Trusting or Doubting

We had a sermon this Sunday about doubting God. It was a good sermon, but I think it spoke to me a bit differently then It might have spoke to others.
Maybe I'm wrong but I think our Pastor was gearing it towards new believers. That it's ok to doubt christianity or God sometimes, and ask questions because that is how we learn. Same for Christians that have been believers for a long time. Sometimes we doubt, so we should ask questions and get the answers. That doubting doesn't make us bad Christians. I agree with that. But in some cases, especially mine right now, I needed to stop doubting God and move on and be obedient so that I can see that he is faithful. I needed to just take a step out in faith and obey so I can see that God can do better. Not that I am making him prove something, just that I didn't even give him the opportunity to show me that there's better through him because I wasn't trusting him.
Thanks to my Friday morning bible study I was reading Joshua this morning and the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan.
God wanted the Israelites away from all the sin and Idolatry so he led his people to the promise land. He parted the sea so they could get away from the people who were living in sin. When I really think about what a site this must have been, for everyone, it amazes me. But God does that for me today. He moves things out of my way, he opens my eyes to things, tells me when to move away from things that will cause me to sin or will tempt me. He's doing it for me just as he did for the Israelites back then, I just have to notice that he's doing it!
In the story for God to part the Jordan the priests had to be the first to step into the Jordan river carrying the ark of God, the river was at a flood state at the time. So it wasn't just a still, motionless river to step into, it sounds more like a raging river that you could be swept away in. The priests had to have FAITH that they would not be swept away. They took a step out in faith, and God parted the Jordan so they could pass through.
There is something written in my bible, at the bottom that explains to the reader what some passages might be trying to say. for vs 13 and 14 it has a comment that says this, " Often God provides no solution to our problems until we trust him and move ahead with what we know we should do. What are the rivers, or obstacles in your life? In obedience to God, take that first step"
This was a perfect story for me to read this week. I will share more in days to come what I am dealing with but in the past days God asked me to take a step out, to move on something and have faith and trust him that he'll be there. That what he has is better for me, If I am obedient and trust him, I did that, and this story confirmed to me that I am doing the right thing. I love how he reaffirms things sometimes. I've had people ask me, how does God talk to you. This is one of the ways. He talks through his word.

God is faithful and sometimes we have to stop doubting him and start believing him.

You shall have no other God's.

This is the most important commandment, yet probably also the most looked over, even by Christians, myself included.
God has really opened my eyes lately to this commandment.
There is SO much more to having another God then what people think. Having another God doesn't just mean worshipping a God like Allah, or making little statues to worship. Other "God's" can be as simple as pleasure. That's right, pleasure can be a God to you. Something that you love, something that you'll sin to get. Worship doesn't just mean bowing down to something. It means it's so important to you that you love it.
Something becomes an "Idol" when you love IT more then God. A few months ago my eyes were opened that food was an idol to me. I didn't think I could live the rest of my life with the thought that I may never be able to eat chocolate or cake again. That is exactly WHY it was an Idol to me. If you think you can't live without it, it's an idol, (another God to you).
In the book Idols of the heart she says something that impacted me. She says , "Disobedience springs from the worship of other God's". How true that is. I wouldn't be over eating if I wasn't worshipping food. If I was like my kids, and could care less about food, and only eat when I am told to. (Oh how I wish I will be like that someday!)
God has expanded my wisdom a little further now to understand there are SO many more idols (Gods) then just food for me. Pleasure happens to be another one. I would bet that pleasure is an idol in the majority of people's lives. Most people probably have no idea that it could be a God to them either. We live in such a self centered world, that everyone is always looking out for themselves, and worried if they themselves are happy, how could pleasure not be a God? That's the way the world is. Unfortunately a lot people live by the worlds ways/expectations instead of living by God's. When we become a Christian and accept Jesus as our savior we are called "born again" we are called to "put off" the old person, expected to be a new person and live in the spirit. We are to die to self. That means that self is not number one anymore. It's a hard concept to grasp because the world doesn't look at it like God does. When I get mad at my kids for making a mess, I'm really mad deep down because I have to clean it, and that takes "ease" and "pleasure" away from me. Interesting. So if I act in sin and get angry at my children (or husband) it's because I'm being selfish and thinking about my own pleasure instead of loving others and thinking about theirs. Not saying that I should allow my kids to be pigs but I have to look at WHY I get mad or upset sometimes, more then likely it's something selfish in my own heart. Another God. There are many more things that are God's to us and I'm sure in the coming days God is going to show me more of my idols that I need to get rid of and put him first. I pray that he does show me more because I don't want things like that coming between me and my father, this also helps me to love God more, because I realize more and more how much I don't keep the commandments, and how undeserving I am of salvation. When you use the bible as a mirror for your life it really helps you appreciate what Jesus did for us.