Trust Archives - Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel

When Doubt Creeps In & Sitting Among Friends #72

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 07:57:00 +0000

While I was reading my son a section in his Bible, a thought popped in my mind.

Is this all real? While it was brief and I was certainly assured that it was, I was a bit startled.

Have you ever wondered? Have you ever doubted? Have you ever felt like this is too much and could it possibly be true?

As Christians, having those thoughts is often accompanied by a sense of guilt. A sense of wonder or confusion. We may have these thoughts and think it is not possible to really believe in God and wonder or doubt if this is all real?

Jesus understands. In fact, He wasn’t afraid to clear this matter up with one of His close companions. And guess what? It came with no accompanying guilt.

We can come off this mountaintop of joy after Easter. We are ready to celebrate and are encouraged to get moving in our journey of faith. Then life creeps in and we can wonder or have doubts if we are the person for the job.

So, if you have ever wondered or had doubts if this is real (I am going to guess that maybe all of us have at some point) then let’s dive into John 20.

What has just occurred in John is the women went to the empty tomb, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and then the disciples.

I want to remind you before we go any further that the disciples were hiding behind locked doors because they were afraid.

Christ had been crucified and now He was missing from the tomb. The reality of what was in front of them was the leader they had been following and riding all their hopes on, was gone.

Can you say bundles of wonder, doubt and fear must have been sweeping through their emotions? I can’t imagine the physical and emotional trauma they must have been feeling. But then…

Jesus appears and shows them His hands and side. He greets them with, “Peace be with you!” And they are overjoyed.

But one was missing. One didn’t have his fears or doubts calmed. Before we are too hard on Thomas, remember Jesus showed the others right away. He knew they had fears (they were behind locked doors) and His greeting of peace meant He knew they needed them calmed.

When Thomas arrived with the other disciples, they were overjoyed and exclaimed, we have seen the Lord! But Thomas…

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20:26b

I will not believe. Have you ever said, unless God shows me this… Or… if God could only let me know or see this… Or… If only I could see a miracle, then…

John tells us a week later. Thomas had to wait a week to see what the others had already had eased in their minds. It must have been a very long week.

Sometimes a day, a week, a year or a decade of seeing clarity in God can eat away at us. It can eat away at our faith. The wonder, the doubts, the fears take place of the truth or reality of what the Lord is really doing in our lives.

Then the Lord appeared to Thomas and greeted Him, “Peace be with you!”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:27

Right away, He addresses this issue of doubt. Put your finger here. See my hands. Physically see. Touch. Understand. I am and did what I said I would do.

He knows and addresses His doubt. Stop doubting and believe.

The opposite of his doubt is belief. Belief in the evidence.

Maybe you are saying to yourself. Well, if I could only see that, then I could believe. Then my doubts could be put to rest.

We don’t get the benefit of physically seeing Jesus. But listen to Jesus’ next words to Thomas.

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Blessed are those who have not seen me and still believe. That is us who have put our trust in Him. We don’t have to see Jesus to believe. We can see the evidence of His existence is so many other ways.

We have his amazing sunsets that declare His great love. We have the miracle of life as He gives us each breath we take. We have His power displayed in us through His love that we can give others. We have healing, mending, and restoring of broken hearts, bodies and lives.

As we walk and put our trust in Him more and more, He becomes more evident in the grace and mercy that he pours into our lives.

We are on this side of the cross and get the benefit of walking in grace and not under the law. We are the recipients of His blessings, goodness, and faithfulness through the generations.

Wonder, doubt, and fear are all a part of the process of putting our trust in Christ more while stacking them up against the truth and evidence He has displayed in our lives.

When those thoughts creep in, we can replace them with the truth of what we know to be true of God.

When time, circumstances, and feelings make us weary we can hand them over to Him for the same encouragement He gave to Thomas. Here is the proof. Stop doubting and believe.

Christ didn’t rebuke Thomas. He said, put out your hand. Take hold of me and Believe!

Does doubt creep in?

Following Jesus’ example. Here is a simple exercise to replace doubt with belief in your life. We are going to replace the lies and doubt with truth. First, ask God to reveal some solid truths and evidences of His work in your life. (If you are a believer in Christ, that is miracle number one). Keep a list. A physical reminder of the ways God has shown up in your life. When doubt creeps in, ask God to replace the doubts with the truths you have recorded. Trust and Believe that His words are meant for you.

Let me know how using this exercise goes. What other ideas do you have and use when doubts and fears creep in? Let us know in the comments below. Need More encouragement. Feel free to email me!

