go to sleep, entrusting God with your “city,” knowing that, even while you sleep, he is at work. The Bible says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

When we were commuting between the ranch and the church, people would ask who was caring for the cattle, my answer was always the same; the Lord is, even when I’m home!

Just knowing and trusting that the Lord is involved in our lives will free us from unnecessary worry. Jesus himself tells us not to worry. As someone once said, why should I lie awake all night, God never sleeps. He’s got this!

Sweet dreams,
Pastor Jerry

6 Feb

Peace Amid Chaos

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, God's Word, Gospel, Hope, Peace, Trust.

Dear friends.

Warmer weather is finally here. If you are not happy with this, we need to talk! I noticed the annual frenzy over Ground Hog day. I don’t believe the shadow of a woodchuck has anything to do with the weather in six weeks. Truth is, spring comes when it comes. In any case, we will be ready when it gets here.

The news seems to get stranger every day. People are doing things to other humans that are outright insanity. There are ideas floating around that have us asking, whatever happened to common sense, morality, and decency? Then there was the Chinese balloon that floated over North America last week. People are concerned about where the world is headed, and how are we to respond to these things?

I do know from the study of God’s word that there will be times of uncertainty and unrest in the world. Jesus spoke of things that will precede his return. He warned of storms, earthquakes and the like. I am not going to say we are close to his returning, because no one knows the answer to that except God the Father. Suffice it to say Jesus said he would return at some point, and the world has been moving in that direction for over two thousand years.

“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 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 still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:3-9).

The Bible is clear, if we are to have peace in the midst of all that we are seeing and experiencing, we would be wise to place our faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give you peace in a chaotic world. Trust in him today, and know true peace.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

30 Jan

Keep Looking Up

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Blessings, Contentment, Peace, Trials, Trust.

Dear friends,
Winter has us in its grip and seems unwilling to loosen up. We get a few days of moderating temperatures, and then the cold returns. I know in time this will be a memory, but for now we will look forward to spring and all that follows. Bring on the green grass and flowers!

The dark days of winter, and seemingly unending bad news from around the world tends to give us a negative outlook on life. As winter wears on, we seem to develop a pessimistic outlook and everything begins to appear dark. In contrast, the Bible would have us focus on the positive view.

Not one of us could say life has always been a bed of roses. Because we live in a fallen world, bad things happen. It is good to learn from the negative experiences in our lives, but it is better when we remember the positive things we have experienced, along with the blessings of life. As the scripture says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice in the Lord always. do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:6-9).

The apostle Peter, writing to Christians who were enduring persecution said this: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 Peter 1:1-6).

It is obvious we have not endured persecution like those to whom Peter wrote, but be encouraged in this; there are better times to come. Keep a positive outlook and keep looking up!

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

26 Dec

Proper Planning

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Blessings, Faith, New Year, Obedience, Planning, Trust, Wisdom.

Hello friends,
I trust you had a blessed Christmas. After a week of extremely cold weather, it will be good to see the thermometer reading above freezing for a change. Hopefully we won’t see those wind chill readings again for a long time. We had a minor freeze-up at our house. Someone forgot to close the vents in the crawl space, but it turned out okay. The lesson here is don’t trust your memory, check it out!

As we approach the beginning of a new year, and make plans as we are prone to do, let’s first remember these words from God’s Word.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3).
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps (Proverbs 16:9).
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21).

In my own life, I have seen a man’s plans take unexpected turns, but at the end of the journey you can look back and see God’s purpose and direction in every twist and turn. As we make our plans for where we think we are going in life, let us not forget to include the Lord in those plans. Here is wise counsel from the book of James: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’’ “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

As a young man, I could not have imagined the many paths I would take in life, but in retrospect it is clear to me the Lord was working out his plan for me.

There is nothing wrong with making plans for the future, but always remember man’s plans are subject to God bending them to His will for His purpose. Instead of telling God our plans for our future, it would make much more sense to pray that He would give us godly advisors to help guide us through this journey called life. Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!

In Him,
Pastor Jerry

12 Sep

Chasing the Wind

Posted by sandhillspastor in Christian Living, Contentment, Culture, Happiness, Peace, Possessions, Trust, Wisdom.

