On a podcast this week the speaker shared an experience that all of us can identify with. As a newlywed on her honeymoon, she wanted to appear worldly-wise on their trip to Paris. She ordered a mixed grill which included pancreas. She bravely ate and enjoyed everything but the pancreas which she put off for last. After a bite or two, she started to wretch. Her amused husband informed her that what she was trying to eat was chicken. She had already eaten the pancreas!  Our brains are a powerful tool God entrusted to us which we can use for great good or great harm. What we believe shapes all our experiences. When our children are young, they believe us. This is a sobering responsibility because what we tell them about themselves can follow them for a lifetime. As we get older, we learn to filter what we’re told about ourselves and with God’s help, we learn to rewrite any negative stories we have believed about ourselves.

God, who knows us better than anyone, tells us what he thinks of us. He tells us we are loved. He tells us we can choose to love and obey him and enjoy his blessings.  We can use our minds to hold onto his promises in spite of our emotional fluctuations. We can use our brains to store up his promises and bring them out to meet every need. Or we can use our brains to replay past hurts and cast fear on the future. Trusting is a choice. When we trust, we agree that what God says is true despite any apparent evidence to the contrary. When we trust him to be kind, right, and good, we look for evidence of it and find it. But where doubts lurk, we forget to look for the kindness and goodness of God and we focus on our pain.  It turns out that we find what we’re looking for. When we set our minds to seek God, He comes running to meet us.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:10

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” Romans 1:20

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Reveleation 3:20

In the same vein, we get what we expect. If we expect trouble, we will find it. But when we believe that God will do what he promises, we find he does.

“He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.” 1 Chronicles 5:20

“For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.” Psalm 21:7

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

When we believe God is good, we experience his goodness.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4

“our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love. . .   In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. . . our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands . . . they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.” Nehemiah 9:32-35

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Psalm 36:5

“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15

“you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah 4:2

We get back what we put out.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25

“Give generously to them [the needy] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward … poor and needy…” Deuteronomy 15:10-11

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6:38

“Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

Let’s be alert to the direction we allow our thoughts to take this week. God has given us a powerful tool to use to trust him and to find him good, and loving, and faithful.