Taking God at His word

Two things I’ve been doing lately that have ratcheted up my faith level and simultaneously quieted worries: 1. taking God at His word; 2. embracing mystery. I kind of hit on #1 in my previous blog, but I wanted to flesh that out a little more (I’ll talk more about #2 in my next blog).

Taking God at His word means that you believe Him when He speaks to you. And then, you don’t stop believing it. You walk it out. What I used as an example in my last blog was the promise of provision. Since God tells you in the Bible that He will provide for you, you can be assured that He will, indeed, provide for you. It’s that simple. Though things might seem to be bad, or it may appear that your world is crumbling around you, God is in control and will make sure you will be ok if you claim Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

This premise applies to everything you read in the Bible, not just verses about provision. Among the numerous things God promises believers in His Word, this is just a short list: that you are redeemed by the blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19); that you can do all things through Christ (Phillipians 4:13); that sin has no power over you (Romans 6:14); that you will bear children (Psalm 128:3-4); that the devil will flee from you (James 4:7); that you should be in good health and prosper (3rd John 2); that you have peace (Phillipians 4:6-7); that you have a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2nd Timothy 1:7); that all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28). You can find Scriptures that address nearly anything you can think of…go look it up, and start believing it as the promise it is.

Also, while reading the Bible is probably the most frequent way God speaks to us, He uses all sorts of other avenues as well—most common in my life are dreams, prophetic words, and God speaking through other people. When God speaks to you this way, believe it! The Lord is not restricted to only talking to you through the Bible! However, DO USE CAUTION when choosing who you let speak into your life, and who you trust to guide you in these more mysterious waters. Be sure your mentors and teachers are solid and have a Biblical basis for their lives and teaching.

Just taking God at His word has made a huge difference in the way I look at, and think about things. When I make the choice to believe Him, then I don’t have to worry anymore; I know it’s going to happen. When I choose to have faith that what He has told me is true, doubt starts to fade. In a nutshell, faith increases and worry decreases. I end up being happier, more carefree, and even more driven to live out what the Lord has for me.

When God speaks, just listen and believe. It’s that simple.