He Trusts Me Too

Yesterday I told you about my adventures as a new bride moving from California to Texas with a truckload of love and little else. After only one meeting with the university admissions office, our hopes had been smashed. Shame quickly made itself very comfortable. There was plenty of room for guilt as well.  Resentment replaced romance in the front seat of the moving truck. Our conversation shifted from dreams to dread as we made our way back to California. Miles of silence. January’s bitter chill seeped into my bones even with the heater on.

The enemy taunted me ruthlessly from Texas to California. I didn’t recognize his voice back then the way that I do now. Instead I believed the lies he whispered about my husband and our situation. He knew my past well. He had charted every open door of failure and had been waiting for an opportunity to pounce. I was vulnerable prey. Like a wolf going after a wounded animal, he could already smell the blood. All he had to do was make his move. I let despair swallow me whole without a fight.

One of the ways I knew he was coming after me again the other evening is because of his message…

“Remember how ashamed you were when you had to move back to California? Remember how you wanted an annulment? Remember how your husband tricked you into believing that he would take care of you? Do you really want that to happen all over again when you sell your house…if it even sells?”

All of those things felt true because they were true all those years ago. Funny how he never reminds me of anything good.

My enemy would like me to believe that my past dictates my future. It doesn’t. Jesus Christ is redeeming every stinking thing from my past and giving me a glorious future. Jesus dictates my future because I’ve placed my life, my husband, and my children in his hands. He leads, I follow. That’s the new arrangement. I’m trusting God to guide us and protect us along the way no matter where he leads.

He trusts me too.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords trusts me to do what he leads me to do. It’s a huge risk on his part and yet he does it anyway. Jesus knows I’ve been wounded because he’s been faithfully healing my wounds for years. He knows my doubts because he knows every thought in my head before I do. He knows my fears because he knows what it’s like to be a human. He’s been here. He had to lay his life down and trust that his Father would make it right and He did. Oh yes He did.

We’re not following blindly behind someone who’s making stuff up as he goes. We’re not puppets. We make a choice to follow the One with the plan and trust that he will make it right. He knows we’re not going to do it perfectly and he’s OK with it. Let’s face it, if he wanted it done perfectly, he’d do it himself. When we follow him in obedience we become a beautiful display of his glory. It’s win-win. He LOVES to show off his glory through us and we LOVE to see it.

We have to know who God’s shown himself to be so that we can choose to believe the Truth over our enemy’s lies. Satan will always twist truth from your past to deceive you. It will feel true because it’s been true. That doesn’t mean it is true anymore though. We have to wise up and believe what God says about us.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine.

When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.

When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end-Because I am God, your personal God, the Holy of Israel, your Savior.

I paid a huge price for you…that’s how much you meant to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.

So don’t be afraid. I’m with you…

You’re my handpicked servant so that you’ll come to know and trust me, understand both that I am and who I am. I am God. I’ve always been God and I always will be God.

No one can take anything from me. I make; who can unmake it?”–Isaiah 43:1-13 The Message

He loves you. He calls you by name. You’re his. He’s with you. No matter what. No one can take him from you. He trusts you. Trust him.

I’m asking the Lord for a mighty revelation of Truth on your behalf today. Your future depends on it.

See you Monday.