I’ve been studying the topic of trust lately. And what I’ve realized is that I attach a great deal of my trust in God to my desire for things to turn out like I think they should.

I want the goodness of God to compel Him to fix things, change minds, prevent hurt, punish the bad, and vindicate the good on my timeline. I want the goodness of God to make people who do hurtful things say they are sorry and then act better, do better, be better. I’m desperate for Him to make circumstances good in the timing that seems good to me.

But that’s not faith. It’s actually a sign that because I still don’t understand what he allowed to happen in my past, I’m struggling to trust him with my future. So I’ve started asking myself this question: Can I trust Him enough to really start surrendering the outcomes the way my life will go?

Proverbs 3:5–6 instructs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” I know these verses, but I want to live these verses. And in order to do that, I must acknowledge God’s version of making my path straight most likely will not line up with what I expect.

Ugh. Can I do that? Can I make peace with the fact that my definition of a path being made straight is limited by my human thinking and emotion? Can I find my security in the unlimited, all knowing power of God?

Friend, as we sit with all of this, I’m reminded of this big, uprooted oak tree I once saw after some bad weather. It was a stately tree that appeared incredibly grounded and stable. But as I got closer to the fallen giant, I saw that when it fell, the roots were so shallow that they lifted out of the ground as well. As a crew was cutting up the tree to remove it, I saw that the tree was hollow on the inside. I just had to know: What made such a seemingly immovable tree fall? One of the men said, “Shallow roots and ants.”

“Huh?” I replied. He explained that sometimes big trees that grow in yards with sprinkler systems get so easily satisfied by the water from the surface that the roots don’t need to go deep into the ground for water. The trees can look strong and stable, but shallow roots make them less stable and way more vulnerable in storms and strong winds.

Oh boy. I could feel the life lesson coming in hot.

When life looks like I expect it to and feels relatively good, I am tempted to get satisfied with where I’m at and not continue to grow deeper and deeper in my faith. Or if I’m just letting others sprinkle some biblical wisdom on me through their sermons and podcasts but I’m not digging into God’s Word and going deeper in my application, then my roots will be shallow.

That all seems okay until a storm comes. And storms always eventually do come. The ants played a big part in this tree falling as well. They target where some sort of injury has occurred and the moisture that gets in has started to weaken the wood. Taking full advantage of the softer wood, they wear away at it, eventually even damaging the sound wood and making the tree hollow inside, even though it may look solid from the outside. The more hollow the tree becomes, the more it will lose structural strength.

Notice that the hollowing out of the tree and the tree having shallow roots happened slowly, daily, one compromise after another. I am a lot like that tree. But instead of trying to control things beyond my control, I want to make the choice to surrender them today to God. And then surrender again tomorrow. And the next day too. Refusing to control is an act of building more and more trust with God.

Each time I have doubts and fears about God’s goodness, I will bring these to God and let His truth refute them. My job is daily obedience to God. His job is holding and handling my future. This is a whole lot to think through. It’s weighty stuff. But for today, let’s hold onto this truth: Trusting God is holding loosely the parts of my life I want to hold most tightly. Is it easy? No. But is it the pathway to the peace I long for? Yes, it really is.

Lysa TerKeurst is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of seven New York Times bestsellers. Her latest book is I Want To Trust You, But I Don’t (October 2024, Thomas Nelson). She enjoys life with her husband Chaz and her kids and grandkids. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.

The post How Can I Trust God When I Don’t Understand His Ways? first appeared on Live Original.

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

—Matthew 4:18–20

“Follow me.”

I can visualize Peter and Andrew on the shoreline, standing with their dirty nets and their sweaty brows. I imagine them watching Jesus as He walks up to them and tells them to follow Him so they can learn “how to fish for people.”

It seems as if they instantly dropped those nets and did what Jesus asked. Was it that simple and easy?

For the disciples and others to whom Jesus spoke, it seems that making the decision to follow Him was easy. As Jesus said in Luke 9:23, “If any of you wants to be my fol­lower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Such a simple decision to make. Of course, Peter and Andrew demonstrated that following Jesus comes at a price. Their lives testify that “the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult” (Mat­thew 7:14).

Jesus doesn’t say that following Him will be easy, but He still asks us to do it.

My song “I Will Follow” speaks to this sort of faith. I can imagine those disciples saying to Jesus the very same words: “I’ll follow where You lead. Your hand I trust com­pletely. You can lead me. Where You lead I’ll go.”¹

Can you say that?

If Jesus walked up to you today, could you easily drop whatever nets you’re holding?

Could you suddenly, without any fear or reservation, say that you will follow your Lord and Savior?

“I’ll follow where You lead.”

Along with the rest of the disciples, Peter and Andrew trusted Jesus wholeheartedly. For three years, Jesus took His disciples on an amazing journey. They saw miracles, watched wonders, learned truths, and witnessed the glory of Jesus. They saw Him nailed to the cross. And then they saw Him risen.

To come to the feet of Jesus, we first must follow Him. We must trust in and obey Him.

Pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly is a decision we make today and again tomorrow and every day after. And we know that someday we will see Jesus in His full glory, seated at God’s right hand.

