'GETTING IN THE RING WITH UNDERSTANDING VS. TRUST! Who Will Win?

“GETTING IN THE RING WITH UNDERSTANDING VS. TRUST”

Who  Will Win?

by:  Shirley Faith Souder

DATE:  April 2, 2020                      Psalm 56:3. When I am afraid, I will put my Trust in the Lord.

            There was just no way I was going to post or write a topic on April Fools Day, April 1^st.  Oh! That is right, I am a Christian and I can’t be superstitious. Sometimes we just need to be real and you know that we can get into some real FEARFUL modes, we can HYPERVENTILATE, and have PANIC attacks.  So, we might as well admit we do slightly turn our heads at the word April 1^st – April Fools Day.

            I don’t know about you but God is peeling the onion right now for us all.  There are many stories I hear from friends and acquaintances. And, also many situations coming from my clients and family.   It is quite unfortunate that there are families breaking up.   Yet many are enjoying the new time together and are finding fun, unity and peace.  There is however, some who are angry, depressed, getting high cabin fever, and shouting “Why God, Why?”

            So, Tuesday night I was doing the “Why God, Why” routine, and somewhere between 3PM and 10PM, I began to hear one word.  UNDERSTAND!  “You have to understand everything, how is that working for you?”  Was that my voice, or God’s voice?  Hands down, that would, for me, be God’s voice.  I never reprimand myself for wanting to understand, evaluate, and fix everything.  It needs done so go do it.  Figure it out. Fix it.  Of course, I can’t fix a car, or put a new table together from Kohl’s.  However, I can try to figure “it” out, understand why did that happen?  I must understand why did that person behave that way.  What would make her do that, or him?  I have been told many times that I need to know why the next-door neighbor’s dog wants to do his business in my yard. (Nice version). Naturally, I had to dig around and figure out why God was showing me this and what exactly would I need to fix in case that was his plan.  On April 1^st that morning it all came together during devotions.  I use several types of

Page 2

devotions and the word came up, once again in the Bible, as well as in what I was

reading.  TRUST!  Do you trust Me to be in your daily life?  I got my journal out and drew a boxing ring.  I thought it is true Lord, that I have to, need to, insist on, understanding everything.  And, then evaluate how can I fix it.  Or make suggestions on how to fix it.

So, I put me in the corner on the chair with the tee shirt that read I am UNDERSTAND, Champion of How to Fix It.  In the other corner I put Jesus on His stool with the banner that read I am JESUS – TRUST ME/I GOT THIS!

In the middle of the ring with the bell is Satan, our enemy who is facing me with that typical smirk.  “She’ll come back even if she loses this fight!” 

WHO WILL WIN!   Many of you will relate to this crossroads.  Life is quite interesting enough to deal with all the many changes and events that happen to each of us.  Even when I get a sinus infection, or the stomach flu, I need to get my calendar out and figure out where was I when I picked up that germ and from whom.  We want to know why our teens say the things and do the things they do when we worked so hard to teach them otherwise.  This virus has thrown us curves we simply are having a very difficult time working through. 

As I sat there yesterday morning working through the differences between Understanding and Trust, I looked up at my 2020 Commitment page pinned to the wall.  “I want Understanding, Discernment and Prudence to be key in my life in 2020.”  As you can see there is nothing about Trust and letting God talk to me about His plan or purpose for me in 2020.  Guess What?  Nothing has happened yet in three months, going on four, that I had wanted to see happen.  Everything from having my own kind of virus in January – February, which took steroids to get rid of, and then this one comes along to scare the bijibbers out of us (me).

TRUST!  What is that?  We read about it constantly in the Bible.  All my Christian experience, I have heard about it from Joyce Myers, Chuck Swindol, Neil Anderson, Jesus Calling devotional and Daily Bread, to name a few. While I understand I am supposed to have Trust for God;  what does that look like, feel like, taste like?

Page 3

Oh! That must mean I have to give up something and let my Holy Father God take care of it.  His Word is very clear.  It is something we must discipline ourselves to do.  We must in the end go there and read His Absolute perfect inerrant Word.  I found making 3 X 5 cards with verses on them that you need like Psalms 25 is very affective.  It says. . .  Show me, guide me, lead me and then I will have hope in Him all day long.  Psalm 25: 4 and 5.  Psalm 25: 1 says. . . Unto you Oh Lord, do I bring my life.   Psalm 25: 15. Mine Eyes are on the Lord, for He and only He will release my feet from the snare.  What snare?  Our enemy loves for us to think we can handle this, we can figure this out.  God won’t do it fast enough.  And, there you have it, that free will thing, again.  Plus, you add in our enemy who wants total distraction and destruction for us all.  He wants you to talk to yourself about how you must not look weak.  Or, like you can’t handle this.  And, his personal favorite. . .you are not smart enough to do this.  How unworthy of you.  All kinds of committee talk that instantly takes a hold up in our minds.  And, then that’s all we hear after that.

