For some it seems very hard to repent and receive Christ as Savior. According to Matthew 7  receiving Christ is compared to a Narrow Gate and a  Wide Gate, so certainly any time someone TRUSTS CHRIST for Salvation it was not an easy decision. But for me trusting God for His forgiveness and salvation concerning eternity was easier than trusting Him for some of the things in this earthly life.  Yet the Lord God can be trusted in all things.

Following are a few of the things I have seen in 42 years of ministry that seem to be the hardest things to trust God for in this life.

Our Purpose!

Earthly life is too short  and eternity to long to do anything but God's Will.

A great concern for all of us should be not to WASTE our LIVES!  To get to the end of  life and realize we accomplished a bunch of things that did not matter and that will all burn up at the judgement is a real tragedy.

What we do with our lives as a career, who we marry, do we have children, where will we live, what church will we attend are all major decisions—which is why I believe if we make God a priority and not just a passing thought that He will make our path straight in regards to what we are called to do. We can TRUST HIM to work out His will for our lives. Yet if we always resist His will we will not be able to trust!

Each one of you reading this right now has been custom designed by the Creator of the Universe on purpose, with a purpose to fulfill in life.  Trusting God for that purpose is to find real joy in life and to make an eternal difference in the life of many others.  Yet it can be hard to TRUST the LORD and to reject the ways of the world in that purpose of life. The world has a way for our life and the Lord has a way. God's way will provide a better today and tomorrow and a rewarding eternity!


Our Children!

I am certain that every parent has struggled trusting Jesus with their children. Karen and I are prividged to have four children.  Beth, Abby, Matt, and Rachel.  As small children I had major concerns for them.  Concerns for their saftey, provisions, even their salvations. Who would they marry? How could they stay pure and holy in this unclean world? Would they marry the right mate? Would they find God's will for their carrers? These and many other concerns were mine but the only thing  that really helped me to have peace in all of it was to TRUST the Lord. He is soverign and all mighty and afterall He loved my children before I ever was born AND He loved them more than I could ever love them. He wanted what was best for them and He had a plan for them.  What could I do? Lead them toward Him and teach them about Him and pray much for them! All the time TRUSTING GOD for their lives. God honors faith and faith honors God.

Loving our children can bring great stress but knowing God loves them more and leading them toward God is the answer for our stress. Day by day trusting the Lord. Being confident that the Lord will bless our faithful walk with Him. He will bless the Biblical teaching to our children. He will honor our faithful living as our children watch us live out trusting lives. He will reward the trusting prayers for our kids.  And these truths will apply to our GRANDCHILDREN as well!  I think about my grandchildren every day and as I pray I must TRUST the Lord who is in charge of this messed up world to take care of our next generation in the days ahead.

Perhaps a some parenst who are reading this blog are having a difficult day, month or season with a child or children.  Trust the Lord with your life and your child's life.  In due season your trusting in the Lord will break forth in great victory and rejoicing!  Hang in there by trusting in there!


Our Relationships!

If you are in a marriage that is struggling right now then I know you are having a serious bout with doubt in regards to whether or not you can trust God.  If you are having a serious relationship of any type the anser is to trust the Lord to work in that realationship. To work in you and the other. And if the other resists you can still find answers how to move forward in peace and fulfilment.

You will always be able to trust that Jesus loves you, your marriage, and the other person you are struggling with today. He can  and will give you the power to do what is right and best if you will make the conscience decision to choose to glorify Him in the situation.  Trusting Him will lead you to patience and forgiveness. Waiting on the Lord will bring us to another day of the Lord's working out things,  things including our own angers, bitternesses, confusions. Trust takes time!  Trust the Lord to change others and ourselves. 


Our Finances!

Perhaps money is the most unsurrendered part of most people’s lives.

As I have ministered to people over 40 years I can also say it is one of the most out of control areas in people's lives.

And until we allow God to be in control, things will be out of control. We need to study the Bible and find out God's principles concerning money and the with great TRUST begin practicing those principle on a daily basis.

Money is huge!!!  Jesus said that where our money is that is where our heart is (Matthew 6:21), He said that money is that money will attempt to control our hearts (Matthew 6:24) and later on in the Scriptures Paul said that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Timothy 6:10. We can either Love God or we can Love Money!  We can either Trust Money or we can Trust God! No middle ground on that one!

I remember my mentor, Pastor Ralph Rickner teaching on money just after I was saved. He said that a " Mans Wallet" would reveal much about a mans life. He continued and said,  how a person handled money would reveal much about a persons faith and trust in the Lord. I have often remembered those words and now over 40 years later I would heartedly agrree. The use of our money will always reveal the condition of a believer's maturity. Trusting with how we gain money, spend money, save money, give money, invest money will bring great dividends to this life and the next.  Money Fear is slavery and Trusting  Faith in the Lord is peace and freedom.