PRAY

Dear heavenly Savior, thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for allowing me to fol­low Him. Help me follow You with all that I am, and grant me Your mercy when I fail to follow You. Help me be bold and pursue Your feet, Lord. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

Excerpted from Do It Anyway Devotional by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Copyright © 2024 by Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Published by WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Used by permission.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Tasha Cobbs Leonard is one of the most iconic artists in gospel music history. Winner of fifteen GMA Dove Awards, sixteen Stellar Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, and two RIAA Certified platinum singles, Tasha was named Billboard‘s Gospel Artist of the Decade. Alongside her husband, Kenneth Leonard, Jr., she serves as the executive pastor at their church plant, The Purpose Place, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A successful entrepreneur and owner of several businesses, she launched her own record label, TeeLee Records. Tasha lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with her husband and their four children.

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The view from my back porch used to include three giant Leyland Cypresses, a towering Oak, and half a Hackberry Tree. The scenery was lush. That is, until one December evening when a hard freeze killed everything. The one pleasant surprise, however, is that I can now see a grand and gorgeously coiffed tree, one with multiple branches fanning outward in near perfect symmetry and crowned with a healthy head of thick, summer-green hair. The pre-existing foliage had obscured my view of this near perfect Maple. In this case, I hadn’t been able to see the tree for the forest.

Sometimes, the removal of certain obstacles or distractions, even healthy activities, can sharpen our perspective. Suddenly, what we couldn’t see before now towers in front of us with unmistakable clarity.

This reminds me of the book of Esther. For centuries, the book of Esther has been a favorite. It’s enthralled us with its gripping story about a vulnerable, young Jewish girl turned queen of the Persian Empire. Esther, a literal beauty queen, possessed more than physical splendor. Her rich character and unflinching resolve, traits that developed over time, are an inspiration to us all. In many respects, Esther is the heroine we hope lives inside us. Hers is the against-all-odds, rags-to-riches story we cherish. Who doesn’t want to know that our lives matter, that God has a purpose and a plan for us, even when—especially when—life doesn’t look the way we thought it would?

For the longest time, I thought the book of Esther was primarily about Esther’s heroic bravery on behalf of her people. And certainly, this is no small detail. But the book is about far more. It is ultimately a story about God and His covenant faithfulness to His people—no matter where they find themselves. This is most clearly on display during one of the book’s most pivotal moments, when Esther learns of the king’s approval of a plan to annihilate the Jews, her people (Esther 3).

In Esther 4:4-12, we learn Esther was overwrought with fear in response to the news, and I appreciate this detail because it reminds us that she is human. Even queens get scared. Back and forth, from palace to court, short messages flew between Esther and Mordecai, like modern text messages. For the first time in the story, we hear directly from Esther (v. 11). She explains that approaching the king means putting her Jewish identity on display and her very life in jeopardy.

We don’t have to make too big of a leap to see the connection to our own day. How easy it is to keep quiet about our faith in Christ among our colleagues, neighbors, and friends. And yet, will we really serve a Savior with whom we have not yet publicly identified? Will we stand up for our church community when no one knows we’re even a part of it?

Certainly, Esther’s situation was extreme. It is unlikely that any of us will be forced to put our lives on the line for an entire people group. Yet, how often do we resist speaking up for our faith for fear of our reputations? We’re afraid that if we tell our neighbors and coworkers we are followers of Jesus we will be lumped in with religious fanatics or the intellectually weak, thrown into a certain political party, or just labeled a strange ranger. The stakes are higher for some: the loss of a job or professional opportunity, maligned character, or an uncomfortable situation for one’s children. The costs are real, and more so by the day.

But sometimes it is these very risks that define the edges of our faith. When compromise is easy to come by, our faith can lose its definition. But when our work, child’s school, or social status in the neighborhood comes into direct conflict with being obedient to God’s Word, we’re suddenly forced to choose. Will we blend in or take a stand? This was the question for Esther, and it’s the question for Christ followers today.

You and I have the opportunity to talk about the hope we’ve found in Jesus! Yes, some will dismiss what we have to say, but many are longing for Jesus in their lives. Let’s not hold back. We may be afraid, but so was Esther, yet fear didn’t stop her.

I’ve been praying that God would give me natural opportunities to speak about Him without forcing Him into conversations. He has been answering this prayer. Boldness for Christ doesn’t necessarily mean extremely awkward situations or risk of reputation. It may mean those things, but for most of us being a witness for Him is simply a matter of letting our true identity be known—that we love Jesus and follow Him. As we do this, our conversations (as well as the way we walk through life’s joys and trials) will naturally testify to His love, authority, and power in our lives.

Just as Esther was determined to stand up for her people, may you and I stand up for Christ and His church with love, truth, and grace.

Discover how Esther’s story inspires us to live faithfully and courageously in our own time with Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This, a 7-session Bible study by Kelly Minter.

Kelly Minter is passionate about God’s Word and believes it permeates all of life. The personal healing and steadfast hope she’s found in the pages of Scripture fuel her passion to connect God’s Word to our everyday lives. When she’s not writing or teaching, you can find her tending her garden, taking a walk with friends, cooking for her nieces and nephews, riding a boat down the Amazon River, or walking through a Moldovan village with Justice & Mercy International. Kelly is also working on her M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies at Denver Seminary. 