Dear friends,

We are experiencing some cooler weather for a change. As I write this, we have received a welcome rain shower. I show a mere twenty hundredths, but hey, it’s rain! We will continue to pray the Lord will send beneficial moisture. With the summer season winding down, life here at the lake is taking a more leisurely turn. It has been good to see folks enjoying a taste of lake living, especially the families with children.

Now for some devotional thoughts. This is from a few years back, when we were still watching television, but the message hasn’t changed. One of the newer advertisements on the tube was from an automobile company that will remain unnamed. Their slogan was “Dedicated to life, liberty and the pursuit!”

One of the hallmarks of the culture of today is that many are dedicated to the “pursuit”, and have no vision of what they are pursuing. After all, I wonder, should there not be something to pursue? Most of us have some goal in mind as we go along our life’s journey. It may be only to provide food and shelter for our families, but there is something we are pursuing. The Bible has quite a bit to say about things that are important to pursue and those which are not worth chasing after.

Solomon wrote that many of the things people seek after are just chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Again he writes, “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his work is pain and grief, even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless (2:22-23).

At the end of the book, Solomon sums it up; “Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13).

Jesus said, “But seek first His (God’s) kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Our slogan could then be “Dedicated to a life of serving God, liberty from the bondage of sin and the pursuit of godliness.”

In summary, God will provide all we need for this life and the next, if we will only put all our faith and trust in Him.

Reflecting on His Word,

Pastor Jerry

5 Sep

Faith and Trust

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Faith, Happiness, Peace, Possessions, Trust, Witness, Worship.

Dear friends,

The Labor Day weekend is winding down. A good number of people enjoyed life at the lake over the past few days, and from all indications they had an enjoyable time. It will seem rather quiet here in the neighborhood come Tuesday morning.

I would like to share some thoughts on trusting God in every aspect of our lives. As believers in the Lord Jesus our desire should be to live life by faith. We should be content with what he provides, not envying the possessions or lifestyles of others.

Do we look at a person who does not know the Lord, yet has material wealth in abundance and wish we had what he has? Instead, we should have sympathy for that person, knowing that all his possessions are of no value in light of eternity. When we covet these things, we are in essence saying that we don’t trust God to take care of us. Trust involves letting Him take complete control of our lives—this includes our thoughts, actions and possessions, including bank accounts and our souls—everything.

We are to trust God without reservation. This sounds like a lofty goal, but in His word, He tells us it can be done. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important that food, and the body more important that clothes” (Matthew 6:25)?

Trusting the Lord involves following His commands and letting Him have control. How is your trust level? Can you take time for Him in your busy times? How about letting Him take care of those cows while you attend Sunday worship or take off work early for mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting?

God says he will supply all our needs; does this not mean our time as well as our physical and spiritual needs? Are you trusting Him with the care of a prodigal child or the loved one with an incurable disease? Most importantly, have you trusted Him for your salvation, or are you trying to get to heaven on the merit of your own good works?

Remember, salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the way, the only way.

In Him,

Pastor Jerry

22 Aug

Seeing Clearly

Posted by sandhillspastor in Change, Faith, Freedom, Gospel, Miracles, renewal, Salvation, Trust.

Dear friends,
We had a great weekend, grandson Alex and his fiancé and her little girl akibg with our grandson Ethan visited Saturday evening. Sunday morning, we traveled back “home” to Sybrant Community Church, then spent the afternoon with dear friends. Good times!

On a recent morning, I awoke to heavy fog over the lake. As the sun rose, and the fog began to lift, I was able to slowly see the trees and buildings more clearly. It reminded me of the process of coming to faith in God and his salvation.

When the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ begins to shine in our hearts, we get a glimpse of who He is, and why he came. It may be just a spark at first, but as we begin to respond to that spark the light will become brighter.

As the fog lifts and the sun breaks through, we see clearly what was hidden. It is much the same when we begin to realize that we need Jesus. Sin has blinded us to the presence of God, but when the fog of disbelief begins to lift, we are able to clearly see the light of Christ.

When Jesus healed a blind man as recorded in Mark’s gospel, he healed the man in two stages. After he had put saliva on the man’s eyes, he asked him what do you see? ” He answered, “I see people, they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes… then his eyes were opened and he saw everything clearly” (Mark 8:23-25). It was a process of learning to see clearly as his faith grew. Sight was there, but it was not complete.

In the words of the song writer,
“Just like a blind man, I wandered along.
Worries and fears I claimed for my own.
Then like the blind man that God gave back his sight,
Praise the Lord, I saw the light.”

As the fog lifts and the sun breaks through, we see clearly what was hidden. It is much the same when we begin to realize that we need Jesus. Sin has blinded us to the presence of God, but when the fog of disbelief begins to lift, we are able to clearly see the light of Christ. Have you seen the light?

In His light,
Pastor Jerry

8 Aug

The Better Way

Posted by sandhillspastor in Best Life, Christian Living, Culture, Faith, God's Word, Obedience, Ten Commandments, Trust.

Dear friends,
We have received almost .30” of rain early Sunday morning. The forecast is for the possibility of more, but we are thankful for what we have. After a warm week, we are having a couple of cooler days. This, too, is a blessing.

It saddens me to see that some Christians are following those who claim to predict the future. I do not believe this is what the Lord would want for His people. In His word, he warns against these practices.

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God… The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so” The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him… I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command Him. (Deuteronomy 18:9-15).

God’s people are to depend upon Him for their every need, and rely on His promises to care for them in every situation. There are those who would say “but that was Old Testament teaching.” True, but much of God’s law remains in effect in the New Testament. The Ten Commandments have not been revoked; they are for all time. What is called God’s moral law is also just as true as when it was given.

To be involved in occult practices is to be unfaithful to the Lord. We are encouraged to listen to God’s prophets instead. The ultimate prophet of God is Jesus Christ—the One who spoke God’s words and who provides deliverance for His people. He is the better way; “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).

In His love,
Pastor Jerry

1 Aug

Contentment

Posted by sandhillspastor in Assurance, Best Life, Contentment, Faith, God's Word, Peace, Trust.

Dear readers,
August has arrived, the month of fairs and students preparing to head back to school. Are you ready for another round of hot weather? Neither am I, but it seems we are about to experience that very thing. The garden continues to show promise of bounty to come. Cucumbers remain a steady part of our diet, but I’m looking forward to a change to tomatoes!

We live in uncertain times. I doubt that anyone would dispute this statement. I recall another time when uncertainty was the theme of our existence. It was shortly after I began my Christian life. During that time and in the years that followed, I learned to depend on God to provide for our daily provisions. I had begun to think I was pretty self-reliant, but He showed me I wasn’t the one in charge. It was a hard lesson, but a necessary one.

“Hebrews 13:5–6 reads, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (ESV). The author gives us a command to be content. And the power to do so comes from two things from Jesus.
First, the author says that Jesus has said that he will never leave nor forsake us. If we have God, there is nothing else we could be deprived of that would devastate us. But a lack of contentment reveals that we aren’t giving Jesus his proper weight.

Second, the author quotes a Psalm saying, “The Lord is our helper.” God loved us so much that he wouldn’t let death and hell or a cross keep him from rescuing us. And that same God promises to help us in all things. God has proven once and for all his willingness to help us.

Understanding these two things leads us to contentment. Are you content? Do you understand that in Christ, you can be satisfied with what you have because in him you have all you need?” [Devotional from J.D. Grear]

The apostle Paul, regarding his own situation said, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.… I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13).

In His grip,
Pastor Jerry

16 May

Faith Is The Key

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

Dear friends,
The news this week was the big wind that blew through on Thursday. There was minimal damage to structures at the lake, but some trees were blown over. We were without power for a day or so, depending on location, but that has been restored. The power company still has much work to do, replacing broken poles and such. On a positive note, there were no injuries as far as I know. In a recent article I had commented on the power of the wind, obviously having no idea what was in store for us!

In other news, our middle grandson graduated from high school on Saturday. We’re proud of his accomplishments, and wish him much success in life. It was a good day and great day weather-wise; sunny and a light breeze, something we’ve not seen a lot of lately. With the recent rain and warm temperatures, lawn mowing is a priority, but I will probably tire of this job before the end of summer.

As the world seems to be spiraling out of control, I have to remind myself not to worry. God is in control. Even though it may seem He is asleep at the wheel, He is fully aware of our individual situations. Let us remember His words in scripture.

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall (Psalm 55:23).
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

There is more: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6).

Faith is the key. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Believing and trusting Him,
Pastor Jerry

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