Trusting and Believing: Devotions From Time of GraceSample

What Is It Like to Trust God?
I can surrender

Do you work out? Do you use old-fashioned he-man free weights, or do you use those newfangled electronic “progressive resistance” machines? Either way the concept is the same--without resistance, without a load, you cannot grow stronger. Without resistance, you might as well just sit in a chair and slowly get fat--or fatter.

This explains why your life is often so hard. Those hardships are not because God doesn’t love you anymore or because he’s losing his grip on reality or has lost track of your issues. He allows them in your life to provide resistance. God does his best work in your life in times of crisis. That’s how he changes you and grows you.

“Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 43:5).

Don’t argue with me. Right now take a deep breath and say these words: “Lord, I surrender my life to you. Starting today I promise to see my struggles and hardships as opportunities for your work and my growth. Make me stronger! Increase my faith!”