The post Esther first appeared on Live Original.

Joyful music is wonderful but true Godly sorrow is transformational. And we need both in the House of God.

Not long ago, our precious Border Collie, Bear, was hit by a truck in our cul-de-sac and his leg was so badly damaged we were forced to amputate. It was only the second week at a brand-new school for my then eleven-year-old, and I knew it would be better for Selah to be in school while we had Bear at the vet hospital. That morning, rather than having her take the bus, we drove the backroads of Kentucky together in silence, her sitting in the front seat. Her little hands were perfectly clasped in her lap as she gazed out the window, her eyes full of tears threatening to fall at any moment.

I grabbed her hand and started thanking God for the gift that Bear was to our family and how God used him to bring us joy and protection and laughter. Right there in our little Toyota SUV, God met my daughter and me in a time of thanksgiving and lament, because God meets us in both expressions of worship. We don’t have to gaslight ourselves into believing everything is always good all the time. Our children need to see us wrestling with God in situations that feel unfair and unkind. They need to hear us praying, weeping, rejoicing, and worshiping in freedom, not fearing what people will think.

In Acts 16:25 we see Paul and Silas sitting in their prison cell and we’re told, “Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” 

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with nighttime. During the day I am busy and my thoughts are on the many tasks in front of me, but as soon as my head hits the pillow, I’m a prisoner to regret, fear, and insecurity. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, the midnight hour can be filled with Googling mysterious symptoms ailing my body, rethinking old conversations and scenarios, and waking up to every creak in the house as I beg sleep to find me.

Paul and Silas were in their own literal midnight hour, but rather than worry and focus on their circumstances, they began to pray and worship, and it says in the scriptures that the “other prisoners were listening.” (v25)

What should we take away from this?

Those in bondage to this world are watching us as Christ followers to see how we will respond to the midnight hour.

The cancer diagnosis.

The divorce.

Our prodigal.

The loss of a child.

A season of unemployment.

Financial struggles.

Will we worry or will we worship?

There are sounds we can’t un-hear. For me as a church kid, it was the wailing of saints in the pews begging God to bring home their prodigal. It was praying in living rooms for God to restore a marriage. It was the silent sobs of a mother in her birthing room asking for a miracle. It’s a groan like no other. It’s animalistic, primal, raw, a sound I could identify without looking up.

Because sometimes worship and wailing sound the same but I learned they come from two different places. One from what God has already done and the other from a deep hope of what we long for Him to do.

I remember the first time I distinguished the difference between someone worshiping from a place of gratitude and worshiping from a place of deep sorrow because it woke me up. Yes, joyful music is wonderful but true Godly sorrow is transformational. And we need both in the House of God. Both have changed me.

From far away one might not be able to tell the worship from the wailing, but it reaches the throne of Heaven equally. It’s a sound I’ll never forget. It’s a sound that kept drawing me back into the House of God and into the homes of the saints and it’s possible this sound led me into an early ministry of worship leadership. I got to be part of both the celebration and the transformation, in the lives of the congregation as well as my own.

Holy lament is a song few want to sing, but it’s our worship penned in the dark night of the soul that writes a mournful melody in a minor key. We’re singing over those who have lost, wrestling with anger, contending for peace, waiting for answers, grieving, weeping, suffering.

When the Church worships, lives are changed. We don’t worship because we got the outcome we wanted, the test results we prayed for, or the miracle we felt we were promised, but because God promises that when we worship and pray, he will be among us. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom and unity.

May we be a people who worship and wail, shouting His salvation and mourning with sweet brokenness His amazing grace.

—

Excerpted from The House That Jesus Built: Leading Our Churches Back to God’s Original Blueprint © 2024 Natalie Runion. Used by permission of David C Cook.  May not be further reproduced.  All rights reserved.

The post Sometimes Worship and Wailing Sound the Same first appeared on Live Original.

But it’s also different.

Hunter is about to lead another mission to Ukraine, but it’s not him that I’m worried about. If 2022 has taught me anything, it’s that my firstborn son is one of the most reliable, dependable, resourceful men I have ever had the privilege of working alongside. Since the start of thewar Hunter has made nine trips to Ukraine, most of them without me. He’s spent time with units like Safari traveling throughout the country, delivering life-saving IFAKs, training troops in TCCC and how to be spiritually resilient. His comms network now covers almost the entire country, and he has received so many reports of how his work has saved lives. He’s calm under pressure and has the most amazing ability to connect with people the world over. When Hunter talks, people listen. And when Hunter listens, people open up. I trust him to do well, and I trust God for him too.

So, no, this whisper of fear that I’m feeling is not about Hunter.

It’s about Hayden, my second son and youngest child. He’s joining Hunter on the trip. He’s never been to Ukraine before.

Hayden is a Marine, just like Hunter, just like me, and just like my father. He’s smart, clear-headed and has been working with us at Mighty Oaks for the past year. He and Hunter are going to Ukraine alone, just the two of them, to meet with Ukrainian officials and continue the work with our network of chaplains. But right now, in this moment before Hayden comes over and I say goodbye, knowing

all that doesn’t seem to be making a whole lot of difference to what I am feeling inside.

I guess some lessons take a while before we really learn them. Or maybe it’s just that if we want life’s biggest lessons to really take root, we must be prepared to practice them over and over. If we want to grow, we have to be prepared to work.

All the time I was in Ukraine with Hunter it seemed to me like I was in some kind of spiritual exercise. It was as if God had me doing countless reps of the same questions that had been raised for me back in 2018:

Do I understand that He loves Hunter more than I ever could?

Do I believe that He can protect Hunter better than I ever could?

Am I willing to trust God so much that I am prepared to place Hunter in His hands?

It took all those trips out to Ukraine, with all those moments where I could feel the weight of the risks that Hunter was facing, but eventually the learning took root.

And when that happened, the change was one of the best I’ve ever experienced in my whole life. As I was able to let go of the anxiety of what might happen to Hunter or now Hayden, I started to truly appreciate the ways in which my sons were stepping into the work God had ordained for them. As I took my focus off my own dark fears, I was able to see the beauty of God’s providence, to look upon my sons with more pride and gratitude than ever. The more I learned to truly trust God for my sons and relinquish them into the hands of Jesus, the more I was able to appreciate God’s love for all my family, and even myself.

In other words, letting go of my fear changed so much more than how I felt about those I love and want to protect. It started to change my faith too—the more I practiced trusting God with my children, the more I wanted to trust Him with other parts of my life.

That’s what I need to remember.

I believe that was God’s lesson for me all along.

And I think maybe other parents need to know it too.

It’s so tempting to want to be in control of protecting our kids or our wives. But we don’t have anything like the level of control we think we do. Cars crash, natural disasters hit, cancers grow, the geopolitical landscape shifts leaving innocent civilians to face the full force of a First World superpower. We’re kidding ourselves if we think we have the kind of strength that can keep any of that at bay.

But God is in control. He’s in control of all our lives, from the first breath to the last, though the way He exercises control doesn’t look the way we might expect. We reach for control out of fear, closing down the horizons ahead of our loved ones because we’re just too scared of losing them.

God does it differently. For Him, being in control means being there for us, no matter what we’re facing. His arms are always open wide, always inviting us to turn to Him. To rely on Him. To find that in His love, we will find all that we need.

——————

Hayden arrives. He’s not looking nervous, but he’s looking serious. He knows the weight of what’s coming. He knows what he’s getting into, what he’s risking. And he knows why he’s doing it.

“You okay?” I ask when we’re done hugging.

He nods.

“On this trip, Hunter’s not your brother. He’s your boss, and you’re in good hands.”

Another nod.

“And he knows what he’s doing. So do what he says, right?”

“I will. I will, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you, too, and am proud of you.”

I have so much more to say, but decide this is enough. Hayden needs to know that I trust him. He needs to know that I’ve got faith in him. But more than anything, he needs to know that he has a Father in Heaven who loves him one hundred times more than I ever could and he needs to see me demonstrate my trust in Him.

So Hunter, Hayden, and I all pray together.

Then we hug again. I tell them I love them.

And then I say goodbye.

The post God Does It Differently first appeared on Live Original.

More often than not, I haven’t known where I was going, but with every surrendered step, I grow in confidence that the One I am following surely will not lead me astray. Jesus never has and He never will. The more I follow Him, the more my trust in His goodness increases. I move forward continually in the decision that I will follow Him wherever He leads, no matter the cost. It is costly, but I can assure you that the reward is far greater than the cost. His way has rarely led me to the expected road, but He has been faithful with every step.

I can’t tell you how your story will unfold, but I can assure you that the best things in this life will come as a result of knowing, trusting, and following Jesus, not the easiest things, but the best, most abundant things. Proverbs 3:5-6 has become such a thematic passage in my life, selected out of the realization that only in complete surrender have I experienced the abundance of knowing and walking with Jesus. I desire for everyone to experience that abundance. I can’t live it out for you, but I can share my experiences, point you in His direction and encourage you to wholeheartedly follow Him. That’s my heart behind this devotion, to provide you with a resource to grow in understanding who Jesus is, what His word says, and what that means for you personally. 

Wherever you find yourself in this journey of taking Him at His word, I pray that as you read these pages that you will grow in knowledge of the truth, boldness to live out and proclaim it, and love for the One who it’s all about. Jesus, this is all about Jesus. I pray that as you prioritize dwelling in His presence daily that you will experience the evidence of His goodness undeniably and that He will increase your desire to live a life that points people in His direction. 

There is nothing better than a relationship with Your Creator, Savior, Father, and closest friend– it’s what you were created for. His word, applied, delivers. It never returns void. 

He will be found faithful to His word and true to His character in the lives of those who know Him and follow His lead. His plans for you are good and they will prevail. 

Over the next 60 days, I invite you along this journey of knowing Jesus more than you did before. I challenge you to be sincere in seeking, honest in reflection, and expectant for His truth to begin or continue to transform your heart and your life as you apply it. 

