“They began reasoning among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say, “Then why did you not believe him?”’” (Mark 11:31)

We have been gifted the ability to trust or distrust, exercise faith in a person or not, and even believe or disbelieve some declaration. Those testing Jesus’s authority had already actively distrusted John the Baptist’s message concerning Jesus. Now, they were trying to have reason to distrust Jesus himself. In effect, Jesus said, “I trust I am from God. John’s proclamation concerning Me is My authority for you to trust Me.” Wow! John was Jesus’s earthly credentials apart from the miracles themselves.

Jesus is the Christ, look no further.

Thank You, Lord Jesus; I have my eye singled on You as Father’s precious Gift of Grace given to me and the whole world.

“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” (Mark 11:24)

Here is the key: understanding what the will of God is. This is the will of God; we are to love everyone with His love indiscriminately. What we pray for are the specific expressions of that love. We can trust that before we ask, we have the answer. The answer is always Jesus’s loving others through us in some tangible way. We care for orphans and widows, feed the hungry, proclaim the good news, and many other such things. But which one and when? That is our prayer. If, after prayer, we are anxious, demanding, or shaming, we take a seat and rest until we can act out of love, acceptance, and respect.Act out of peace, and you birth peace.Lord,

You always did what Father was doing.

Thank You that I am a slave to that same doing.

“And Jesus answered saying to them, ‘Have faith in God.’” (Mark 11:22)

Can it get simpler than this? We either trust or distrust what Jesus just said. In an instant, we can trust His accomplished work of perfecting us and being the perfect One living out His Spirit through us. Many wrestle with the idea God loves them. Go deeper yet, the yah-hoo is that He reproduces His life by living it through you. Simple, but talk about a leap of faith.

He is alive!

Father, thank You for Your life embodied in Christ and my sharing in the same. Not some universal force but the Person of persons. Thank You that everything I face, He faces, and has already been glorified in and through it. I am free to trust and live the life You give me.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” (Mark 10:52)

Trust in God makes us well on all levels. Trust in self makes us ill on all levels. Trust builds up. Distrust tears down. We are meant to tear down every act perpetrated by the flesh and build up every act performed by the Holy Spirit. Wholeness comes from realizing our life in Christ Jesus is not tainted with an ‘i’ attached to flesh experiences, feelings, or thoughts. We, united with Christ, discover we are souls expressing God’s life-giving Spirit. We have been released from having to be complete to give what little we may feel we have.

The one thing I trust is enough, You, Lord.

I share that ‘one thing’.

“And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.’” (Mark 9:23)

Jesus is saying that if you have been gifted with the trust of God, you know everything is possible to God. You move from having to be the author of your trust to being the recipient and expression of His trust. You get to speak and act on that gift. In 1994, we hosted an intercessory group. Two couples received a ‘gift of faith’ and trusted God for new homes in different cities. They received what they were gifted. Soon, there was no group; their intercession was complete.

Yes, He can.

My gifted new eternal home is You, Lord. I move in through the door of trust and kick back in my easy chair, Your lap. I join in Your victory. I have overcome in sharing that victory. Hallelujah!

“And He answered them and said, ‘O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!’” (Mark 9:19)

Jesus trusted his Father. If his Father said, “We are having a picnic.” Jesus would tell his disciples, “We are having a picnic with Father.” The wise disciples salivated. Their circumstances did not dictate the outcome of the promise. We who trust Christ’s Spirit alive in us submit to the end at the beginning. We see through the process to the end by keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus.

Father, what You propose is as good as done.

LORD, I enjoy our process and watch Your word coming to pass. I am Your witness. I proclaim what I see You doing. I rejoice in knowing I have as little to do with the promised end as John the Baptist, making Jesus the Christ. None!

“But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.’” (Mark 5:36)

Jesus came to set free those who, through fear of death, have been subject to that fear all their lives. When we trust Jesus rose from death, we escape death. How? We have died with and in Him. It is a done deal. We, now in Him, live His living. We skipped the experience of death in exchange for experiencing His living. We experience His life right now, living through this flesh. Those who do not trust Him cannot experience His life because they have chosen to think this life is their independent, free-willed living.

Christ has erased the need to fear living.

Lord, thank You for erasing fear and replacing it with Your eternal qualities of trust, hope, and love, especially LOVE.