Join me as I contemplate how God’s presence helps us lay aside our desire to do enough to earn status and value.  We can trade this attempt at self-sufficiency for God’s sufficient grace that meets our weakness.   We don’t have to hide our weakness, God’s grace is enough! We can trust God to turn our hearts to Him and use us our despite our weaknesses.  We can trust Him that spending time in God’s presence will overflow into our lives. 

Journaling Questions:

• Do you try to make sacrifices in your own strength? Do you try to achieve or be sufficient in your own strength?
• Are God’s invitations to rest and rely on Him enough to turn your heart to him?
• What are the areas where you have sought your own way or agenda?
• Do you try to hide your weaknesses or make up for them with achievements?
• Would you be willing to pray for yourself or a loved one that God would do what it takes to turn your heart to Him and/or that His words would be enough?
• What is your plan for sitting in God’s presence and letting him fill you?

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Verses mentioned in the episode:

• Psalm 23
• 2 Corinthians 12:9
• John 15:1-5
• Psalm 81:13-14
• Psalm 81:10-11
• Matthew 11:28-30
• Joshua 22:5
• James 1:1
• 1 Peter 2:24

Ephesians 2:10

See below for a full transcript of the show.

 [00:00:00] Erin: Hi friends. It’s Erin Michele. Welcome to steps to trusting. At steps to trusting. It’s my goal to meet you where you are in your faith journey, and to encourage you to continue to take steps to trusting the Lord more fully. I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed there’s some themes running through the last couple shows.

[00:00:17] but I’ve also noticed that though, I hear the words that are said, I still need some time for it to sink into my heart. So if you find that you’re still challenged by living out mundane life, or being present in the circumstances you walk in. Whether it be everyday life or hard challenges.

[00:00:36] If you find that you are still struggling in those spaces, You’re not alone. Cause so am I. if you find that to be true, then this podcast is for you. And it’s also for me because I’m standing in those same places. I’m going to go ahead and open us up in prayer.

[00:00:52] Dear God, thank you that you change us. Thank you that you grow us. Thank you that you give us chance after chance after chance to turn to you. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Lord God, help us to know more deeply who you are. Help us to understand and fear you. Lord God, help us to see your power and your strength.

[00:01:14] And help us God to see your presence that you are with us. Even if we go through the valley of the shadow of death, Lord, help us not to fear.

[00:01:24] Help us father instead to abide in. To cling to you, to run to you, that we see are power and Lord, your power is made perfect in our weakness. And so Lord, we bring you our weaknesses. We bring you our challenges and we lay them at your feet. Lord, gather us into your presence. It’s in Jesus name. I pray.

[00:01:45] Friends. I want to kind of bring together some of the themes that have been going through the last several shows and see if we can tie them together.

[00:01:53] So I’m just going to start by laying out those ideas. Back in our conversation with Michelle Morin, Michelle talked about how we pour out our lives. for those around us and to bring God glory. and in our last conversation with Ana Kiker, Ana was talking about.

[00:02:09] The challenges of life, not just mundane, but hardships in life and choosing to be present even in those hardships. And I think we can tie these things together. Yes. There are different levels of struggle and hardship that we go through. So I don’t mean to discount that at all. And yet I think it is a common struggle of people.

[00:02:31] To be present in their situation to give of their self, to pour out their lives as a sacrifice. To turn back to the Lord and in turn, turn back to the people in our lives. That there’s something that we give up. We have to turn away from something that we might be seeking after.

[00:02:50] I think really at the core of what Ana was talking about ties into this, because I think she was realizing her weakness. She was saying, I don’t have the strength to be present and loving in some situations. Whether I’m tired. Whether it’s overwhelming.

[00:03:09] whether I have anxiety.

[00:03:12] She was admitting the struggle that it is to do this. and how God really transformed her and gave her the ability to be present and sacrifices by first, considering his presence and of tapping into his power is how she talked about.

[00:03:29] One of the first things she mentioned that changed her heart was found in Psalm 23. Friends for many of us, Psalm 23 is a familiar passage. but I’m going to go ahead and read it. I want you to slow down and I want you to focus on the words, not the familiarity of them, but to focus on the meaning of each word, Psalm 23 a Psalm of David, ” the Lord is my shepherd.

[00:03:54] I shall not want, he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

[00:04:16] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. my cup overflows, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

[00:04:32] Friends as I look at this passage, there are several things that stick out to me. one of which is God’s care for us. It talks about how He provides what we need. He gives us rest and nourishment, water, restoration of our souls. But do you notice,

[00:04:49] even though circumstances are hard. They’re surrounded with the shadows of death

[00:04:54] and enemies.

[00:04:55] What else is there? Who else is there?

[00:04:58] David is being reminded

[00:05:01] and that though troubles are surrounding him. So it seems like he’s just in the presence of his enemies or his troubles or his challenge.

[00:05:10] The God also is with him.

[00:05:13] And he’s noticing his gifts, his good gifts, even in the challenges.

