Recently I have been studying and doing a women’s bible study on how God is trustworthy. And it has become very interesting looking back through 1 & 2 Kings(1 Kings 12) of how the people of Israel did not trust God and the Kings of Israel and Jerusalem did not trust God because they kept turning their backs on Him. They disobeyed, they angered him, they did not follow in his ways or commandments. Yet they took things into their own hands made man made rules to try and protect themselves from either removed from the throne or manipulated the people whether emotionally or spiritually out of pride to keep the peoples attentions, affections to themselves. Instead of leading the people back to God the Kings like Rehoboam, Jeroboam did things pridefully selfishly to not have the people turn on them. Both of these Kings did things that were ungodly because they did not want to lose their position or because they did not want to face the truth of what God wanted them to do. God wanted the people and the Kings to turn their hearts back to him and follow in his ways. God wanted them to remember what he had done for them and wanted them to remember who saved them from despair. In Rehoboam’s case he took the council of the young men he grew up with instead of taking the council of the wise men old men who walked before him with his father and he did not listen to God. Jeroboam made golden calfs, high places, idols, to keep the people from going to Jerusalem to worship God. Both of these Kings exchanged what God wanted and his best for them, for consequences of their own choices. They exchanged listening to the truth for false truths and lies for a measly choice that would be their down fall. They took things into their own hands to try and protect themselves because they were scared to face the truth and trust God with the unknown. Basically, when we give up trusting God and choosing the weight of our own choices over God’s best we are putting on the yoke of slavery of sin. For instance if we choose to believe the council of others over what God says and what he’s spoken over us or promised over us then we are turning our backs on God’s truth and saying he is not trustworthy or that he is not good. A very wise man, mentor, and pastor once told me that no man on this earth has the right to tell another person what they're calling is or where they should serve, but that only God has the power to do so. Now I would like to share some quotes from a wise woman and from the study I have been doing and maybe it will strike your heart like it did mine. For example the reason it struck my heart is that we cannot be double minded we cannot serve more than one God we cannot be luke warm in our faith we either trust God or we don’t we either believe God is good or we do not. Moreover, we either follow God or we do not. It is simple really we either follow God’s way of truth or we exchange his best for our own choices and man made rules that are made of foley. And let me tell you man made rules cannot protect us forever or it will never keep the people we want close or at a distance where we want them forever. “Our obedience to God’s will of command is actually an indication of whether or not we trust Him.”(Terkeurst, 2019). “They exchanged God’s best for the weight of their own choice.”(Terkeurst, 2019) This is reference to the Kings reign in 1 & 2 Kings. “God wants to be our soul’s sole choice. And the minute we turn our hearts away from God is the minute our intimacy with Him and our legacy begins to unravel.”(Terkeurst, 2019). “Once again, God’s sovereign will overrode human desire. Another reason God is so very trustworthy—He cannot be manipulated by human actions.”(Terkeurst, 2019). I just want to say I am so thankful that God cannot be manipulated by human actions or even desires.However, the question is do we base our faith on truth? Or do we become tossed among the storms of life because of doubt or false truths, lies, false judgements, false assumptions. But really what we need is to keep our hearts towards God or turn our hearts back to God and follow in his ways. We need to be those vines deeply rooted in Christ not afraid to stand firm in him even when things look uncertain or unknown we need to be those vines deep in the gritty sand bearing fruit that is healthy not tearing one another down or manipulating each other spiritually or emotionally to get what we want. But instead rooted in Christ bearing fruit of love and making room for each other to serve. One of the most important things I’ve learned in serving in youth ministry and being at the Lit women’s conference is we each have a place in Christ we do not need to trample over each other to get where God has called us to be. Also we do not need to manipulate others or force them to do something God has not called them do to, because we are scared, angry, upset, prideful, or have selfish desires. Yet we need to move over make room and serve with each other because we are not in competition we are in this journey together fighting the good fight of faith together. Thus, we need to be those vines, that fruit in Christ that abides in Him (John 15) even when we do not see God working or see him move we need to believe and remember what he speaks to us personally not what others tell us God said or told them about us that is just nonsense. God speaks to each and every one of us in a personal way through his living active word, through prayer, and so much more. God is not limited and he cannot be manipulated by people or their actions we as people do not have that power. God is the mighty all power God who loves us unconditionally. Most of all his love for us does not waver or go up or down based on what we do or say. Whether we mess up or not he still loves us the same. The point is God is trustworthy even if we fail or we fall short, or if our human hearts are being deceitful, because we have turned away from him, yet God is faithful. God is still unfailing love no matter what. I remember long ago when I was a young girl that God told me men would fail me throughout life because they are human, but he made it very clear he would not. And God’s word, his truth, and spoken words over me have proven true.
(Terkurst, Lysa, 2019, A Study of 1& 2 Kings, Trustworthy Overcoming Our Greatest Struggles To Trust God, LifeWay Press, Nashville Tenn). English Standard Version Study Bible(2008) Crossway Publishings, Wheaton IL,
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