Finding Grace in Disappointment (Lessons from Lazarus)Sample

Let Me teach you how to trust Me

The story of Lazarus is timeless. Today’s devotion zeros in on His desire to teach us how to trust Him. To trust Him even when the situation looks hopeless, when it seems like there is no way. 

“Now you have another opportunity to see who I am so that you will learn to trust in me…” (Jn 11:15 TPT)

How often do we overlook His presence and His ways in the hard and difficult? The sacred and holy don’t merely reside in the easy and smooth.

Trouble comes to us all, and He longs for us to see Him in the midst of it, to lean on Him and to learn from Him the way of the unforced rhythms of grace.

Yesterday we looked at the ‘even though’ times of life, the times of waiting when it seems like God is not turning up in our timing or in our place of need. Times when we have the privilege to learn more about how to lift our eyes above our earthly circumstance and be aware that there’s a greater purpose, a greater kingdom purpose at work.

Jesus uses a difficult earthly circumstance to allow more of Himself to be shown, with the purpose of us seeing Him more clearly and deeply, and as a result learning how to trust in Him.

He wants us to trust Him; to trust in Him completely! And that is a lifelong journey of walking and surrendering, of walking and surrendering, of walking and surrendering…and discovering more of Him and learning by experience that He is TRUSTWORTHY.

Here are four ways that can help us learn more of how to trust Him.

1. ‘Come. Let’s go...’ Jesus’ invitation is always one of ‘Come with me...’ By allowing Him to take you by the hand and walk with you, you will learn more of His ways, and recognise His voice. His wrap-around presence is with you. And He is FOR you. Let Him teach you how to trust Him...
2. Jesus is in ‘all things.’ Romans 8:28 AMP says this: ‘And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.’ When we walk with God and invite Him into every part of our life and desire to learn from Him, He is able to bring good out of ALL things. He is a good, good God and when He is invited into every circumstance, His goodness will prevail. The sacred beauty of a long walk with Jesus is watching the miraculous way He can bring good out of even the very worst. Good out of good is wonderful. Good out of bad is overwhelming—and again allows us the privilege of learning to trust in Him, a faithful, faithful Father.
3. Make His word your final authority. Read and know your Bible! 2 Timothy 3:16 TPT says: ‘Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God.’ His Word contains Himself and is therefore eternal. It cannot pass away. It is alive as He is alive, which means it speaks to you TODAY. The promises in there are YOUR promises, they are for YOU! Let Him teach you how to trust Him from His Word.
4. Speak to what God says, not what the circumstance says. 2 Corinthians 4:18 TPT says, ‘…we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.’ Seeing is not believing when it comes to God. What you see with your eyes is but a passing, fading thing. Believing in the unseen relates to the eternal rather than the temporal. Believe in His word, His promises spoken over you.

His timing and His purpose, His intimate preparation for us to walk in our purpose—all perfect! He longs to teach us how to trust in Him, and He will do this by showing us more of who He is. 

Because every glimpse of Him, will draw you evermore into Him.