Trusting God

Greetings,

I’d like to report that a thank you is in order. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your continued devotion and love and thank the Lord for brothers and sisters like you!!!

The O’Neal household has experienced significant growth during these challenging times. Amidst the frustration, confusion, and the frequent need for apologies, all five of us have displayed selfishness in all its human imperfection. However, we have managed to grow closer as a family unit. I firmly believe this is the result of our Savior’s faithful, loving, and guiding hand, as well as the prayers we have received from faithful saints. With deep gratitude, I express my heartfelt thanks to all of you!  

Martyn Lloyd-Jones said this:

Faith is many-sided. There is generally at the beginning a good deal of admixture in what we call our faith; there is a good deal of flesh that we are not aware of. And as we begin to learn these things, and as we go on with the process, God puts us through His testing times. He tests us by trials as if by fire in order that the things which do not belong to the essence of faith may fall off.

We may think our faith is perfect and that we can stand up against anything. Then suddenly a trial comes and we find that we fail. Why? Well that is just an indication that the trust element in our faith needs to be developed….The more we experience these things [trials], the more we learn to trust God.

Spiritual Depression[Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965], pp. 227-28

I have found this quote to be so true and am so thankful for men like Martyn Lloyd Jones. 

I am aware that our Lord uses profound trials in people’s lives to reveal their strength in Christ and the importance of trusting Him. However, I also understand that He employs small trials, such as this lockdown, to expose our weaknesses and our lack of trust. It has become clear to me over the past few weeks that we often struggle to trust God, despite claiming that we do. Personally, I know I can trust Him because scripture assures me of that. Yet, why do I continue to receive unfavorable outcomes? I diligently prepared for the test, memorized the vocabulary, and entered the classroom with confidence, only to fail. Surprisingly, I am grateful for this experience.

I am incredibly grateful for the revelations our Lord has bestowed upon me in recent weeks. I have come to recognize my profound need for Him and the necessity of developing trust in Him. I yearn for ongoing growth that can only be achieved through the Holy Spirit’s presence within me, unwavering prayer, and deep meditation on His Word. There is a quote from John MacArthur that I truly appreciate, which captures this sentiment:

Faith that conquers is great faith, but faith that continues is even greater.

John MacArthur, “How to Meet the Enemy, Arming Yourself for Spiritual Warfare”

And I am so thankful to know that the strength to continue does not come from us, but is provided to us from the Father through His Son. (Reference John 10:27-30)

I have been deeply engrossed in Matthew 4, which recounts “The Temptation of Jesus.” This passage is filled with profound truths and invaluable lessons that we can learn from. It is intriguing to note, although it may be a small observation or possibly an interpretation, the parallel between Jesus being led into the desert alone to face temptation and our own experiences of being separated by circumstances. I find it fascinating that the devil targeted Jesus at a time when He was alone and seemingly vulnerable. The temptations thrown at Him may resemble the same temptations we are currently dodging or even succumbing to.

For instance, Satan insidiously exploited Jesus’ physical weakness after forty days of fasting in the wilderness, attempting to make Him doubt God’s faithfulness: “You’ve been in the wilderness without food for forty days. It seems like God has abandoned you.” Satan was tempting Him to lose trust in God’s promises: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Didn’t God promise to provide for you? Look at your current state!”

What a formidable adversary Satan is! Here, Satan cunningly twisted and manipulated the truths of Scripture in a futile attempt to deceive Jesus. However, Jesus, being the Word made flesh, possessed a masterful understanding of the Scriptures, and He used this knowledge to counter Satan’s attacks. Jesus did not rely on cleverness, wit, or cunning, but instead chose to stand firmly on the unshakeable foundation of God’s Word, accurately interpreted within its proper context.

What an intense battle it was! And, as we know, our Savior emerged from this battle victorious!

There is so much to be learned from this passage. The enemy and our own flesh are cunning, and we are prone to weakness. There are times when we may feel alone. However, we have the “great buts of Scripture!” “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us” (Ephesians 2:4) has granted us access to “the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10b).

We have been equipped with the armor of God so that we can “stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). My friends, let us “fasten the belt of truth” and put on “the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14). Let us also wear “shoes for our feet, with the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” In all circumstances, let us take up “the shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:15), “the helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Long story short, as a good friend of mine always says, “we gotta be in the word.” The word of God is our greatest defense against our greatest enemy, OURSELVES!!!!

Love you folks and miss seeing you on Sundays.

One more quote by Leon Morris:

It is one of the precious things about the Christian faith that our continuance in eternal life depends not on our feeble hold on Christ, but on His firm grip on us.

The Gospel According to John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971], p. 521

Love you,

Mike