Proverbs 3:5-12 – Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!

When I was 18, I did an internship at my church. I had one problem with it: I wasn’t allowed to date. I didn’t like this because I was in love with a girl! The pastor over the interns sat me down and said that I’d have to cut off my relationship with the girl for one year to focus on God.

I was filled with anxiety. Filled with fear. Filled with stress…and Filled with questions: What if she meets someone else? What if she forgets about me? What if I don’t end up with her?

I thought there were valid questions, so I brought them up to the pastor overseeing me. He looked at me and said, “Bubba, you’re not trusting God.”

That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. It was true, I wasn’t trusting God. A few days later, the pastor sent me this scripture in a text and said it was for me:

You (God) will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah. 26:3

From that moment on, I start fixing my thoughts and my heart on God instead of my questions, fear, and anxiety. As I started putting God first, I became more and more confident in Him. Over time, I learned to trust Him with all of my heart.

The Result: After the internship, I got the girl and now, 9 years later… I’m still with that girl! Even though it wasn’t always easy, I trusted God, and He came through.

If you are stressed, don’t have peace, are anxious, or rules by fear, ask yourself this question: Am I trusting God? If you don’t have peace, rest, and confidence, then most likely the answer to that question is no. If that is the case… start focusing on God.

No matter what you’re going through today, Trust God. Keep your eyes, your heart, and thoughts focused on Him. If you’ll do that, you’ll gain a peace and a confidence in your heart that you have never had before.

Trust Him…with Everything.

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.

-Matthew 12:18-21

Depending on your life, you either love the holidays or hate them. It’s easy to forget that the holidays aren’t awesome for everybody. There are still people who are absolutely hopeless. Presents won’t cut it, time with family doesn’t satisfy, you can’t see light at the end of the tunnel, and you wonder if you’ll ever come out of this state of hopelessness.

You can waste a lifetime looking for hope in all the wrong places.

The truth is that you can waste a lifetime trying to find hope in all the wrong places. Trying to find it in material possessions, unhealthy relationships, drugs or alcohol, sex, and anything else you attempt to find a sliver of hope in will never give you what you’re looking for.

There is one place that you will find the hope you’re looking for. That is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly states that Jesus is the hope of the entire world.

To be honest with you, my life didn’t really begin until I made Jesus the Lord of my life. I used to be purposeless, hopeless, and living in fear constantly. Since I’ve pursued a relationship with God, I have a peace that can’t be put into words, I have hope in every circumstance, and I’m fully satisfied with my life.

If you’re feeling hopeless in life, Jesus wants to give you hope. This can be a Christmas that you never forget. One that changes your life forever. If you’ve never made Jesus the Lord of your life, please send me a message on facebook and I’d love to talk to you about that decision.

Don’t let another day pass feeling hopeless in your life – it’s time to give your life to the one who was born to give his life for you.