Where do I begin trusting God when everything around me is falling apart?
It’s easier to see how God is working things for my good when I see evidence of goodness in my life.
If you’re in a season of gut-wrenching disappointment, hopeless anxiety about what’s to come or just deep sorrow that drains your faith…
I am in this valley too.
Far enough to know that in me telling you that I am with you in it, doesn’t really help the pain.
It’s been too long in the same pit; too many times hoping for a hand up out of this mess.
Knowing someone else is going through this just makes the pain that much more bitter.
What if I told you that the hand up from the internal eruption of agony perhaps due to external circumstances, is not far away?
The LORD has been helping me through this valley and I hope to encourage you to not give up hope yet!
I know you don’t even have the energy to want a Bible verse solution to this extremely heavy burden on your shoulders, and I felt the same too until God put this passage of scripture on my heart.
Surely, if you’re honest with yourself even in these hard times, you don’t want to lose your faith.
You want to trust God even now!
I pray as you read this post, you feel your hope being resuscitated and your heart quickened by a renewed faith!
A faith that actually changes how you see this situation and how you walk through this valley season.
Let’s begin to see how you and I can have unshakable faith when everything is falling apart!
““But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.””
Luke 6:46-49 NKJV.
The first thing to notice is that Jesus does not say:
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, will be saved.
So, doing that which is written God’s word will not cause us to achieve high standing in Heaven or earn salvation.
Jesus is telling us that works are powerless to save us, while still not negating the application of God’s word.
Meaning, there is something about the practical application of God’s word that can benefit us,
even if the application of God’s word cannot earn our salvation.
Remember, salvation is given to us through only one way…
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Romans 5:8-10 NKJV.
If this whole concept is new to you regarding the matter of our good works; them being unable to put us at right standing in Heaven, and how through faith we are saved,
Please take a look at these blog posts!
Are Christians REALLY Saved by Faith?
What is Grace and Why Do We Need it?
They may provide helpful keys to further understanding this blog post.
So what is this parable talking about?
Jesus says first, “why do you call me Lord, yet not do what I say?”
Valid question.
Instantly, this struck me personally because I do consider Jesus my Lord and Savior; however, when I read these words, I am brought to events and circumstances that expose how very little I let Him be Lord in my life.
I see some areas I listen to God and do what He says; though, if I’m honest with myself…
There are moments when I think I’ll do a better job at being lord, so I do what I believe is best in my heart based on my experience and understanding of similar situations.
This is the time when we can acknowledge both the areas we allow Jesus to reign in our lives and the areas that we struggle to give up control.
It may not feel the best, but doing this exercise will help us grow in faith!
We have to be honest with ourselves and with God, it’s the only way that we can move forward.
Let’s do this together!
Jesus continues saying that the person who doesn’t just listen to His words but does them, will be like a man who dig deep and founded his house on the rock.
He is talking very practically for our time, though he is using context material that was more so related to people living during the time period in which these words were spoken.
This Carpenter has carpenter analogies!
The metaphoric takeaway is very applicable to us all.
He’s saying that anyone can build a house, and at that time most people knew how to.
That doesn’t mean they are applying wisdom in building that house; nor willing to do the strenuous or time consuming things that it takes to wisely establish a house.
A house typically is the family treasure, as it is the central component needed to provide certain needs.
Protection.
Comfort.
Shelter.
Gathering.
Food.
Stability.
All of these things knit well together within four walls and under a sturdy roof.
This makes home building a perfect analogy for our faith!
For more depth into this concept, please check out our post:
It’s NOT About your Life… it’s About your Faith.
Faith is built and provides all of those necessities only in spiritual, emotional and mental ways.
Jesus is sharing that faith in Him is what saves while concurrently saying that faith being absent of action, is useless.
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:17 NKJV.
This parable is the example of faith without works is dead!
Faith means nothing if actions don’t follow.
When you believe something truly, actions that confirm that belief are only a natural result.
Just reading the Bible and calling Jesus Lord is not enough to establish your faith.
Believing Him so much that you let all you do in your life be a direct result of your trust in Him.
Doing all things out of love and trust in the LORD.
That’s how your faith gets established on the rock!
This is how your faith remains unshaken!
You could face any storm in life and your faith will stay strong, because it was so firmly rooted in the truth of God’s word.
When your faith in Jesus is unshakable you may find that your life feels more secure too!
If you actually have faith to trust in Jesus as Lord, enough that your actions support that belief, you will find that you have true peace.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27 NKJV.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV.
Having faith that is firm and unshakable causes your life to feel less out of control!
In fact,
When you know Who is in control, your thoughts, emotions and circumstances feel more under control.
So, this small parable that Jesus spoke, it holds the key to abundant life!
Let it remind you that trusting in the LORD with all your heart and above your own understanding, is actually the only thing that will keep you unshakable!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV.
Photo by Kseniya Kopna
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
