a word for 2015...trusting...

As I was praying, seeking God for a word for 2015, I felt He kept leading me back to the word trusting…

It was spring break of my senior year in high school. I was invited to attend a Young Life inner city retreat. During the quiet time, I took my Living Bible and sat down under a tree. My Bible fell open to this Scripture, and a bright ray of sunlight shining through the tree seemed to highlight it on the page and inscribe it on my heart…

We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it. But if we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently. Romans 8:24-25 TLB

Trusting became my word that year and that Truth has circled back in my life over the years through this Scripture from the same Living Bible...

But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

As I prayed and pondered the word trusting for 2015, I sensed there will be many situations and circumstances that will come into my life in the coming year in which I will be trusting my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Then, as if to reassure me of His hold on me, this Scripture came to my mind, and I dug a little deeper with a word study…
For He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up, nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake, nor let you down, relax My hold on you! Assuredly not!--Hebrews 13:5 Amplified

It is notable that there are five separate Greek words (ou me ... oud ou me) that convey a negative sense. God wants to make it very clear that this is an irrefutable, eternal promise to all His children. Amen!

Has said - Mark it down that the phrase "has said" is intensive and adds emphasis to the fact that the following promise was spoken by the Lord Himself. Furthermore, the verb said is in the perfect tense which means that God's statement has been made at some point in time in the past and has not been retracted or reversed, but is still in effect. His Word is a faithful (trustworthy) Word.

Never - this is a double negative - Never, ever is the idea. He could not state this point any stronger. In the Greek, the promise is very emphatic...I will never, never, never leave thee.

I like K.S. Wuest's rendering...”For He himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you.”

Desert (aniemi) has a range of meanings, including to send back, to relax, to loosen, not to uphold, to let sink…but in this verse in Hebrews it refers to the fact that God will not abandon us. He is not going to leave us, fail to uphold us or let us sink! “I will in no way let you go.” "I will not relax my hold on you."

Forsake (egkataleipo from en = in + kataleípo = forsake, desert <> kata = intensifies or strengthens the next word + leipo = leave behind, idea of forsaking) means to abandon, desert, or leave in straits. It speaks of forsaking someone in a state of defeat or helplessness, even in midst of hostile circumstances.

Wuest writes that forsake is a compound of three Greek words eg meaning “in,” kata meaning “down,” and leipo meaning “to leave.” Leipo has the idea of forsaking one, kata suggests rejection, defeat, helplessness, and eg refers to some place or circumstance in which a person may find himself helpless, forsaken. The meaning of the word is that of forsaking someone in a state of defeat or helplessness in the midst of hostile circumstances. The word in its totality means “to abandon, desert, leave in straits, leave helpless, leave destitute, leave in the lurch, let one down.”

There are three negatives before this word, making the promise one of triple assurance. It is, “I will not, I will not, I will not let thee down, leave thee in the lurch, leave thee destitute, leave thee in straits and helpless, abandon thee.” All of which means that our God will come to our rescue when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances, praise His Holy Name! (K.S. Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament)

Take a moment to ponder these wonderful words of life from this music video of Healer by Hillsong…

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You
I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe Lord
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need
My healer

Was this encouraging to you? Please feel free to leave a comment in the box below, I'd love to hear from you!

Linking up with Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart as an encourager.

slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches...

"Crown of Thorns" plant

These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!--Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

The name of the plant in this photo is "Crown of Thorns"...when I was 10 years old riding my bike on a sidewalk in front of Dee Kall's house on a Sunday afternoon, I lost my balance and fell into the "Crown of Thorns" she had planted beside her sidewalk. My left hand was covered with thorns, blood streaming from every puncture wound. I remember my Daddy carrying me into Dr. Watters' office on that Sunday afternoon, where he met us, and carefully pulled out every thorn, applying a salve to heal every wound.

That was the same year I came to the Cross of Jesus Christ, and to this day I experience morning after morning His Blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns on His brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, as I wear His Robe of righteousness. I made my public profession of faith in Jesus Christ at age 10, and was baptized by Pastor Rudy Fagan at First Baptist Church in Sebring. Eight years later, as a college student, I would work as a receptionist for two years in Dr. Jones' office, part of Dr. Watters' professional association. At the end of those two years, Dee Kall's daughter, Debbie, would take my place as the receptionist when I got married and moved to Tampa to get my BA at USF...so many connections woven together.

God is sovereign, He sees the past, the present, and the future all-at-once, He is the panpharmacon, the salve that soothes every wound. Lord Jesus, help me to live this day in the light of eternity...believing You...

These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!--Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

How about you? When you look back over your life, can you see evidence of how God has been there all along?