Are you trusting in the Lord?

Many of you know that I lost my Noah a year ago. I decided at that time, that I wouldn’t get another dog until after retirement. It’s been a long, but necessary wait. During the wait, I’ve had time to, heal from the loss, save some money and learn a thing or two. I’d like to share a story with you that has impacted my life profoundly.Now, I don’t suggest you do this, but a few years ago I followed the lead of one of my sisters and opened a Robinhood account, which gave me access to investing in the stock market on my own with as a little as I would like to use. So, when I opened it, I did so with just a few dollars, I am not brave enough to invest much.  I just wanted the experience more than anything.  In my thinking, if I made any money, ok.  If not, I wouldn’t like it, but I hadn’t invested enough to get too upset. I had no plans on how to use it, it was just to experience what it was like to watch stocks. However, when Noah died, I named that money, my “puppy fund.” When it came time, I planned on using that money for the next puppy. I watched that fund closely, every time it dropped a few dollars, I would start to wonder if it wasn’t smarter to close the account and put it in savings. When it rose, I would breathe – the puppy fund was safe.In September, I went to a conference and like every faith-based conference, I knew they would take an offering and went prepared. But when it came time to give our offerings, I decided I would put extra money in for the “Puppy Fund.”  As I dropped the money in the bucket, I heard in my spirit; “You are trusting the stock market for your puppy fund, trust ME for your puppy fund.”  In an instant, I understood both the depth of my sin – and the greater depth of His love for me and my future puppy.Why was it a sin? Because I really was looking to the stock market to save or earn the money for a puppy. I watched it closely, keeping track of every time it gained or lost a dollar. I wanted God to bless what I was doing. But the key is – I was trusting that the stock that I had chosen would raise the money for the puppy. Did you notice how many times “I” was in my thinking? I was trusting in my wisdom to buy the right stocks and to know the right timing. Had someone asked me, I wouldn’t have thought I was trusting the stock market – but when God spoke it, it sure rang true. So, the Lord was correct in pointing out that I was acting in sin by trusting in the stock market. But there were two messages – remember?The second part of the message was the overwhelming sense of love and the message “trust ME for the puppy fund.” Trust God for a puppy fund? Why would my puppy fund be important to Him? Because He loves all animals, but more He knows that my future puppy is important to me. Because it’s important to me, it’s important to Him. And because it’s important to me, He wants to bring a wonderful puppy into my future. And then came to mind all the puppies that the Lord has placed in my life and are now waiting for me in heaven.Listen – this message isn’t just for me, it’s for all of us.  There are two passages of scriptures that teach us the lesson He spoke to me in September.  The first passage is from Psalm 37:  “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”The second passage is from Matthew 6 verse 33, (but the context for verse 33 is verses 25-34.)  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”There are many things that we go after in life, things that are good, but things that we are trusting in our abilities and not looking to the Lord to bring it about. Learn with me the lesson of the puppy fund.  No matter what it is we desire, trust the Lord for it. He understands the desires of our hearts and it’s His will to give us those desires if they won’t hurt us. He just wants us to look to Him first, to trust seek His righteousness, and to place our absolute trust in Him. Then wait confidently for Him to work in wonderful ways in and for our lives!