Encounter Christian Campus Ministry Daily Devotions 2020

May 04 by Ptr. Grant Amasi

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TRUST GOD?

How many times have we said the words "trust in God's plans" to a friend when they're stuck in a difficult situation, only to find ourselves questioning His plans when things don't go smoothly for us?

The scripture said, "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding" seems pretty easy on paper, but doing and applying it constantly into our daily life is a different story. To do that...
We need to decide to trust God every single day and keep reminding ourselves about who He is, and what He has done for us. We need to be in His words and listen to His voice. Complete trust in the Lord is a result of truly knowing and believing who He is and in His plans for us. It's not easy, but not impossible.

Right now, the whole world is shaken. There is no place on earth that is completely safe from the virus that flipped this world upside down. The virus came unannounced, there was no warning at all. Often, we wish that God would provide notice or warnings about the storms of life. But, just like this pandemic, God typically does not warn us ahead of time. Instead, he wants our trust in Him to grow, to walk by faith and not by sight. He wants us to trust in His goodness and in all of His plans.

For today's devotion, i'd like us to be reminded again on what happens when we put our trust in the Lord...

• First; When we trust God... we are transformed into His likeness!
Trusting God changes us! (2 Corinthians 3:18)
A changed life is always the best way to prove God's presence in a person's life.
When Jesus is in your heart, He changes you. Plain and simple. If we want to serve Him, we must become like Him. Our desires become His desires. Our thoughts become His thoughts. Step by step, we are transformed into His likeness. We are made to be beautiful.

• Second; When we trust God... He is magnified!
By trusting God, we fulfill one of the greatest task given to us as humans, that is giving glory to God with our lives.
Remember that we have been created to show God's glory. (Isaiah 60:21) So when we put our trust in the Lord, it makes a grand statement, shouting about His existence, providence and His authority for all the world to see.

• Third; When we trust God... we let go of our fears!
The word of God is an essential in building a solid-rock foundation for our lives, especially in times of crisis like today. (Psalm 56:34)
Trusting God eliminates our fears because we learn to lean on His understanding, not our own, and we learn that His understanding is good. The more we trust Him, the more we realize we don't have to wait for earthly evidence that He can and will take care of us.

• Fourth; When we trust God... the enemy is defeated!
Putting our trust in God is the last thing that the enemy wants us to do. There is a spiritual battle going on everyday, and as soldiers of God, we need to remember that the simple act of trusting in our heavenly Commander in Chief is more than enough for Him to put us on the offensive line.

This is not a read me now and reap the benefits tomorrow kind of a deal. If we truly trust God, we must give our hearts to Him and keep relying to His understanding, not ours. Again, this is a daily battle.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord"