Tag: trust

What is Your God Plus?

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha Katz1 Comment

The past few weeks, God has been giving me a chance to really see where my security rests.  He is causing me to ask myself, Do I trust in Him or do I trust in the things He has given to me?  That’s a hard question when what you expect is not exactly what you see.  Do I trust in the fact that He gives me the ability to work?  Financial security?  Or do I trust that the Giver provides exactly what I need?  In His timing.  These are the things I ask myself as I move through a season of change.  As I move through what feels uncomfortable to me.  From the past, I know that God is always faithful to me.  What I don’t know is what that looks like from season to season.

Looking back in time, I see that my God shaped hole has to do with being afraid.  And, the biggest part of my afraid is going somewhere alone.  I have no idea where I would be going that God would not go with me.  But, when I am stretched, when I feel limited, when I feel weak, my fear is that this is the point in which God is going to send me off for a run on my own.  The fear is in part abandonment.  The fear is in part a question of His love.  That God shaped hole, that He filled so long ago.  I admit that God is using this short season to fill in the tiny leaking crevices.  In that God shaped hole.

When I look deep inside my soul, I see that I trust God.  But, I also have the fear that He just might make me go alone.  Although that is alternative to every Word our God speaks, I fear alone when life puts me in a pressure cooker.  If I really think about it.  If I believe it’s God who is allowing the pressure cooking.  If I believe He is the Master of All.  If I believe He is the bottom line for how much pressure He will allow.  If He’s the one flipping the on button, picking the temperature and choosing the time.  If He’s the one who is locking the top and putting us in there together.  He’s the one who is with me.  If I believe He is the Master of All.  If I believe He is who He says He is, I can’t be alone.  In the pressure cooker. Or ever.

Inside the locked top, He is the one who knows what causes me to grow.  He is the one who is letting the heat burn off my self security.  He is the one who tells me that He is my Helper.  He is the one who calls me to give sacrificially to Him under all circumstances.  The primary reason I don’t want to be inside the pressure cooker is my fear that I will find myself alone.  With no power or tools or faith to make it through the short season.  And that my whole life and all of my efforts will burn up in the cooker.

And, now the smile is rising up in me.  Now, I catch the wisdom of the Lord.  Yes, all that He really wants is for me to live like my whole life and all of my efforts are burned up in the pressure cooker.  He wants me to live my life welcoming the crashing waves as they pull out the sand from the shore.  He wants me to live my life welcoming the pulling out of my self security.  He wants me to live in anticipation of what He places within me after He pulls out something from the flesh in me.

I pray that you would ask yourself today where your security rests.  I pray that you would examine what you think sustains you in this life.  I pray that you don’t look surfacely and conclude you don’t have any secret requirements.  We all have a tendency to love God with all our hearts, minds and souls and then add something to that . . .  that looks and feels more secure than God alone.

What is your God plus?  Look into the eyes of God and ask Him to take it.  He is who He says He is.  His intimacy, power, love and goodness stand higher, deeper and stronger than whatever you are limiting Him by.  Sister, whatever you have decided to give up today, please do share so that we can all be strengthened by the deep wisdom and power of our God.

FF Dec 7

God, Disney World, and Unanswered Prayer

On By badaimathewIn FemmeFeatures by Bindu Adai-Mathew, FemmeFuel by Bindu Adai-MathewLeave a comment

By Bindu Adai Mathew

Every year my company rewards its employees with a two night stay at 5 Star hotel and two tickets to any of the Universal or Disney Parks in Orlando. It’s one of my favorite company perks and always a good time to celebrate and relax. This past year’s trip was no exception. It was November, and November is typically a time in Florida where you can finally brag about living in Florida. After a rainy, hot, humid summer that often stretches well into mid-October, November is a reminder of why we all live here. The temperatures drop to the upper 70s and low 80s… the sunny is shining brightly… cool island breezes… aaaahhh… yes, life is good.

Except that Friday night at the Welcome reception one of my co-workers told me that the forecast was to be cold and rainy. I was aghast! What?! Nooooo! How could that be?! I almost laughed when she said temperatures were supposed to be in the upper 60s and low 70s! Cold?! Ha! I’m from Texas and while it rarely snows there, temperatures are only considered cold when it hits the 40s and 50s.  But rain… yes, that was going to definitely be a bummer since Disney’s Magic Kingdom is basically an outdoor park. Later that night, I told my 4 year old daughter, “Honey, we may not get to go to the park tomorrow because it’s supposed to be stormy and rainy.”  Her face immediately fell. I smiled and patted her hand, “You want to pray to God about it? He can stop the rain.” She nodded her head and together we said a short prayer.

The next morning I woke up to a very wet Saturday. Our hotel concierge advised us that the rain was supposed to let up around mid-morning so we decided to head out for breakfast and then to Disney. But an hour later the rain was still going strong and looked like it wasn’t stopping anytime soon. Disappointed, we decided to save our free passes for another day and drove around Orlando looking for an indoor park. Ava was understandably the most disappointed and turned to me with her sad, puppy dog eyes, “But mommy, we prayed. Why didn’t God stop the rain?”  I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t know, baby, but when God doesn’t do what we ask, that means He’s going to do something better…” While I believed what I said, I, too, was disappointed that God hadn’t answered our prayers.

In the meantime, we decided to make a pit stop at a luxury theme hotel that we had heard a lot about and we spent the next hour exploring their Florida-themed atrium that resembled Key West, St. Augustine, and the Everglades. Before we left, the hotel concierge advised us that the rain had mostly lifted and that this was probably the best time to visit Disney as the lines wouldn’t be as long. I frowned as I glanced at my watch. Shorter lines, yes, but it was already past 1… I recalled the previous year how a posted 30 minute-wait time at Dumbo ended up being a two hour wait for a 2 minute ride. I sighed as I just knew that with half the day almost gone, we’d probably not be able to go on many of the rides. The previous year, we’d gone on less than half the rides available at the park even though we’d gotten there at 9am and stayed until 10pm. I resigned myself to the situation, trying to remember to be grateful that we were even here.


Eight hours later
We shuffled into our car, exhausted, and collapsed happily into our seats. Although it had been overcast, it had still been a great day. It had only drizzled twice, and only as we were leaving the park did the rain start coming down heavily again. But due to the morning rain, luckily for us, many other people had obviously cancelled their plans to visit the park so even though we only had a half day there, not only had we had a shorter wait time, but in the end, we probably went on more than twice as many rides.

I glanced at Ava, who sat quietly, probably from exhaustion, in her car and seat and stared out the window. “Ava, did you have a good time?”

She turned to me and smiled from ear to ear, “I did, mommy. It was a fun day!”

I recalled the mini kids roller coaster we went on five times, the spinning tea cups we rode on four times, and the countless other rides we never even touched the previous year. I then recalled what I had told her earlier that morning, and I smiled as a small light bulb went off in my head. “Ava, remember how we thought God didn’t answer us when we prayed that the rain would stop? See, if it hadn’t rained all morning, then we would have waited a long time in line and wouldn’t have ridden on all those rides. So it looked like God didn’t answer our prayers, but He did something better than what we had asked!”

I smiled to myself and said an internal thank you for the reminder that we shouldn’t fret when God doesn’t answer our prayers in the exact way we prayed then. We should always trust that He truly wants the best for us.

More than twice the rides in less than half the time. I love how God’s math works.

While You Wait…

On By femmefuelIn FemmeFeatures by Bindu Adai-Mathew, March 20123 Comments

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Waiting. Waiting for a husband. Waiting on Florida to finally feel like home. Waiting on a good job.  Waiting on the economy to improve. Waiting for our business to pick up.

If I had to describe one of the more prominent themes of my life during my 20s and 30s, it would probably be waiting on God. I can’t remember a time since college when I wasn’t waiting for something in my life to change or improve.

Two weeks ago, my pastor preached on the life of Joseph and how he “failed” and suffered for not his own mistakes, but insteade due to the lies and deceit of first, his own family, and then later, due to the lies of his boss’s wife.  As he preached on Joseph, my pastor promised us a profound comment regarding Joseph’s life and how we should handle life when it treats us so unfairly. After all, who better than Joseph could understand how difficult and challenging it can be to wait on God. Brace yourself, you don’t want to miss this. My pastor said, “Faith is born in a moment but grows over a lifetime.”

Huh?

Yeah. I get it. I felt the same way. As I waited for my pastor’s words of insight, I immediately sat upright in my chair, pen ready to write these words of wisdom. But when he said it, “Faith is born in a moment but grows over a lifetime,” I looked at my pastor confused and honestly, a little disappointed. I was waiting for an epiphany. I was waiting for spiritual insight that I could use to encourage myself during my own time of waiting.

“Faith is born in a moment but grows over a lifetime.”   

But think about it…the moment, we give our life to Jesus, Faith immediately blooms in our hearts like a wildflower. It takes root. But it is the course of our life, that our Faith is tested, tried, and proven.

When we wait on God, we are putting our faith directly into action. After all, it takes faith to believe God will move. It takes faith to believe that things are going to change even though everything in our life may indicate the opposite. It takes faith to trust and wait on God.