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The post When Doubt Creeps In & Sitting Among Friends #72 appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

A Life Like His

Jaime Wiebel — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 22:30:00 +0000

Stop by the next couple of weeks for contributions to honor my
father and my grandfathers, and to my Heavenly Father. I hope you enjoy this little
journey with me leading up to Father’s Day.

For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his
faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:5

Growing
up, my family and I lived upstairs from my grandparents. We lived in a duplex
house and had the amazing opportunity to see our grandparents’ every day. Growing
up, I always wanted my kids to know these two extraordinary people.

My grandma would be there to give a firm hand when we needed
and claims I am the only one she ever needed to spank. However, when I was
sick, I would go to grandma to be nursed and spoiled with all her attention.
Fortunately, we are blessed to still have her, vibrant and sassy, in our lives
and in the lives of my kids.

My grandpa was the most faithful man I ever knew. I remember
him sitting up early every morning, coffee in hand, and reading his Bible and praying.

My grandparents always served in the church and I can remember
Grandpa singing in the choir and like me he loved to sing loudly and it was
always a joyful noise.

They both served in the AWANA program. They went to Sunday school
and to church Sunday nights. Church was not something they just did out of
habit it was one way they served and worshipped their Lord.

In fact, my grandfather was often times the only one, along
with the pastor, who would show up every Wednesday morning for prayer meeting.
What an example of devotion to God and the opportunity for prayer.

Grandpa would take us to Sunday school every Sunday and if
we were not in the car the moment he wanted to leave he sat in the car honking
his horn until we arrived. We always
thought it was funny.

We would rush to the car and as we got in he would tell us
not to slam the doors. Then he would zip through town in his little car barely
stopping at each light and sign. Apparently, when my grandpa learned to drive,
stopping was more of an option and not necessarily a rule of the road.

My grandma and grandpa were not always believers and didn’t come
to the Lord until they were in their twenties. They became two clear examples
of people who knew what they were redeemed from and were grateful for God’s
redeeming grace.

I still have the awesome opportunity to worship with my
grandma and we are going to be in a Bible study together this summer. My
grandma has been one of my best friends and we have had many times together
sharing our faith. Grandma stories I have to save for another day.

My grandpa was fun, loving, honorable, and faithful. He was devoted
endlessly to his family, had a great sense of humor, and a love for Jesus that
was undeniable. He spent his life giving back all God had given to him.

My grandpa passed away six weeks before I got married. We
were all at the hospital his final week of life. No one wanted to leave him for
a moment because we wanted to absorb every second of life that we had left with
him.

My grandpa was at such a deep peace. He seemed to be the
only one ready to let go. He would call people to his bedside to take the
opportunity to witness to them or give them some final life advice.

He would sit and talk to my grandma and hold onto her for
every moment he had left to comfort her. If he had one concern it was that she
would be okay even though he knew God would take care of her like He always
had.

He would call my mom and aunt to his side to sing an old
hymn or to sing Jesus Loves Me. He would tell us confidently that he was ready
to go home to see his Lord. He was playing cards and loving each and every one
of us until the moment he closed His eyes and left this world.

Even though our hearts were broken they were filled with peace
because we knew he was no longer hurting, he could no longer be sick, and he
was in the most awesome place you could ever imagine being, in the presence of
his Loving Father.

Instead of filling the funeral home with tears and sadness,
it was a time to celebrate a life well lived. It was a time to celebrate the
promises of God. It was a time to remember this world is not our home and
someday we will be able to rejoice, like grandpa, in the presence of our
Heavenly Father.

My grandpa is missed so very much by the people who were
blessed enough to know him. He was a loving example of a Christ-filled life
that we had the incredible opportunity to be a part of.

My grandma told
me that grandpa’s favorite verse (although he loved them all) was John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.

His life was a legacy of a faithful man. One I can look at long
after he is gone and know the reality of the promises of God and the blessings
of a life surrendered. He loved John 3:16 and his life showed that he loved
Jesus for choosing to take our place in a death that we deserved. He lived life
based on the promise of an eternal life. And he lived knowing and showing that it is an
eternal life that starts here. What a blessing!

I thank the Lord for the people that He gives us and hope
that we too can be that someone to the people that we are given to love.

We used to drive to Florida (24 hours) and listen to this song over and over and sing it to Grandpa. Takes me back.

Please SHARE a story about your grandfather in the comments below. I am already excited to read them.

The post A Life Like His appeared first on Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel.

Family Fun Friday

Jaime Wiebel — Tue, 26 May 2015 16:54:00 +0000

I had the amazing opportunity to go to my son’s classroom for Family Fun Friday. I was actually going to have my sister go and talk about her job as an ecologist but it turned out that she was sick and I had to go in her place.

