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learning to trusting God


Philippians 4:4-7  NLT
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.  6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

There are phrases, words, comments, thoughts and even conversations that continue to ring in your mind and sometimes in your heart for some reason.  I have some that stick out because the situation was important or touched your life.  Some stick out because God confirmed His word and His promises.

Philippians 4 is one of those places for me.

It begins, the verses above, with simple instructions about our attitudes.  Often our attitude displays that we think life is worth living and our lives count.  Joy is a big deal.  We should let everyone see how confidence and our compassion.  These verses call that “considerate”.  I will simply define that as kindness in action.  It is not passive.  It is strong and thoughtful. 

The next verses are the ones that stick out for me in really big and important ways.

In the fall of 1992 much was going on for me.  I began to pastor my first church in a rural area of south Georgia near the college I was attending.  I lived in a mobile home next to Bear Creek Baptist Church.  That is something I remember well.

In the spare bedroom was a bed that looked like it had rarely been used, but that was the place where I remember these verses coming to life.  I prayed them often.  I thought through them and even placed them in every place I knew to claim them.

God taught me as a 21-year-old young preacher to trust Him in any situation.  I could literally see how His peace would cover my heart and mind.  I learned to keep on praying!

The rest is history, as the saying goes.

What we learn from pouring over Scripture and seeking God will take us further than we can go on our own.  Those days of kneeling next to that spare bedroom bed have taught me to trust God and worry less because His peace is my peace.

 On a special note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my incredible dad, Richard Harrison!!!
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