I know first-hand that if you give Him your wholehearted yes, He will do more with it for His glory than you could have ever imagined. You, holding this book in your hand is proof. 

“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 ‬

Day 1 – Know, Trust, + Follow 

“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 NIV‬‬

[[headings are located immediately following scripture]] There is nothing better than knowing, trusting and following Jesus. You will find Him faithful to His character and true to His word in your life. 

Let me invite you into the process of titling this devotional because it was very intentional. Generally speaking, you can’t trust someone you don’t know, and you won’t follow someone you don’t trust. Therefore, this journey has to begin and end with knowing Jesus. It’s one thing to know of someone, but it’s another to know them personally. There is a huge difference between acquaintanceship and relationship.  

Too many people, yes even people who are raised in the church, spend their lives knowing of Jesus, but outside of personal relationship with Him. I can only imagine how it breaks His heart. Jesus doesn’t want to be your acquaintance; He wants to be your closest friend. Not only does He desire a relationship with His children, but as long as any one of us lives outside of relationship with Him, we are missing out on what we are made for. 

Without knowing Him personally, we can’t graduate to the adventure of trusting and following Him. If you don’t know Jesus personally, He is inviting you to make the best decision you’ve ever made of getting to know Him. If you do know Him, He wants to grow deeper in relationship with you daily, equip you to introduce others to Him, and lead you further along the path of His perfect plan for your life. He will be faithful to complete what He has started in you. 

The more you know Jesus, the more your life will be transformed by the truth of His word. It’s a never-ending process on this side of Heaven. A life of surrender is a life lived in response to your knowledge of who God is and trust in what He says. The evidence of us truly knowing Him is our willingness to do what He instructs. Everything He instructs is intentional and purposeful. Are we living lives that reflect our trust in that promise? 

Continually exchange your own plan and preference for whatever He has in mind. Your own plan will fail you, but He never will. God’s ways are higher than our minds can comprehend. You may not always know or understand what He is doing, but if you know, trust, and follow Him, He will leave you continually in awe of His goodness. Ask yourself this question today, “If my obedience to God’s word is the evidence of my love for Him, am I living like I love Him?” 

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” 1 John‬ 2‬:3‬ NIV‬‬‬‬

Prayer: “Jesus, grow me in the knowledge of who you are and the application of your word to my life. Thank you that as I follow You, You are leading me step by step. Amen.” 

Thank Him for who He is and what He has done, ask Him for what you are believing for and to make you more like Him today. 

Reflection/Application: What have you put before your desire to know Jesus more? 

How do you want to grow in knowing, trusting, and following Him in the days to come? 

TRUST + FOLLOW: a 60 day devotional to  know Jesus more is available (most) everywhere books are sold. Here is the link to order on amazon:

The post Trust + Follow first appeared on Live Original.

I grew up in church as a pastor’s kid, and have always had a love for the Lord. From my earliest memories, I was memorizing scriptures and learning different bible stories, and I’m grateful to say that I loved growing up this way. I had a clear grasp on what was right and what was wrong, according to the Bible, throughout my teenage years. By no means did I live perfectly, but I had no problem saying “no” to things that wouldn’t build up my faith. Somewhere along the way, this desire to please God and do what was right became a long list of things I don’t do; “I don’t drink”, “I don’t curse”, or “I don’t party”. I remember God taking me on this beautiful journey of realizing it wasn’t about just acting the “right” way, it was about the posture of my heart. To live for God and obey His commands is more about surrender than it is striving. 

Obedience must be birthed out of love, not religious obligation. John 14:15 says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” There were many things I said “no” to growing up out of a RULES motivated religion, not an obedience born out of sincere relationship. The Lord is now teaching me how to live for him, give up worthless ways, and surrender everything to him simply out of my love for Him. When you truly love someone, you desire to do what pleases them. I’ve found the more that I fall in love with Jesus, the more I realize His ways are truly better than my own and I long to live in a way that makes Him smile. I don’t obey the Lord because He is some dictator that forces me to. I obey Him because I love Him so much and want to do His will. 

Obedience is the fruit of trust. When we say “God I will do whatever you ask of me,” we are also saying “I trust that you know what is best for me.” God has been teaching me the importance of immediate obedience. When he speaks to me or impresses something on my heart, I want my first response to be “Yes Lord!” Because I trust you, I don’t even need to contemplate or over-think what you’re telling me. It’s simple. I love you enough to obey you AND I trust you enough to follow your instructions. Cultivating both love and trust are required for immediate obedience. 1 John 5:3 says. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I love the fact that God is not calling us to a life that is impossible to live. Because we have the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Jesus, we are able to live in a way that honors Him. Falling in love with Jesus and serving Him is the most free and fulfilling journey. Although we do walk through suffering in this life, living obedient to the will and ways of God keeps us from the struggle and suffering that is caused by a life of sin.

Sometimes obedience is saying no to things that God will ask us to lay down. And other times, obedience is saying yes to things that he’s calling us into. What is important is that our answer is motivated by love. I wouldn’t want to live any other way than living in full surrender to the fullness of God’s plan.