And who, out of all our great Biblical forefathers, didn’t have to wait?

  • God promised Abraham a child much earlier, but it wasn’t until he was a 100 years old that Abraham saw his promise fulfilled.
  • Joseph was in his teens when God showed him that he would be a leader and that others would bow and respect him, but he didn’t see it come to reality until he was 30.
  • Scholars estimate that King David was in his preteens when Samuel anointed him King, but he, too, didn’t become king until he was 30.
  • Moses spent 40 years in exile in Midian before God brought him back to lead the people out of Egypt.

Faith is definitely one of the more challenging spiritual muscles to develop…but it is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding. Unfortunately, faith cannot be practiced in hindsight…neither is it 20/20. It 100% requires that same leap of faith that you took when you initially accepted Christ as your savior. It’s believing in God’s promises and what He’s personally revealed or promised to you. It’s rarely easy but the testimony you will have later will be priceless.

So what are you waiting on God for? Have you asked yourself, instead, maybe what He is waiting on you for?

Remembering God

On By femmefuelIn FemmeFeatures by Bindu Adai-Mathew, January 20121 Comment

by Bindu Adai-Mathew

Two weeks ago the very thing I had been dreading since last June finally happened. I saw my Instant Messenger icon flashing on my computer screen and saw it was our CIO messaging me, asking me to stop by his office. As I trudged to his office, I almost felt as if I were back in elementary school being called into the principal’s office. I listened as he went on about how after our company was bought by the new company, he was being pressured to create “synergies” in IT, which would require him eliminating close to 60 jobs, including mine.  As he droned on with his corporate-speak, I sat there numbly.

Here we go again. I had just gone through another layoff just a year ago. Ironically, when I arrived at my new company, I was almost relieved to find that all my co-workers had been working there the last 9 to 12 years. Finally, I had thought back then, a place where I could hang my hat up and stay at one place. And then six months into my new job, the announcement came that another company was buying ours, which would probably result in a massive layoff.

As shock gave way to worry, panic soon began to set it. I would not only have to find a new job, but I had to worry about insurance since I was the policy holder. What if I didn’t find a job quickly? What if no one wanted me? What if…

Those runaway thoughts morphed into a cloud of despair that hovered over my head for hours, and I found myself feeling overwhelmed, defeated, hopeless.

But finally, a ray of light…a thought…finally penetrated through the darkness. Hadn’t God provided before? Hadn’t this job alone and the experience I gained here already set me on a more secure career path? Why was I freaking out?

Again, my spirit prompted me to think of the children of Israel as they wandered through the desert. Despite everything God had done for them, every time they faced an obstacle, they panicked. God had parted the Red Sea, he had provided them with manna during the mornings, and fire to warm and guide them at night. Yet, they still doubted.

Our lives, too, can often feel like we, too, are wandering in our own desert. Lost, aimless, confused about where we are headed. But no matter how many obstacles we face or how often we face the same ones, we must remember to dig in our heels deep in our faith and wait expectantly and excitedly on our Lord. Because He WILL provide. In a few weeks, and maybe even by the next post, I cannot wait to give my praise report.

But as we wait, we must be diligent to do our part. We must find refuge in His Word, devouring it like our daily bread, so it can provide us with sustenance throughout the day. Sustenance when we get tired, discouraged, and hopeless.

Here is a passage of scripture that I’ve been meditating on for the past weekthat’s reminded me that He will always take care of His people and our part is to seek Him, trust Him, and find our refuge in Him:

Psalms 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times;    his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the LORD;    let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3Glorify the LORD with me;    let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;    he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant;    their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;    he saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,    and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people,    for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,    but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me;    I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Whoever of you loves life    and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil    and your lips from telling lies. 14Turn from evil and do good;    seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,    and his ears are attentive to their cry; 16but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,    to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;    he delivers them from all their troubles. 18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,    but the LORD delivers him from them all; 20he protects all his bones,    not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;    the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22 The LORD will rescue his servants;    no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

One Day at a Time

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, October 2011 (Devotions)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring
its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34

Being in the moment, the “right now” can be one of our
biggest challenges, especially in today’s world. So many distractions. So much
to do. So much to worry about. Dinner to cook, bills to pay, kids to feed,
bathe, and put to sleep. But being in the right here, right now is all that God
wants us to focus on.

So how do we not worry when it goes against our very nature?
Learning not to worry takes practice. It requires us constantly reminding
ourselves that worry is truly useless…that it accomplishes nothing except
exacerbating our anxiety level. Often worrying works against us. It clouds our
thinking. It can drain our energy and most of all, it takes our focus off of
God who can truly help us and make a difference and puts the burden back on us.