I love how God changes our plans in unexpected ways. Since last minute is my specialty, I decided to go and talk about my current pursuits in serving God in my life.

I had a great afternoon talking to the students about writing, blogging and loving my Lord. What an amazing opportunity to mix things that I love most. My children, my opportunities to spread the Good News of the Gospel through writing, and talking to the students about how much God impacts my whole life.

I extended to the students an opportunity to guest blog on my page. This was voluntary (and meant extra homework), so I am glad to have received an entry.

This entry is from Olivia. I asked the students to draw a picture and write about how God affects their lives and gave them several writing ideas.

Thank you Olivia for your entry. Great Job and thank you for sharing your beautiful heart.

Olivia wrote “When God Helps me!” Inside with her picture her quote says, “God help me, now I am not scared.”

Thank you Olivia for sharing a simple yet profound truth. How many times do we try to do things in our lives through our own strength? We sometimes even let our fears get in the way of God doing His work through us. Read Am I In the Way? for more on getting out of God’s way so He can do His work in us.

Once we submit our fears to the Lord and rely on Him, He is free to release our fears.

Olivia, remember this amazing promise that Moses gave to Joshua before entering the land God had promised to His people, from Deuteronomy 31:8. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. (NLT)

We are told time and time again, DO NOT BE AFRAID! I love this promise. We are told that the LORD will personally go before us. How awesome He is! With that amazing promise we don’t have to be afraid. We can embrace our fears and in His presence we can be Fearless.

Enjoy this beautiful new song called Fearless by Mia Fieldes.

Friends, Please Comment below to encourage Olivia in her walk with Christ. Thank you!

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Am I In the Way?

Jaime Wiebel — Fri, 22 May 2015 01:54:00 +0000

My family and I have recently been going through a bit of a
transition period. My husband and I have talked about this, prayed about this,
and mulled the conversation over and over again.

Every time we wanted to go through with “next step things”
we always had a “but what if” pop into our conversation.

“But
what if the kids won’t be okay…”

“But what if it doesn’t work out…”

“But
what if the kids don’t behave…”

“But what if we don’t have a peace about it…”

“But
what if the change is too much”

But what if… But what if… But what if… Became our song. It became our family anthem.

On and on this went for about three years. Until one day I
was listening to a preacher speaking on the subject of change. They said,
“Today is a new day, you need a new song.” Psalm 40:3 says
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God, many will see and
fear and will trust in the Lord.

My husband came home from work that day and I said to Him.
“We need a new song. We need to turn the page.”

What we needed was to stop embracing the “but, what if’s” in
our lives and completely turn them over to God.

What it came down to was our underlying fears. Isn’t fear
often times the driving force behind our hang-ups. We say, “I would do that or
I want to do that next thing but what if… something doesn’t go right. What if
something happens that we are not prepared for?”

We
fear the change. We fear the unknown.

We decided to hang our “but what if’s” up. We decided it was
time for a new song. We decided it was time to TRUST GOD and HIS PLAN, not our
own. Proverb 3:5-6 says, Trust in the
LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His
will in all you do, and He will make straight your paths.

We decided to go for it. We decided to jump in with both
feet and land on the solid foundation of a GOD who is the rock of our
Salvation. Psalm 62:6 He alone is my rock and
my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

We turned our song from but what if… it
doesn’t work out

to… GOD WILL WORK IT OUT AND IT WILL BE
GREAT.

Romans 8:28
says and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to His purpose.

So we turned our, “we can’t figure this out” over to
God. We trust, if we seek His will, and
ask Him to serve His purposes through our lives knowing that for Him nothing is
too hard, that he will straighten our path.

Sometimes we have to get our excuses out of
God’s way so He can do His work through us.

We had to ask ourselves these great BIG questions.

DO WE TRUST GOD? DO
WE BELIEVE HIS PROMISES TO US? DO WE BELIEVE THAT HE IS FAITHFUL?

YES! YES! YES!

Then what if’s became… God is faithful. God blesses us for
being obedient and trusting Him. God leads the way. God equips us for His work
no matter where or what He is calling us to do.

Our problem with fear does one thing, it wraps around us. It
grips us. It even sometimes paralyzes us from moving forward.

When we release those fears to God and let Him take them.
Let Him free us from the bondage. We have the open arms to embrace the next
thing He has for us.

Now we move forward, not because of what we have done but
what He has done through us and in us. Not because of our strength, but His
strength being perfected in our times of weakness.

Today we sing a new song, a song of praise to the One who
puts a song in our heart.

Psalm 98:1a A Psalm. O sing to the Lord a new song; for He has done
wonderful things.

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Don’t miss these May posts: He Can Move Mountains and Change? ME!?!

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