Tiffany Hudson grew up in the church as a Pastor’s kid always knowing she wanted to be in ministry. It was also at her parent’s church where she started honing in on her worship-leading skills, learning to play multiple instruments and write songs. As a songwriter, any time she gets the opportunity to write is, as she explains, “a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God.” Tiffany Hudson never dreamed of having a solo artist career, but it was when she felt an invitation from the Lord in early 2022 that she even considered releasing her own songs. “After a season of what felt like a creative drought, I began to sit down at my piano and felt the Lord begin to download songs and themes,” she shares about the process of making her first solo project. “This began a personal journey of sitting with Him, writing, co-writing, and desiring to present the things He placed in my heart. It’s always a humbling experience to try and pen God’s wonder. It’s a weight and a responsibility to put confessions in other people’s mouths to say to God. ”  Hudson is an award-winning songwriter (“Graves Into Gardens,” “Wait On You,” “Never Lost,” among others), a member of the GRAMMY® Award-winning group Elevation Worship, and a worship leader at Elevation Church. She has also been honored to be part of the numerous accolades Elevation Worship has received: RIAA Gold® certification, a GRAMMY Award®, two Billboard Music Awards®, and two GMA Dove Awards®. Tiffany’s solo debut album, Hidden Here, is available everywhere now.

The post The Fruit of Trust: Obedience first appeared on Live Original.

About two weeks before our departure, though, a terrible fear of flying gripped me. What in the world? I thought. I’ve jumped out of planes. What is wrong with me?

I tried reasoning with myself. I talked it out (or attempted to). Of course I prayed. But fear continued to slither in my ears.

I remember breaking down at a swim meet, grabbing my brother-in-law and explaining to him where Clark and I kept our wills. I told him what to do “when we’re gone.” I also wrote my sister a long letter, giving specific instructions for how to raise Blakely, Catherine, Taylor, and Ford. I really, truly believed I might die on the getaway my husband and I had won. I was deathly afraid that I’d board the plane and never return, leaving my four incredible, beautiful children behind, with no mommy or daddy to care for them.

Fear-stricken for several days, I finally called my prayer-warrior friend, Anne Cochran. I desperately needed prayer support.

“I don’t understand. Why is the fear so heavy?” I asked my friend.

Anne listened as I unloaded. Then she prayed powerfully. I was driving while she prayed, and as she closed with an “amen,” I looked closely at a car that had stopped ahead of me at a red light. A worn bumper sticker on its rear fender contained only one word in all-capital letters: PEACE.

Message received, Lord, was my immediate response. Thank You. Thank You, Jesus.

It wasn’t easy to get on that plane, but I did it. On that flight I also started something that has since become a habit of mine. I made the sign of the cross on the left side of the plane, declaring with my hands and my faith what my mind had trouble believing: Jesus was in control. I travel frequently now and continue this practice; it’s one way I remind fear that I trust in God.

When we landed safely in Turks and Caicos, Clark and I rendezvoused with our assigned driver. I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed the sticker plastered on the side of his van:

Step by step, keep following Me.

—Jesus

We discovered our driver also worked as a pastor, and God’s peace flooded me! I felt cared for by my heavenly Father. And I knew He would care for my kids too.

Clark and I had a wonderful trip, reveling in the masterpiece of creation that Turks and Caicos was—charming and, in many places, unspoiled. With powdery white-sand beaches stretching into turquoise waters that kiss the horizon, these islands proclaimed peace and glory. It was just what my husband and I needed.

What we did not need was a ridiculous fight about God-only-knows-what the night before our scheduled return home. Not only was the fight silly—truly, I cannot remember what prompted the argument—it was also needlessly big. Perhaps you’ve been in a situation where a relatively small issue quickly escalates and, suddenly, you’re in the middle of the relational equivalent to a nuclear war. Not good.

I was fuming and emotionally taxed. It’s not surprising, then, that fear crept right back into my mind and heart, ready to take up residence for good. This is when I discovered that, even when one is fear-stricken and fighting with a loved one, one still has to eat. So the next morning Clark and I went down to the beachside restaurant for our last meal (on the island, that is, not existentially, though I feared it could be the final meal of my life).

Virtually every restaurant in Turks and Caicos sported outdoor tables, and this breakfast spot was no exception. Just as the waitress took our finished plates away, a white dove swooped down and sat, peering at me, right next to our table. I almost laughed out loud. A white dove. Seriously? An international symbol of peace and the symbol, in my faith, of God the Holy Spirit?

From this I sensed the message, Make peace with your husband, Anne. Receive My peace about your flight. Return to Me every time the grip of fear tightens. I will never leave you or forsake you.

Once again I prayed, Message received, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You.

I melted into God’s peace, which the Bible describes as a peace that transcends understanding. You may or may not be familiar with the verses to which I’m referring. They don’t just describe peace; they also impart wisdom about how we can deal with anxiety.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God

what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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”

(Philippians 4:6–7 nlt).

Clark and I reconciled. (How could we not after the dove God sent?) We also returned home safely, and this experience gave me the opportunity to reflect on the role fear played in my life.

