by Elizabeth Burgard Fulgaro (c) 2011 www.holyspiritpress.org www.eaglesnestfoundation.org
Note: as with some other blog posts, this one has been added to the “One Nation Under God” category. As Christians, to truly have our nation be one which is under God is our heart! But to be a nation under God is more than a phrase, it is a lifestyle. These devotions help us to focus on living God’s way, under His dominion, where we express our allegiance to His Sovereignty by endeavoring to have His perspective in all things. ~ Elizabeth
PRAYER: Lord, we know You are the King of kings. We know You are mighty, sovereign and Most High. We only want Your way, but know we cannot find it without You. By Your Spirit, light the path before us and give us clarity to recognize what of You and what is not. In those instances in our childlike faith we inadvertently stray, we are trusting You as perfect Father to bring us back. Oh, Lord, never let us go! We are relying on Your promises and delight in You! In Jesus’ name, Amen
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6)
114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (Ps. 119:114 NIV)
How different would our lives look both from the outside and the inside if we actually trusted God? By this is not meant the eyes-clenched-shut, fingers-crossed trust, which is not trust at all. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary of the English language, trust means: “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something”. So if we trust in the Lord with all our heart, how would our outlook change?
First, our focus would shift from here to eternity. No longer would we consider how we would live during our physical existence with fear and trembling because we would know He promises to provide sufficiently for all we need until we join Him for eternity in heaven. Our entire focus would become seeking His will and taking each step He lays before us in faith in order to attempt to follow where He was leading.
We would understand that according to His promises we already have become citizens of His spiritual Kingdom already though we still reside in our physical bodies. We would embrace our time here as being on assignment as ambassadors for His Kingdom, realizing we are living in a land with a way of life which has not become foreign to us, because God’s ways are not the ones with thich the secular world operates.
An ambassador knows he or she does not belong to the culture in which they must live and are not to become like it. Instead an ambassador represents the Kingdom from which they have come in a way that those still living in the foreign land can come to understand the ambassador’s homeland. In addition, the ambassador represents the interests of his or her King while in the foreign land.
Therefore every moment of every day wherever life took us, we would know God desires to use us to shine His Light into the darkness. In other words, how the world functions in terms of what is given value and where we are taught to put priorities focuses on from here to our natural death. This is not God’s focus and His focus is the superior one or He is not God (we would be). Thus when people place their priorities and set goals the way society in general teaches, they begin doing down a path of life, which is a path leading to nowhere. It ends in death with no way out. (No wonder death is so feared in secular society!)
However, God is the Way; He is the true path. But until people realize He is real and begin to seek His perspective, it is as if they think they have answers, but really are stumbling aimlessly around in the dark. When we choose to operate according to His eternal kingdom principles, according to His perspective because we choose to believe in Him and consequently trust in Him, people around us recognize there is a difference and through us He gives them an opportunity to see Himself, then choose whether they will seek a relationship with God for themselves (or not).
We also would receive gifts. We wouldn’t worry. We wouldn’t fear. This is not because we wrongly would think He will give us everything for which we ask or think we want, but because we would know His promise is to use all for good in light of eternity and to never leave us or forsake us no matter what we are going through.
We would understand His love and mercy are everlasting and infinite no matter how many times we mess up or ignore Him; that He is ever waiting for us to turn and come to Him again and that no matter what we have done (or not done) because of Jesus whenever we ask He forgives.
We would receive the gifts of His inner peace which surpasses all understanding and a joy which bubbles up and sustains us in all circumstances because of His Spirit in us. To the measure that we would choose to trust Him, we would be able to be at rest in Him no matter what is going on around us.
What would the world be like if we all would choose to trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding (because He is God and we are not), if in all things we submitted to Him and let Him make our paths straight? When we consider it, it seems as if life on earth would become closer to life in heaven and one by one every knee would bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. His presence would be seen (He would be glorified) and He would be recognized as God.
PRAYER: Lord, help us to trust in You more and more each day, for Your peace in us and Your glory throughout the earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. (Ps. 22:27-28 NIV)
2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths… Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Isa. 2:2-3a,5 NIV)
17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. (Jer. 3:17 NIV)
Selah! (Pause and calmly think of that!) END
PLEASE remember to view the new song, “One Nation Under God” on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d593RguxQI8&feature=share SHARE the link! Let’s let everyone know that the USA is and remains one nation under God and be encouraged in how God values every individual.
Elizabeth Fulgaro is a wife, mother, writer, inspirational speaker, worship leader, composer, singer & recording artist. She is also a Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Financial Counselor with a heart for helping Christians understand and steward their finances God’s way.
For books, worship cds, Bible studies and teachings written by Elizabeth Fulgaro or to schedule her to come speak to your group please visit www.holyspiritpress.org Worship music audio clips can be found at www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ElizabethFulgaro For information on her work for the military and their families please visit www.eaglesnestfoundation.org Eagles Nest Foundation is a 501(c)3 corporation. Contributions are tax-deductible.
