Trust God

Trust Me with every fiber of your being! What I can accomplish in and through you is proportional to how much you depend on Me. One aspect of this is the degree to which you trust Me in a crisis or major decision. Some people fail miserably here, while others are at their best in tough times. Another aspect is even more telling: the constancy of your trust in Me. People who rely on Me in the midst of adversity may forget about Me when life is flowing smoothly. Difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for Me, whereas smooth sailing can lull you into the stupor of self- sufficiency. I care as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as about your dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices, but the One who is always beside you sees everything—and rejoices. Consistently trusting in Me is vital to flourishing in My Presence.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4

When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4

That first sentence seemingly is pretty simple. How many of us resort to trusting in God first rather than “when everything else fails”. God is asking us daily, weekly, yearly, even to the minute to trust in Him. How do we do this? First through prayer and first through listening. No, I have not made a mistake in counting. Prayer and listening go hand in hand. Sometimes all we need to say is “help me with this, I know you can. I am listening for you.” There it is; prayer and listening. One thing I have learned the hard way in life - I am not in charge, God is. Things go more smoothly when I let go of my need to manage every detail.

Today’s Prayer: Loving God, grow my trust in you. Help me to listen for your voice in my life and to guide me along right paths. AMEN

After over 175 years, St. Mark’s has voted to close our worship and congregation at our congregational meeting Sunday June 28, 2020 effective as of that vote. It is with sadness I convey this to you. St. Mark’s was a vibrant ministry in the community but has dwindled in resources. The building will be acquired by Lutheran Saints in Ministry and maintained as a worship site and outreach center. The Fairborn Historical Society will be housed in the structure as well. The worship space will be available for funerals and weddings. Watch this space in upcoming weeks for more information. St Marks is now closed for regular worship and I encourage you to attend one of our sister churches: Abiding Christ Fairborn, Arise in Christ Donnelsville or Good Shepherd West Milton. LSIM will still have on line worship as the other 3 churches in the group of LSIM.

Blessings this Day, Deacon Nancy Trimble