By Judy Villanueva

“Now, this I know:  The Lord gives victory to his anointed.  He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.  Lord give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” (Psalm 20:6-9)

 I was on a road trip recently and as I stared out the window I could feel the strain of worry pressing in on me.  Abraham seemed to join me in the car and suddenly, I felt his faith reach over and slap me!  It was a good, wake-up kind of slap that pushed me out of an anxious  stupor.  The verse

“Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited it to him as righteousness”

reverberated in my mind and with it, the desire to please and honor God by believing that He is who He says He is.   It reminded me of Pascal’s Wager, wherein he,  a 17^th century French philosopher, threw out the challenge to bet on God.  Paraphrased, he proposed that if you bet on God and He does NOT exist, you lose nothing BUT stand to gain everything if He DOES exist.   Conversely, if you wager that there is no God and in fact there IS, you have bet with your life!  As I pondered what this had to do with me I felt God say,

“Judy, you can keep living as though life is random (and be afraid) OR, you can bet on ME.   I have heard your prayers.  I AM Faithful. Trust Me — take the bet!”

Are you weary of worrying and fatigued by fear?  While subtle, the things that make up our daily lives, good and bad, speak to us about God and little by little shape our image of Him. If we are not careful to renew our minds with the truth of who God is,  our view of  Him will warp.  The temporal and transitory will define what we think of Him rather than His eternal and unchanging Word.

AW Tozer says that “What we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

If we think He is inattentive or uncaring,  how will we trust that He is intimately aware of all our ways?   If we forget that He is Mighty,  how will we ever rest in His arms, especially in times of great trial?  Peace resides in knowing that God always acts with perfect knowledge, victorious power, and faithful love.  Betting on God is all about believing that He is who He says He is!  Another mile passed and I realized that my heart had calmed.  I looked over at Abe with a smile, grateful for his nudge and decided to follow his example.  I took the bet and am trusting that God is and always will be –  faithful.  I pray you will, too!

“Father, I thank you that you are who you say you are, always. I want to honor you by believing that you are faithful, even when I cannot figure out my life. Strengthen and build a believing heart in me. Amen.”

What about you?

What do you need help believing God for today?

What is the basis for your image of God?  Your own understanding?  Circumstances?  The Word of God?

Where have you placed your trust?  By who or what is your heart governed?

Do you, like me, need God to strengthen and build a believing heart in you?

“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;  May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.  May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.  May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.  May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.”(Psalm 20:1-5)

Worship