Believing Brings Blessings

Chuckle: "If God had wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees."

Good Quote: “Drop Thy still dews of quietness, Till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess The beauty of Thy peace.” --John Greenleaf Whittier

"You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said" (Luke 1:45 NLT).

Great comfort and peace comes with the knowledge that a friend's word can be trusted without fear of deception or wavering from promises made. Isn't it wonderful to know a person is completely trustworthy and will do what he or she has promised and will not do what he or she has promised not to do? Doesn't it give you a great sense of well-being when those around you can always be trusted to have your best interest at heart?

Living in an atmosphere of acceptance and trust reminds me of the relationship Jesus Christ wants with each of us as believers. He wants us to believe and trust Him even when His promises don't make sense to our finite minds. I've often heard that "taking God at His Word" is the essence of faith. Mary's great faith allowed her to believe and trust God when He promised she would be the mother of the long-awaited Messiah. She had no problem accepting the promise and assignment God had given her and her faith and belief brought her great joy and peace. In the verses following our passage, Mary praises God for His grace, mercy, and promises kept.

God's Word is full of promises to His children. He promises to never leave or forsake us. He promises us eternal life, sealed by His Spirit, through faith in Jesus Christ. He promises that no power will ever separate us from His love. He promises that His Spirit will always live within us to give us strength, comfort, peace, instruction, and wisdom. These and many more promises of God should give us a great sense of joy and peace.

Often, however, we allow doubt to enter our minds and we begin to see every problem and obstacle in our lives rather than opportunities to believe God. It's when we take our eyes off our Lord and begin to question His promises that our peace will be replaced with anxiety and fear.

If your life is filled with worry and anxiety, please take another look at God's promises and begin to trust Him fully in all circumstances. If you really believe and trust Him, you will experience a peace that surpasses human understanding and this deep and abiding peace will bring more blessings to your life than you have ever imagined.

Love, Jerry & Dotse