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Where’s the Bible say “trust your SPOUSE”? (part 2)
Remember Prov. 3:5-8 tells us NOT to trust ourselves but only to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts.
So where does the Bible say that you must trust your spouse?
Someone who had been cheated on by a spouse committing adultery asked me once, “How will I ever be able to trust ANYONE again?”
To which I replied with the question, “where in the Bible does God tell you to trust your spouse?” The person responded “no where” and then with “I am called to trust in the Lord.”
Now, in marriage, trust does build. As two persons are faithful, they learn to trust each other more but ultimately, they must be trusting in Christ alone. He will reveal to them what is going on in His timing, for His glory, and for their own good!
God is love and can be trusted completely. Anyone else falls short.
Jeremiah 32:17 (KJV): “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”
Jeremiah 32:26-27: “Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
By God’s own Word, He tells us to trust Him since He can do anything He wants and He loves you and I! Think about the implications of this for biblical counseling!
-Mark (basking in the glow of God’s glory in my life as I trust Him alone for eternity)
Where’s the Bible say “trust yourself”? (part 1)
Where in the Bible does it say to trust yourself?
Prov. 3:5 tells us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”
The Bible teaches us to trust in the Lord completely and fully.
Proverbs 3:6 goes further: “In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” This tells us to acknowlege God in ALL areas of our lives, not just “spiritual” ones.
Proverbs 3:7 warns us: “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.”
We are warned NOT to be wise in our own eyes!
So, is the phrase, “Trust your heart” biblical or unbiblical?
Jeremiah the prophet had a better heart than any of us and he said this about his own heart in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?”
If Jeremiah considered his own heart to be deceitful, how much more should we NOT trust ourselves!?!
Trust the Lord. Doubt yourself.
-Mark (trusting God at His Word)
Dr. Bob Kellemen’s book review of my “Strength” book
My wife just found a book review of Strength in Numbers: The Team Approach to Biblical Counseling that was written last month by Dr. Bob Kellemen.
Here is the review (it’s on 3 different websites although it’s the same review!):
“Pre-forgive me!”
Have you ever had this attitude toward the Lord?
“Lord, please forgive me for what I am ABOUT to do?” I call it the “pre-forgive me” syndrome. People are taking lightly the consequences of sin and the grace of God which abounds so much in our lives when they have this attitude. Our counselees do this all of the time, unfortunately.
Reflect for a moment: do YOU have this type of attitude right now about some sinful area of your life (can be in your thinking, speaking, or doing)?
There is no pre-excuse for what you choose to do. God holds you responsible. Even more so, we are taking Him for granted when we make this type of decision willfully against Him. At the bottom level, we are choosing to believe the lie that sin is good rather than God’s way of righteousness is good and best for us. It is a lack of trusting in the Lord.
-Mark (glad that God does grant forgiveness for all of my sins yesterday, today, and in the future!)
New Math? 20 = 40
I left home to go to work at CHC this morning and I left 20 minutes earlier than usual today.
The result is that I arrived 40 minutes earlier!
Then, I thought about how if we’ll give God the first 20 minutes of our day, then it’s like He slows down our day and gives us more time to accomplish what is needful!
Only God is capable of making time stand still! God made the sun stand still for Joshua!
-Mark (thankful for a God who redeems my time!)
NANC Conference 2009
I wanted to tell you about the upcoming NANC Conference in South Carolina in just a few weeks (Oct. 5-7).
James MacDonald and Howard Dayton are featured speakers as well as David Powlison, Jay Adams, Randy Patten, and others.
There are excellent workshops on a wide variety of issues related to biblical counseling. You will learn a lot at this year’s conference!
Go to www.nanc.org to find out more information!
-Mark (grateful to be involved in an organization that makes a strong stand on the Word of God)
Why repentance is two steps, not just one
Repentance is more than one step. Repentance is NOT simply stopping what you are doing wrong. Because repentance is transforming, it is also doing what is right!
Repentance is a TWO-FOLD process – not doing what is wrong and then doing what is right in God’s eyes. It is both.
Ephesians 4:28 states: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.“**
A thief can become TRANSFORMED (a new creation in Christ) when he stops stealing (doing what is wrong) and then works and gives to those in need (doing what is right). In other words, instead of being a “taker,” a thief must become a “giver.”
Biblical counseling is awesome because it offers hope to people who can become NEW in Christ which includes His forgiveness! God brings about a real transformation in all of our lives!
-Mark (thankful for the transforming power of Christ and a ministry like TIL that upholds that biblical truth to glorify God)
**The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Eph 4:28). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
From The Hearts of Those Involved 