“But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!” (Luke 12:28)

I must admit that I cringe when I hear people speak as if they need more faith than they already have to get what God wants in their life experience. Jesus just said, “What little you have is enough.” Faith is not some commodity that produces more of the same commodity. Jesus produces anything we desire within the Father’s will. Jesus said it, and I trust Father’s declaration. Father’s will is good enough for me.

We get to do God’s will.

Jesus, in Gethsemane, You wrestled with receiving Father’s will; death on a Roman cross. Yet You could not escape Your life’s purpose. Father, I thank You for not letting me escape my life’s purpose.

“But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, ‘Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.’” (Luke 8:50)

Jesus told this man to replace his fear with trust in Jesus, declaring his daughter would be made well. This sets up a dynamic many want to ignore. Jesus did not and does not heal every person suffering some physical illness. God does not let everyone escape the hands of evil people. Yes, by His stripes, we are healed of being slaves to sin, and we trust we have become slaves of righteousness. Christ’s ability to reconcile the whole world to Himself works through us regardless of physical limitations.

Receive what He has given you, Himself.

Father, when You specifically say I am healed, I am healed. I know You have said I have been transformed and live under Your rule. I want You to know that I submit to your rule.

Forgiveness is a path to godliness.

To forgive us, to be like God, we've all endured suffering, carrying fear, guilt, and shame. The memories of universal wrongs can trigger thoughts of revenge. But at Calvary, Christ forgave us, calling us ignorant of our actions, even pleading for our forgiveness.

I have a dear friend who was brutally attacked by a coworker for an unknown reason. Thankfully, the colleagues intervened, rescuing him physically. But as emotional wounds still fester, the person who attacked him is now deceased, buried nearby.

I asked if he had forgiven his attacker. His response was an emphatic no. His words revealed a well of fear, hate, and distrust towards the deceased assailant. He felt unable to forgive, seeing it as the only way to win. I even suggested he visit the man's grave, perhaps as a cathartic release, but the answer remained a no. He couldn't find closure, still haunted by the past, losing more than moments in pain; he lost years of feeling insecure.

This struggle is universal. We often claim to hate to shield our guilt, fear, and shame. I've heard countless stories of people holding on to traumatic events, some suffering from sexual or verbal abuse or, even worse, violence if you dare to open the dark door and find the light of forgiveness, a path to freedom and abundance, marked with a sign in blood.

Decades ago, I met a man who had many reasons to harbor fear and hate but declared, "Hate and become like the one you hate. Love and be like God." I have observed this; he was right, perhaps not 100%, but the odds favor his wisdom. Movies often reinforce this idea, showing that hating someone can turn you into an image of that person. I'm convinced that if I cling to hate, I perpetuate it. If I hold on to fear, I nurture that fear. But if I choose love and forgiveness, that erases guilt, fear, and shame.

Jesus believed in the power of forgiveness, teaching it to his disciples in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Forgiveness isn't easy. To truly forgive, you must reconcile with God for creating you and with yourself for harboring hatred. Throughout it all, remember you are living in forgiveness. In matters of the heart, transformation begins with forgiveness.

A heart set on perfection, passion's embrace,

In Christ, fear, guilt, shame, He did erase.

My passion, too, is to share God's love,

Revealing His grace from Heaven above.

“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’” (Luke 8:48)

Like this woman, we don’t have to acquire more trust to believe someone. Trust is so intrinsically one with us that we do it. The ability to trust is the ability to choose a thing and not move from the choice. Once we settle on taking the consequences of our choice, we won’t waver. Many choose to trust Christ for eternal life but distrust him concerning things of this life.

God has chosen us in His Son.

Father, thank You for giving me everything for living this life. I also receive moment by moment, Your love ready to meet everyone else’s needs. Thank You for gifting me Jesus so that I might join You in gifting Jesus to others.

“Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; these have no firm root; they believe for a while and fall away in time of temptation.” (Luke 8:12–13)

Trust is so simple yet challenged by every waking moment. The seed, Christ, has been planted by God in our hearts. But life has another agenda, saying,

“Believe in yourself.”

If that self is your body, choices, thoughts, thoughts about your thoughts, wants, time, and things, trust in Christ is an extra item on your to-do list and easily ignored. Your heart may receive the Seed but not be grounded and rooted in love.

Love has been perfected by Christ taking residence in us.

Father, I receive Your Seed; don’t let my fears abort You.

“And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” (Luke 7:50)

Mary, blessed God incarnate. Jesus, at a Pharisee’s table, knew the difference between being a guest compared to being accepted and treated as Lord. Mary invested her savings in some costly perfume. By washing Jesus’s feet with all she had, the perfume, she said she wanted nothing but Christ to satisfy her life needs. The Pharisee, Jesus’s host, gave his attention to Jesus. Mary gave Him every hope.

Trust Him with all your distrust.

Father, I am betrothed to Christ, Mr. Trust Himself. In our union, we produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are our offspring. They transform the world.

“Seeing their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’” (Luke 5:20)

Sin is not having the Father’s trust in the blood of His Christ as all-sufficient. There is a difference between having trust in God and having the trust of God. The imperative, “Have the trust of God,” is a decree, a declaration. We can trust we have been united in Christ’s death. We can trust we have been united in His resurrection. We receive God’s trust in His Son to accomplish His task, redeem us with His blood, and bind us to His love.

Thank God for Jesus’s trust working through You.

Father, thank You for Your trust in Your Son being expressed through my heart, mind, soul, and strength.

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45).

The serpent has asked, “Has God really said, ‘Look on my Son, trust Him, and you shall live?’” Reply, “Yes, I please God by looking to Jesus and trusting Him.”The serpent continues, “It is written in the Law it is up to you to choose Christ, exercise your will to please God, and be good enough to win His favor. In the day you do these things, you will live.”The wise say, “Let me get back to you after chatting with Mr. Love.”

It is time to eat of the Trusting Tree.

Lord, let my eyes see Jesus. Let me see Him seeing me. I live in Your seeing. Your eyes heal my soul. You have released my heart to praise You and set me free to do Your will.