Today’s challenge is for you to reflect on one thing that you are worried about. What is robbing you of your joy? Each time you think of it, say a prayer of thanks to God, acknowledging that He is in control and practice letting it go. Notice I said “each time you think of it.” Once won’t be enough, especially if it’s important to you.

Into the Great Wide Open

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by JMathis, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By JMathis

Finding yourself—the true you, the authentic you—requires wading.

Wading into the Great Wide Open, with no discernible idea as to what you may find.

The beauty of the Great Wide Open is that there are dreams to awaken and promises yet to unfold.

Sometimes, however, when you wade deeper below the surface, it is not readily apparent that you do not wade alone.

That is why the wading requires Trust.

Trust that the waters are not too treacherous.

Trust that the waters are not too deep.

Trust that there are life preservers and lifeguards waiting to spring into action at the first sign of trouble.

Wading to find the true you, the authentic you, means Trusting.

Trusting Him.

Trusting that our Heavenly Father holds you protectively as you plunge deeper and deeper into the abyss.

Trusting that our Heavenly Father provides buoyancy in the love and support of others.

The Great Wide Open is where you will be found. The true you, the authentic you.

The wading is often demanding. (Trust is demanding.)

The wading is often exhausting. (Trust is exhausting.)

The wading is often filled with struggle. (Trust is filled with struggle.)

The wading often leaves you with a limp.

But the wading is the only way to move past the Great Wide Open into the Crystal Clear Lake.

The Crystal Clear Lake of healing.

The Crystal Clear Lake of abundance.

The Crystal Clear Lake of joy unspeakable.

Will you trust Him today with your journey?

The journey to find the true you, the authentic you?

He is there in the Great Wide Open. He is there in the Crystal Clear Lake.

Most importantly, He is there wherever you are.

The true you, the authentic you.

Trust Him.

With All My Strength

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, Mind Body Spirit ConnectionLeave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Last week in my blog, I quoted a similar scripture that was found in Matthew. But I found this verse in Mark a little more interesting because of the last four words in it…with all of your strength.

We are not only to love God with all three parts of our selves…but we are supposed to love him with everything we got. And I’m not talking theoretical love. In theory, who wouldn’t say they love God 100%? I’m talking practical, real day-to-day love. I’m talking spending time with God when you’re “too busy.” When you’d rather watch TV than read your Bible. Or would rather sleep in on Sunday then go to church and worship Him.

I think of last week. Last week started off good…great, in fact. I am five months into a new job that I felt was nothing less than an answer to prayer. Close to home, great pay, great co-workers, flexible boss. Wednesday morning, I even emailed a good friend who moved away just as I started my new job. I wanted to see how she was doing, but I also wanted to share how good God had been to me with this job.  But not less than six hours later, everything changed.

At 5 pm, I received an email from the company’s CEO announcing that our company is being bought out by our competitor, and their headquarters are located in Atlanta.  As I tried to hold on to my optimism that somehow my position would remain intact, our boss called a meeting to confirm that yes, the company would be undergoing a merger within two months, and while no discussions had been formally made regarding our jobs, he gravely advised us to start looking for new jobs.  Don’t wait for the new company to lay us all off, he said, glancing around the room and then sternly added, start working on your resumes.

To me, loving God=trusting God, and that isn’t always easy 100% of the time. It really does sometimes require all of our strength, doesn’t it?

Love the Lord with all my strength. But why, Lord, why? Wasn’t this the job you wanted me at? If it wasn’t, why did it fall together so well? Why did it feel so riiight?

Love the Lord with all my strength. Why me, Lord, why me? Why do these things happen to me? Why would you give me this job, only to yank it away from me like this?

Love the Lord with all my strength. But what’s going to happen, Lord? You know I need this job. You know we need my insurance. I have a family to take care of, Lord.

Yes, that is what I spent doing the last four days. Loving the Lord with all my strength. Trusting that He knew what was best, even if it didn’t make sense to me. Trusting that there was something even better. I had to go back to the basics and cling to what I knew to be true.

Matthew 6:31-32
Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

Luke 12:7
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:34
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This month we’ve delved, dissected, and discussed the body, mind, and soul connection to God and how it affects our relationship with Him. No matter how strong your faith is, difficult times will come, and they will test what you know. When those times come, go back to the scriptures. Feed on them and let them remind you of the goodness of God. Let them remind you of His promise to take care of you. Connect back to Him with everything you got: body, mind, and soul.