Trust God Even in the Fiery Furnace: Reflective Essays Revealing Why We Should Trust God Always

AuthorHouse™ LLC

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

© 2013 by Rondie Ervin Harris, MD. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/28/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2475-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-2476-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013918103

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

1.   Trusting God

2.   My Testimony

3.   Why Must We Go Through Trials?

4.   Trust God To Solve Your Fiery Furnace Problems

5.   Count Your Blessings And Name Them One By One

6.   Our Trials Increase Our Trust

7.   Trust God To Order Your Footsteps

8.   Trust God When He Speaks To You

9.   Trust God To Help You Make Decisions

10.   Trust God When Problems Are Overwhelming

11.   Trust God With Your Tithes And Offerings

12.   Trust God In Economic Crisis

13.   Trust That God’s Way Is Perfect And Do His Will

14.   Trust God And Be Strong And Courageous

15.   Trust God To Work Things Out For Your Good

16.   Trust God And Keep Him First In Your Life

17.   Trust In The Lord Not In Your Stuff

18.   Trust God And Use Your Gifts

19.   Trust God To Be Your Foundation

20.   Trust God In All Circumstances

21.   Trust God And Have Hope For The Future

22.   Trust God To Be Your Consultant

23.   Trust God To Help Us Help Others

24.   Trust God And Believe That All Things Work Together For Good

25.   Trust God’s Word That Says The Rich Must Take Care Of The Poor

26.   Trust God To Keep Your Secrets

27.   Trust God To Reveal His Purpose For Your Life

28.   Trust God To Guide Your Journey

29.   Trust God To Help You Forgive Your Enemies

30.   Trust God Even When We Are Broken

31.   Trust God And Be A Godly Role Model

32.   Trust God And Know That Miracles Still Happen

33.   Trust God’s Word That Says To Whom Much Is Given Much Is Required

34.   Trust God When He Suddenly Changes Your Direction

35.   Trust God To Have The Right Answers To Your Problems

36.   Trust God’s Perfect Timing

37.   Trust God To Give You Victory

38.   Trust God And Use Your Voice To Give Him Praise

39.   Trust God And Recognize His Voice

40.   Trust God And Pray For Those Left Behind

41.   Trust God And Listen To His Instruction

42.   Trust God To Help You Manage Change

43.   *Trust God In Matters Of Life And Death

44.   Trust God To Bring Peace And Intimacy During Our Fiery Trials

45.   Trust God To Always Show Up On Time

46.   Trust In The Risen Christ To Strengthen Your Faith

47.   *Trust God To Be Faithful

48.   Trust God To Rain Down His Blessings

49.   Trust God To Take You To Higher Heights

50.   Trust God To Know When Our Seasons Must Change

51.   Trust God To Guide You Through Your Transition

52.   Trust God And Pray Without Ceasing

53.   Trust In Your Sovereign God

54.   Trust God In The Worst Of Times Because He Is Awesome

55.   Trust God To Keep His Promises

56.   Trust God; Don’t Waste Time

57.   Trust God And Continue To Spread His Good News

58.   Trust God And Tell Satan I Am Not Afraid Of You

59.   Trust God For Peace That Puts Out The Flames In The Fiery Furnace

60.   Scripture References That Encourage Trust In The Lord

About The Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

G iving glory, honor, and thanks to God for blessing me to write this book. I have truly been blessed with a more trusting and intimate relationship with You as a result of communing with You while writing this book.

To Thomas Harris, my husband, and my helpmate:

I love you and I thank you for being my greatest supporter (in more ways than one).

To Riann Cummings and Sereniti Harris, my daughter and granddaughter:

This is your inheritance. It is more valuable than diamonds, gold, or silver.

To the entire Harris family and all of my family:

I give to you freely what God gave to me: Trust Him always and forever.

To all who read this book:

Proverbs 3:5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding: In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

FOREWORD

L ife is impossible to live without trusting someone. Most of us have some type of trust issues. Some people live very, unfulfilled lives because they do not trust anyone, not even God.

As we enter this world as newborns, we are totally dependent and need to trust that those who love us will feed us, cloth us, nurture, and protect us. So in the beginning of infancy when our parents are very excited and attentive, we sleep peacefully and for long hours because we have no reason to believe that our needs will not be met.

But soon our parents become tired and the new baby excitement wears off. They may have to return to work or take care of other children. Other life issues that have been put on hold resurface and demand their attention. So those parents that this newborn infant had learned to trust may become less trustworthy. The feeding may not be exactly on schedule as it was before so the infant cries until she is fed. The diaper is not changed on schedule as it was previously so the infant cries until the diaper is changed. This infant is learning that she cannot completely trust her parents to take care of her needs so she takes charge and cries until her needs are met.