I started life as a rather fearful child. Perhaps you remember me telling you that I would wake up my sister to go to the bathroom with me in the middle of the night. As I grew up, though, I became what many people saw as fearless. I skydived. I rappelled and climbed vertical slants. I left a sure thing—teaching—to sell pottery. And I succeeded at so much in life. I’m sure there were people who looked at my life and thought, She probably never feels afraid.

But fear lies to us all.

When songwriter Zach Williams released “Fear Is a Liar” and I first heard it on the worship playlists I stream while painting, I immediately resonated with the lyrics. You read some of Zach’s words at the opening of this chapter. Let me bring them back to our minds now.

When he told you you’re not good enough

When he told you you’re not right

When he told you you’re not strong enough

To put up a good fight

When he told you you’re not worthy

When he told you you’re not loved

When he told you you’re not beautiful

That you’ll never be enough

Fear, he is a liar

Fear lies to us about circumstances—this is how my fear of flying developed. Becoming a mom and knowing what I could lose and who I would leave behind changed my entire perspective on the adventure of travel. I needed to trust God, not just with the actual process of flight but also with what I risked every time I left my family, whether I was driving to the grocery store or boarding a plane for a marriage getaway. You never may have experienced a fear of flying, but you probably have had anxiety surrounding situations in your life. Fear lies to us about what has happened, is happening, and will happen.

But fear lies to us about more than that too. It lies to us about who we are. And this is where shame can grip us. Fear tells us we’re not good enough and never will be. It lies to us about our strength and ability to fight through the tough trials we face. Fear lies to us about whether we’re loved, worthy, or beautiful. Fear, he is a liar.

In case you were wondering, Zach Williams didn’t write “he” in the lyrics because he hates men. He wrote that because the Bible tells us that we have an actual enemy who lies to us. Jesus identified him as “a liar and the father of lies” in John 8:44. Whether or not you believe in an incarnate evil—an evil that exists and actively opposes light, goodness, and truth—you likely have experienced the effects of lies about your identity.

Fear lies to us all.

That’s why, years after I wrestled with God about flying to and from Turks and Caicos, I took the time to write my family and speak truth into their minds and hearts. I wanted to be part of God’s work to dismantle the lies fear tried to breathe into them. Ironically enough, after God had delivered me from the fear of flying, I wrote these mini letters to Clark and my children while airline techs de-iced the plane I had boarded during a snowstorm in New York City.

If something should ever happen to me, know that each of you were my life! I love you all more than you will ever know. Please find God in all of this. I know there are times it seems hard to believe, but we do have a living God.

We counteract fear not only with courage but also with truth. Fear is a liar, and we need to speak words of encouragement and hope into one another’s lives. That’s why I took the time to write these truths to my children and husband. I wanted to fill their minds with God’s truths that empower and encourage. Fear keeps us in bondage; it holds us back.

The Bible also reveals that the purpose of the Father of Lies is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Don’t let fear steal your joy, kill your hope, and destroy your identity.

Fear is a liar, but God is the way, the truth, and the life you crave. I’ve chosen to reject fear and follow Jesus’ way. What about you?

A lifelong artist, Anne Neilson began painting with oils in 2003 and quickly became nationally renowned for her ethereal Angel Series. Neilson’s paintings are inspiring reflections of her faith.

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As a pastor, I’m most often asked this question: “Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand it. I thought I was pursuing God’s dream, but now I’m ready to give up.” Sound familiar? You see, when you don’t understand the six phases of faith, you may become resentful, even depressed. You will certainly worry. You may become fearful about the future. And, worst of all, you won’t be able to cooperate with what God wants to do in your life. But when you understand the six phases that God takes every believer through—and he takes us through them over and over—then you can say, “Oh, I see, I’m in stage four right now,” or stage six or stage two. You will understand what’s going on, and you’ll be less likely to get discouraged when times are tough.

So let me introduce you to the six phases of faith and their role in pursuing God’s dream. Then we will go deeper into each phase in the coming chapters.

Phase 1: Dream

How does God build your faith? He always starts with a dream. Nothing happens until you start dreaming. You have to get an idea, a vision, a goal, or a target. When God wants to work in your life, he gives you a dream about what he wants you to do and the impact he wants you to have in the world. In the next chapter, I will teach you how to figure out God’s dream for your life.

Phase 2: Decision

You have to make the decision to go for it! Nothing will happen to your dream until you wake up and put it into action. For every ten dreamers in the world, there is only one decision maker. The only way to move forward in faith is to decide to take a risk. In chapter 3, I will explain six biblical principles for making wise decisions.

Phase 3: Delays

When you pursue your dream, there is always a waiting period. Why does God make you wait? Because God wants to work on you before he works on your project. The purpose of the delay phase is to teach you to trust God and to be patient with his timing. How you handle God’s waiting rooms of life is a clear measure of the strength of your faith. In chapter 4, I will show you how to keep going when your dream is delayed.

Phase 4: Difficulties

Not only will you have to wait, but you will also have problems while you’re waiting. There are problems even when your dream lines up with God’s dream, because God is working on your faith and character. In chapter 5, I will share the dos and don’ts of dealing with difficulty. Finally, the difficulties become so bad that you come to your limit. You’ve tried everything, you’ve exhausted all your options…and now you’ve reached the fifth phase of faith.

