I stopped at an ATM the other day to get some money out. When it dispensed the amount of cash I asked for, a message came on the screen that said “PLEASE REMOVE ALL OF YOUR CASH”. I said, “Well, DUH! You think I’m only going to take part of it and leave some?”
Then, I got to thinking about that, and I thought how we do that with God so often. Let’s say for example, we have a debt to pay, and that debt is $80.00, and we have $80.00 in our bank account. So, we go to the ATM and tell it we want to take that amount of money out. Well, when the machine dispenses 4 $20.00 bills, we only take 3 of them, and leave one hanging there in the cash dispenser. So, then – we get to the place to pay our debt, and we can’t pay it because we only have $60.00. Well, you say, “That would be stupid! You had all the money you needed to pay your debt, but you didn’t accept all that the ATM gave you.”
In God’s Word, He has promised us SO MUCH! He promised to meet ALL of our needs. He promised to NEVER forsake us. He promised to lead and guide us in EVERYTHING. All He asks is that we Trust Him and Obey Him. Yet, we act like it doesn’t matter if we don’t obey ALL that He asks of us. We act like we don’t need to follow Him in certain areas of our lives. We take the promises WE want, and leave the ones we don’t want, and then we wonder why our lives are in such bad shape.
The promises are there in the Bible. God has NEVER failed on a single promise. We have only to do what He says.
In the 1800’s Louisa Stead and her husband and daughter were headed to the park for a picnic. While they were enjoying their picnic lunch, they heard a scream for help. A young boy was out in the water off the Long Island Sound, and was drowning. Louisa’s husband jumped in and swam to save him. Louisa stood there helpless as she watched the boy and her husband both get caught in the current and drown together.
Louisa and her daughter were now left with almost nothing, and were very poor. However they trusted completely in God, and saw Him answer many prayers.
One day when they were down to the last drop of food in the house, they saw God provide a gift of money and food on their doorstep. Louisa sat down and penned the words to the hymn below:
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust thee,
precious Jesus, Savior, friend;
and I know that thou art with me,
wilt be with me to the end.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
Around 1880, Louisa and her daughter moved to South Africa where they became missionaries, and told others of God’s amazing grace, and how we can simply TRUST Him! She eventually remarried, and spent over 15 years in Africa as a missionary.
Trust Him Today!! And remember that EVERYTHING He promised is True!