Bringing this all to our current day’s events, is even more mind boggling.   A man who calls himself President and Governor just told me I can’t go anywhere unless I have to get those essential things.  I can’t get my hair cut, or colored?  I can’t go to the restaurant and have lunch with my friend.  Go to the Post Office, run out and get lipstick at Walmart because I forgot it last visit two days ago.  Sounds very American doesn’t it.  Christian and Non-Christian alike.  We have been set down to think and put our trust and priority in Jesus Christ.  He has the ultimate say-so.  That is very daunting to some.  I must trust Him to help me wait, to become creative, and pray more.  To come to Him more.  To TRUST in Him.  He has this under control.  He knows best.  Of course, we can choose to not do that also.  I made the choice to surrender and not call it defeat in the ring.  I chose TRUST!

To accompany this awesome aha moment, I turned to my Daily Bread devotional on April 1^st and there was the confirmation.  Jesus had to do the same thing.  DID YOU HEAR ME?   JESUS HAD TO DO THE SAME THING!   

Leave understanding, bow to His heavenly Father and TRUST the outcome.

Page 4

The Two sides of Prayer according to Jesus Christ.

Luke 22: 42.  Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

Elisa Morgan writes about how Jesus had to decide between understanding and trust.  He really didn’t want to have to go through that event of sacrifice.  But He gave it up and surrendered to TRUSTING his Father for the outcome of glory that was given to us all as a gift.  Freedom.  It is a CHOICE though isn’t it.  We have that free will thing going on, don’t we?

So, let’s put it into today’s situation.

            Hey, Father God, I don’t want to do this shelter in place thing, it is not convenient to me.  I will lose all my employees, and I won’t be able to pay the rent.  Or, Hey Father God, I don’t want to do this, I am a single mom, who just lost my daily income, what will we eat in 30 days, what and how will I make my car payment, put this virus somewhere else or put it down now.  Here’s some suggestions how to do that. . .!

            Okay, okay, so okay, I give up, you have always taken care of me (us), I will put my trust in you, I commit to believing and rejoicing and knowing you will show us the way and bring all things together for good, according to the Lord.

            Psalm 34: 10

            “Those who trust in the Lord lack no good thing” NLT

Page 5

FINAL COMMENTS:

            For me it is so fiercely comforting that my Jesus has been through things like I (we) have to go through.  I am so relieved to know our God isn’t sitting up there pointing and judging me (us). 

            I had to do some very important and strategic thinking about the WHY question.  How is it, why is it that a group of individuals can make up a deadly virus to kill me.  They don’t know me, or you.  They didn’t get our permission to do that.  This applies to any and all life’s crossroads.  Why does anyone get to plan something that changes or alters my life as well, WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.  Is it God’s plan for all those people in China, Italy and America (the World) to become sick and die?  Is it His plan for me (us)?  And, if we are spared, WHY are we spared, did we TRUST Jesus more than they did?   I believe, God once again, showed me that thing that Billy Graham always said in his books and speeches.  He talked about that free will thing that makes people do selfish acts. “ It would never be God’s plan for any of us to be distracted and destroyed.”  So, then God, goes to work on Romans 8: 28 of bringing all things together for good, on our behalf.  Meaning;   What the enemy meant for harm, God brought good out of it.

            And, so there it is.  TRUST!  Do we like having this happen?  No!  Do we want to agree to have to go through this and wait for the Lord to do His good thing?  No!   But Jesus did!  He said, Not my will, Father, but yours.  Because He knew the ultimate thing to do was to TRUST!  IF I could get in Adam and Eve’s face right now about creating this little Free Will deal, Ha!  You bet.  And, it wouldn’t be pretty.  I have things I want to do with my life even as old as I am.  Will I get to do them?  I don’t know, and you don’t know.  But I do choose to Trust Him with those plans because I have evidence and see how He works in my life and others.  He will do what is right for me!  Get it?  CHOOSE to Trust!

            Who will win in your life?  I pray it is the One and only Jesus Christ who created you, loves you unconditionally, and fights for you!