Trust in the Lord

A daily time with God 
by Reverend Paula J Behrens
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

My favorite way to spend time with God is through guided prayer followed by a devotional, a little time of self development, and then journaling. The meditation you see here is the first of 45 devotionals included in a book I am in the process of writing, Raindrops from Heaven: Guided Prayer & Essential Oils. In this book you will be introduced to the benefits of incorporating oils into your quiet time. The use of essential oils have greatly enhanced my time with God, but their use is totally optional, of course. No matter how you spend your time with Him, it will be an awesome time. Okay, I suggest that you get out something to write on, a journal or just a piece of paper as you follow along with the video below. Once you have completed the video, continue on with the devotional. Enjoy and be blessed!




Going Deeper with God (Step 2)

Think about this simple story and see what you can glean about how our passage relates. Don’t overthink it; just read through it.

There was once a family of mice who lived all their lives in a large church piano. To them, in their piano-world, came the music of the instrument, filling all the dark spaces with sound and harmony. At first the mice were impressed by it. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that there was Someone who made the music, though invisible to them, above yet close to them. They loved to think of the Great Player whom they could not see. Then one day a daring mouse climbed up part of the piano and returned very thoughtful. He had found out how the music was made. Wires were the secret; tightly stretched wires of graduated lengths, which trembled and vibrated. Oh, he said! Now everyone has to revise their old beliefs. And they all did, except of course, for a few conservative mice who just couldn’t let go of the idea of an Unseen Player with them. Later, another explorer carried the explanation further. Hammers were the secret, numbers of hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. This was a more complicated theory, but it all went to show that they lived in a purely mechanical world. And for most, the Unseen Player came to be thought of as only a myth. Even so, the Great player continued to play.

In this world, we are constantly being taught to rely upon “earthly” wisdom. But the book of Proverbs tells us something very different. The writer says: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

To acknowledge God is to trust that there is Someone much bigger than this visible world. To acknowledge God is to trust that there is an Unseen Player (if you will) who is in control and knows what is best for us in all situations.

Writing it Down: Continue to diffuse or inhale your oil as you write down your thoughts about the scriptures studied today. If you are smelling your oils from your hands, put a dab of fresh oil under your nose so that you can breathe the aroma while you use your hands for writing.

How does today’s scripture passage apply to your life? Think about three areas of your life in which you would like to trust God more. Maybe you would like to trust God with your future, or possibly a current situation. Maybe you have never really given your life to God and want to trust Him with your eternal salvation. God loves you tremendously; you know that, don’t you? And Jesus Christ (God the Son) gave His life for you so that you can receive forgiveness of sins, abundant life now, and eternal life, later.

Take a few moments now to write in your journal three areas of your life in which you would like to trust God more.

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  2. ____________________________________________________
  3. ____________________________________________________
Journal and Pray (Step 3)

Continue to diffuse or inhale your oils as you write a prayer asking God for His guidance, His grace, and His mercy where forgiveness is needed. If you need help writing a prayer, first address the Heavenly Father (Dear Father). Then thank Him for something in your life. Next, ask Him to reveal His plans and purposes for your life as you seek to trust Him with your whole heart. Ask Him for grace to hear His voice and to understand more fully how you can turn over the three areas (you wrote about earlier) to Him. And remember to thank God for the refreshment you will experience as you trust Him more. Then as John 14:13-14 suggests, end your prayer “in Jesus name.” Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon your prayer because you come (as best as you can) in the name of His Son, Jesus.

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