In God We Trust by Andrea Marino

It appears the church of Jesus Christ is surrounded by evil. As in every other adverse situation we face, this, too, is a test of our faith. God tells us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust in Him. At seventy-five years of age, by faith, Abraham left home and traveled to a land without knowing where he was going. Called to become a great nation, Abraham and his descendants would bless all peoples of the world. (Genesis 12:1,2,3) His willingness to go demonstrates complete trust in the leadership of God. Fully convinced God is able to do what He promised, Abraham’s faith was counted to him as righteous. (Romans 4:22) The Bible is filled with accounts of Abraham’s descendants operating in faith. Believing, though they could not see, these people did as God said, enduring sacrifice and hardship because they understood a better place, a heavenly one, which they looked forward to. (Hebrews 11:15,16) Once I grasped the love and goodness of God, the wonderful things He has planned for His people, everything in the world paled in comparison. Besides, if you live long enough, you discover life, as it is now, comes with many disappointments.

Our nation and world are in dire straits over having given up faith in God. Such is the consequence of disregarding Who He is. The world has become so bad that I find myself daydreaming about the past, longing for the simplicity of the ‘good ‘ole days’ when God held a rightful place in society. I enjoy a little respite in pictures of long ago—those even before my time. Tranquil scenes from the horse and buggy era are calming to gaze at. But evil has always been around since Lucifer rebelled against the Creator. Adam and Eve passed his curse of hell and death to the world when they chose to listen to Satan rather than to God, who then banished them from the Garden of Eden. Knowing his time is running out, Satan pulls no punches. Evil now openly parades itself around. God promised to expose the hidden works of darkness because ignorance is not bliss. (Luke 12.2) It is never ignorance or bliss that enables anyone to know God’s truth, the most valuable of all earthly possessions. Eternal life in the place God calls home is priceless, worth everything we could think of having. A retreat from reality is nice, but honestly, there is nothing in the world that I should want to return to.

Jesus urged us to fix our eyes on the riches of Heaven, not on the things of earth. He said that if we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all we need would be added to us. (Mathew 6:33) When Elisha, the prophet, was accused of being a spy, the Syrian king was determined to capture him. One morning, Elisha was awakened to a terrifying sight; a band of enemy marauders was surrounding him. But God granted his servant to also see a host of horses and chariots of fire sent to protect him and the people of Israel. (2 Kings 6:8-23) “You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” (1 John 4:4 NLT) With God, hope is never out of sight. And while we are yet in a ‘ceaseless striving against sin’, engulfed in works of darkness, we remember all the saints before us who have been in that same position and who provide illustration after illustration of enduring, victorious faith. Such a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ surrounds us. (Hebrews 12:4,1) All that is recorded in Scripture is for our benefit, “assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Romans 4:23,24 NLT) Handed over to die for our sins, Jesus was raised to life to make us right with God (Romans 4:25) Therefore, we press on and finish the race. For we are not alone; God is with us! Great is His faithfulness. It never ends. His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22,23)

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With a yearning to uncover the secret to life, Andrea embarked on a journey to discover truth. The study of Psychology proved inadequate, while the forces of darkness began to make their presence known. The Hobble, from Ai to Bethel encompasses Andrea’s personal victory over fear and bondage to the enemy. Passionate in sharing God’s Good News about Jesus, the author desires to encourage people to never lose hope. Because we all ‘hobble’ before God in need of Him. When not writing, Andrea loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, and enjoys cycling on the open roads with her husband, David.