Phase 5: Dead Ends

In the dead-end phase, the situation deteriorates from difficult to impossible. If you are at this stage, congratulations! You are in good company. Even the apostle Paul experienced dead ends. He wrote, “At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead.” God not only can raise people from the dead physically but also can raise people from the dead emotionally. He can raise a dead marriage. He can resurrect a dead career. He can breathe new life where all hope has died. In chapter 6, I will show you how to hold on to your faith when you reach a dead end.

Phase 6: Deliverance

In the end, God delivers. He performs a miracle. He provides a solution. God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections, hopelessness into victory, and dead ends into deliverance. Why? Because he gets the glory. In chapter 7, I will show you the key to deliverance.

The post The Six Phases of Faith first appeared on Live Original.

This was the question I felt like the Lord was asking me a couple of months ago.

I was on the phone with one of my best friends and you could say we were both feeling like the season we found ourselves in was a season we did not want to be in. Two completely different circumstances, but nonetheless, we were exhausted and confused. Do you relate? Because that’s a lonely spot to be in. I’ll never forget we would call each other every day (or send a super long voice memo, arguably my favorite feature ever) and just take turns letting our latest thoughts and feelings out. No filter, just letting it out and getting it out of our brains. Have you ever found yourself in a similar place? Are you currently in that place right now? Wondering if there is a light at the end of your tunnel, wondering if you’re going to be stuck here for a while, asking things like “Why God? Why this?”

If you currently find yourself here, if you’re coming out of a difficult circumstance, or if you’re worried you’re approaching one soon, I’m glad you’re here friend. It is no coincidence you’re reading this now, it is actually the complete opposite of coincidence. I am praying this can offer you hope, the hope that I have found in Jesus alone. There is no person that could EVER offer you the kind of comfort, love, and kindness that Jesus can, and that’s exactly how it is supposed to be. You were not made to find your validation or answers in anything this world has to offer. But the good news is, we’ve all tried too. And yet He still pursues us right where we’re at. Leave shame or pride or whatever it is for you at the door, and be open to what the Lord is wanting to say to you today.

I mentioned earlier that I was on the phone with my friend, and that phone call I can see now looking back, was a glimpse for what was to come. And let me just tell you, what is to come is so GOOD y’all. If you want to find God in everything, you will find him in everything. He is truly in it all, every little intricate detail of your life. As I was listening to her about the circumstance she found herself in that day, and also thinking about the current one I found myself in, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit offer me this thought that challenges me to this day.

“Maddee…. Don’t you believe that it’s going to be good? Don’t you believe that the plan I have for you, is unlike anything you could imagine for your life? Trust me enough to let it go and surrender it FULLY to Me.”

And I believe He is asking you the exact same thing. Don’t you remember the things He has delivered you from? Don’t you trust that if He’s done it before, surely He will do it AGAIN? I want you to know I understand that these are hard questions to ask yourself when you’re in the middle of it. It’s going to require strength, and a whole lot of it if you find yourself in a season of trial right now. Sometimes strength looks like putting one foot in front of the other and saying, “Lord, I need you to pick me up and carry me through this, because I have nothing else to give.” And believe me, He will. When we give up trying to do it in our own strength and in our own power and begin to surrender it FULLY to Jesus, is when true healing takes place. Don’t you want to live in that freedom? Good news, you can.

But my challenge for the one doubting there is still good ahead is this… If Jesus had to endure the most excruciating pain and death on a cross and there was STILL purpose in all of it, don’t you think there is purpose here for you too?

The idea of purpose being in the middle of pain actually frustrated me when I was in the thick of it. The LAST thing I wanted to believe was that there was a reason the Lord had me here, and the thought of that actually hurt me. I asked things like, “Why would you pick me for this? Out of all the girls in my season of life right now, why would you pick me to have to endure this?” And I wrestled and wrestled with God. I asked so many questions, and I actually encourage you to do the same. Because He WANTS to hear them. He wants you to bring the questions, confusion, frustrations, sadness, and mourning to Him. It was in my doubt and denial that I was actually getting closer and closer to the Vine. I was pressing in without even knowing it. And I understand now why they say we get to know Jesus more intimately in the valley, than we do on the mountaintop. There’s a different type of intimacy and closeness that you experience with Jesus in the middle of a situation you never wanted to be in. You long to hear Jesus. To hear just one word from Him. Imagine if we sat in that posture every single day friend.

My last thought for you is to ask yourself this, “What am I exalting more than Christ?” I will be the first to admit I have placed a person (multiple times in my life) in the place only the Lord should occupy. But our souls long for the One it was created for. In Psalms 84:2 “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.”

Nothing and no one could ever satisfy you the way Jesus can. So dare to believe what He has for you is going to be good, friend. My prayer for you is that you will feel His closeness like never before in the middle of whatever it is that you find yourself in, believing that His plan for you is going to be one that overwhelms you by the magnitude of His goodness.

The post Don’t You Believe It’s Going to Be Good? first appeared on Live Original.