Author: Will Nissley

What does it mean to have a spiritual trust? Trust is simply placing your faith in something or someone.

Do you carry cash and/or change around to pay for things? I still carry cash with me. On the back of every dollar bill and every American coin says, “In God We Trust.” Spiritual trust is trusting God in everything in life, from the goodness of the peaches and cream times to the dark seasons and bittersweet moments in life.

Following Father God isn’t easy. For example, when life gets hard, you face uncertainty. You stride in holding onto the hope that the result you want will come true.
I went through a time of uncertainty in my life over a girl I had feelings for at the time. I was in a daydream state of mind, imagining a future with her. I was fixated on her for a while. I prayed day in and out to Father God if she was the one, He placed in my path for marriage. I was nervous about the reality of this not working out.

During this time, the waiting and hoping stage, I felt the effect of uncertainty creep in, with at spontaneous times, the Father’s presence piercing in, poking His love into the darkness of my soul. This verse, from the book of Psalms, sums it up well: Psalms 94:19 “When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy.”

I remember during one hard day, I noticed a sign that the Lord was there right over me, watching me, knowing my situation. I was sitting at my prayer spot, on a hill, at a ledge under a streetlight, and I was crying out to Father God to rid the feelings I had for her. Then I saw the sun peak out from behind the clouds. The tears in my eyes vanished, and I felt the Lord’s presence wrap me in His loving gracious arms!! I felt a calming sign of peace at that very moment. No other way to describe it than it is a sign from God that I can trust Him in a time of uncertainty.

It ended up not working out with her, but I don’t let that stop me. I look to Father God for another girl out there that is potentially in His plan. This shows that He never forsakes us nor abandons us. This verse sums it up perfectly: Psalms 138:8 “The Lord will work out His plans for my life—for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.”

The next time you pull out cash or coins to pay for an item, look at the back of that dollar bill or the coin, as it is a solid reminder to NEVER give up, confide in Him, and ALWAYS trust HIM in both difficult and good times. I pray you all have a blessed week, and I hope this little short story from my life is both an encouragement and a blessing to you to place your trust in Him!

I love Sermon on the Mount! It is richly packed full of golden nuggets of wisdom and life advice. Truly an inspirational read.

Sermon on the Mount is a series of topics Jesus preaches about to his disciples on the mountain. He covers obedience to the law, anger, judgment, beatitudes, adultery, divorce, vows, revenge, loving your enemies, giving to the needy, prayer and fasting, money and possessions, and lastly, the golden rule.

I love how Jesus keeps it REAL when teaching on these topics. One verse I look up to is Matthew 6:34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
This is my all-time favorite verse, as it is a beautiful reminder to reduce overthinking. For example, my overthinking stems from my ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This verse helps me look at the big picture instead of one small negative detail, that is tiny in the grand scheme of things.

In reading this passage today, I stumbled across a few verses in chapter nine that remind me of a song by Lincoln Brewster titled “Our God”. This song basically recaps Isaiah nine, singing about God working in the midst of our storms and there being light in the darkness.
It continues on to praise God, giving Him the credit, He deserves that His work is alive in us. There’s nothing above God or more powerful than Him.
Towards the end of the song, it recaps this verse, Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.” This is a beautiful ending to the song, as it brings out the Son of God, predicted before Jesus is born.

Isaiah 9:2-3 “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.”

These verses show there is light in the darkness. God has NOT left you. He is preparing something greater. He is not done. Do you fully trust His plan for your life?

 

Psalms 7:3-9 “O Lord my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice, if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause, then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust.

Arise, O Lord, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice! Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high. The Lord judges the nations.

Declare me righteous, O Lord, for I am innocent, O Most High!

End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous.”

These verses stick out because it shows that Father God’s unbiased tough love calls out both sides when either side messes up. He allows things to happen for a reason because He loves us.

Romans 3:27-28 “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”

These verses keep it real when it comes to receiving God’s love and mercy for our sins.  Having a strong faith in God means that our sins are forgiven. The rest of chapters three and four talk about accepting the gift God has offered as a sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. When you fully believe that Jesus has given up His life for our sins on the cross, your sins will be forgiven.

The book of Mathew starts with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, born in Bethlehem, in Judea during King Herod’s time.

I find it interesting that Mary conceived Jesus while she was still a virgin, before marrying Joseph. He almost divorced Mary because of birthing Jesus. This confirms that Jesus is perfectly made in the image of God, who died for our sins on the cross.

King Herod was disturbed that Jesus was the Messiah because the townspeople listen to Jesus over him. In response to this, he sent out soldiers to kill Jesus and all the other young boys in the town of Galilee.

Joseph had a dream where an angel of the Lord appeared, instructing him, Mary, and newborn Jesus to pack their things and move to Nazareth. This move to Nazareth, as the prophets had said, “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Isaiah 6: 17-22 “Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.
Idols will completely disappear. When the Lord rises to shake the earth,
his enemies will crawl into holes in the ground. They will hide in caves in the rocks from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty.
On that day of judgment, they will abandon the gold and silver idols they made for themselves to worship. They will leave their gods to the rodents and bats, while they crawl away into caverns and hide among the jagged rocks in the cliffs. They will try to escape the terror of the Lord and the glory of his majesty as He rises to shake the earth. Don’t put your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. What good are they?”

These verses resonate with me because putting your trust in others can lead to letdowns and failures. God never fails us. It may feel at times He’s distant, but the truth is He is working in the midst of our season. His trust never fails.
My teacher from Votech school said it this way, “If you live your life to please people, your life will suck.” It’s quite blunt, but so true. You’re living your life to please God, not man.

Psalms One- “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”

These verses are a reminder that following God isn’t easy. He reigns over the wicked and sinners, for they are not perfect. We will confess our sins before Him when we die, regardless of if we are saved or not. Taking part in following God’s law helps us produce good fruits. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.