As she grows older and has many more life experiences instead of learning to trust others more, she learns that there are only a few people that she can depend on. She also learns that many plans do not turn out the way she expected. So as she matures her distrust of man (man and woman), who is not perfect, grows. This scenario plays out over and over again in our lives. As we continue to live we will learn that we cannot totally depend on or totally trust any human. It does not matter who they are, mother, father, sister, brother, preacher or teacher, they are not totally trustworthy.

Many never find that peace that they had in early infancy before the new baby excitement wore off. They are still looking for other men and women to fulfill their needs.

But some of us have found that peace that no man can fulfill. We have received salvation through the work of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We have learned that we can totally trust and completely depend on God to fulfill our every need, want, or desire. It does not matter how bad our lives look to our human eyes, if we can trust God, believe in His word, and live according to His word, we can have peace that is beyond all understanding.

It would truly bless me if someone reading this book can shorten his/her period of trials from infancy to spiritual maturity by learning to trust God and therefore find peace sooner rather than later.

TRUSTING GOD

F irst, let us be clear about what trusting God means. Let me began by defining the word trust according to the dictionary. Trust is belief in and reliance on the integrity, strength, ability and surety (certainty) of a person or thing. Trust implies instinctive, unquestioning belief in, faith in, and reliance upon something or someone.

In 2 Samuel 22:2 and 3, David defined trust when he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer. The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou savest me from violence. God was everything to David as he fought and won his many battles against his enemies. David totally depended on God and trusted God with his life. David knew that God is the same yesterday, today, and will be the same tomorrow. So he had faith that he could totally rely on God’s integrity, strength, and ability.

Job demonstrated trust in God as he endured the many troubles in his life. The Lord allowed Job to be tested by Satan to see if he would remain faithful and continue to trust God. He allowed Satan to destroy all of Job’s possessions, servants, sons, and daughters. He also allowed Satan to take away Job’s health. Through it all Job still trusted God. In Job 13:15, Job said, Though he slay me yet will I trust in him. Job’s faith in God was powerful. Even though all of Job’s comforts, including his health, had been taken away, he still trusted God.

Trust in God means believing in God’s word and believing that His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30). Trust in God means, I will not be afraid of what man can do to me (Psalm 56:11). Trust in God means having hope in God (Psalm 71:5).

Proverbs 3:5 and 6 says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. In everything that we do we should acknowledge God as Lord of our lives and trust Him to lead us in the right direction. God’s direction, God’s path, is always the right direction even if it is contrary to the way we think we should be going. This Scripture says, and lean not unto our own understanding. We must remember that God is omniscient. That means He is all knowing and we should put all of our trust in Him.

Who is this God that I am encouraging everyone to trust? This is who He is to me.

GOD THE FATHER

I am the reason this whole world began;

I am that architect who drew all the plans.

I told the waters how far they could flow;

I told the grass where it could grow,

I am the electrician who made the sun, moon, and stars;

The sun commands the day, giving light near and far.

The moon and stars shine all through the night,

So that God’s many creatures will always have light.

I am the gardener who planted all the seeds

To grow many plants to supply every need.

I am the irrigator who poured out the rain

To keep the land fertile to grow more grain.

I am the creator of all the animals and man;

They each have a purpose according to My plan.

I made man to be ruler over all of the beasts,

In the North, South, West, and East.

I am your provider, and I’ll give you food to eat;

I’ll supply all your clothes and shoes for your feet.

I’ll give you shelter and a place to lay your head,

And you will never have to worry about your daily bread.

I am your healer and I’ll take away your pain;

If you are mentally stressed, I’ll relieve the strain.

Sometimes I may not completely heal you,

But I’ll give you peace while you are going through.

I am your judge, and I wrote the law,

While the children of Israel looked on in awe.

These laws are my guidelines for mankind to obey;

My Holy Word was written to show you the way.

I am your tour guide planning your earthly trip;

It may be rough or smooth depending on your script.

Complainers walk in circles for 40 years in the sand;

Obedient followers go straight to the Promised Land.

I am the Captain of the heavenly Army of Hosts;

I will defend My people from coast to coast.

I will destroy all enemies that come against you,

If you are obedient and to Me remain true.

I am your Captor, and I will make you a slave;

I will take away all the treasures you saved,

When you disobey Me, I will war against you;

Then, I’ll close my ears, so your prayers can’t get through.

I am your Savior; I suffered and died for your sins;

But I had the power to rise up once again.

I gave you everlasting life and the gift of grace,

And one day you’ll see God the Father face-to-face.

I am your Comforter, and I dwell within;

Jesus sent me so that you would have a friend.

I will lead and guide you all along the way;

I will teach you to honor God the Father every day.

This is a partial resume for God the Father. His complete resume is too long to record.

MY TESTIMONY

I am a small business owner and at the present time