[00:05:20] Last week, as Anna was praying over her. Her word struck me and I’m going to pray them over you right now. Lord, I pray that you will continue to encourage each of us, to lay down our agenda, our fears, resentment, or regret, fear, or anxiety by coming to. Help us to become suddenly aware that you are around me with me. You are available.

[00:05:48] It’s in Jesus name, I pray.

[00:05:50] friends, as I listened to that prayer, I know that that is a prayer that my heart needs. My heart needs to be encouraged and reminded to lay down the things I cling to, to lay down the things I seek, the end I seek even in the challenges. And to turn my eyes again, to seek my God.

[00:06:11] I don’t know why it’s taking so long to sink into my heart, but it is. And and so I guess I say that first as an encouragement. If you find yourself that you are struggling through those times and you feel like you’re doing them alone. And you wonder, what’s the purpose in all of this.

[00:06:34] We are told that he is with us even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us. Even when we are in hard circumstances, mundane, regular, everyday circumstances. God is with us.

[00:06:51] And in last week’s episode Anna said, I don’t think we’re tapping in to the power of God.

[00:06:57] I want to take some time today to really focus in on the fact that God is with us in each and every moment of our lives. He’s with us in the moment that we’re faced with a choice, what will I do next?

[00:07:11] Where will I set my focus? will I let my focus beyond myself, my desires?

[00:07:18] This prayer that Anna prayed over us hits me.

[00:07:22] for me right now. That first word agenda as what I need to lay down. I find that I get something set in my mind of what I want to do, and I get so focused on it that I lose sight of the fact that my agenda is not God’s agenda. God’s agenda might look different for me to be present with my family, rather than present with the work that I want to accomplish.

[00:07:48] I’ve taken up this habit. I’ve tried to encourage it more often. This idea of holding my hands open before God in prayer. But we talked about in one of the earlier podcasts with Jen.

[00:07:59] And I’m realizing as, as I sit, there with hands open, that nothing I do is because God needs me to do it. And yet I sit with an agenda thinking I have to do this and accomplish that. I have to reach out to that person and I have to get that podcast finished and get this written. I need to get dinner done.

[00:08:21] All those things are things that fade away. They’re things that are here and are gone. And when I put my hands out to the Lord, there’s still nothing in them, making me worthy of him.

[00:08:33] But yet I hold so strongly to my agenda. Now, when I confess that to you, and at the same time, I confess that that’s what’s going on in my life. I look back at the words that Anna prayed over us, things like fear and resentment, regret, anxiety. Things that we could hold on to that we, try to manage, we try to trust ourselves to fix, instead of coming open handedly to the Lord and being in his presence. I’m thinking about this concept that Michelle mentioned about how we pour out our lives. And she was talking about. Making choices and sacrifices. Thinking about setting aside that agenda or setting aside the fears to step into what God has for us. Instead of holding onto what we have for ourselves, setting that aside and pouring out a sacrifice of our life, our time, our energy.

[00:09:29] In a way that would honor and glorify God. what I’m realizing and what I’m seeing as I’ve let these conversations marinate in my head and into my heart. That we don’t have the strength to pour out unless we let God pour into us. we must abide in him.

[00:09:50] How can we pour out something that we have not let be poured into us?

[00:09:55] How could we give sacrificially and love sacrificially and give up things that we desire for the desires of others, for kindness, or for mercy for grace? How can we give these things to people when we don’t sit in the presence of God and receive them? And yet again, we don’t go to God for these things, but when we’re with him, they pour into us.

[00:10:23] He pours into us. He is a God of steadfast love and mercy.

[00:10:27] Right now, my Bible is open to second Corinthians 12.

[00:10:31] Let’s read in verse nine, it says, ” but he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest upon.”

[00:10:47] Friends, we can get so confused about having to be sufficient, to be enough as this culture wants to tell us, you are enough. We want to be enough.

[00:11:01] But we aren’t.

[00:11:03] I hold on to my agenda or my fears or my resentment or my anger, my anxiety. And it keeps me back. Maybe it’s my agenda. Or maybe it’s the anxiety that if I stopped doing what I am doing right now that I want to accomplish. What I want to accomplish, but I won’t be good enough.

[00:11:25] This first doesn’t tell us you have to be good enough. It says my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.

[00:11:35] Have you sat under the power of God? Seeking out knowing who he is. John 15 reminds us that we need to be in his presence. It talks about our lives like branches. Let’s look at John 15. ” I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit. He takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.

[00:12:02] Already, you are clean because of the word that I’ve spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine.

[00:12:12] Neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches, whoever abides in me and I in him. He it is that bears much fruit for part, for me, you can do nothing.”

[00:12:26] did you hear that last verse? For a part from me, you can do nothing.

[00:12:32] Friends, I’m letting that sink in. I’m letting that sink in to my heart. And I’ve seen that in situations before, One of them I’ve shared before where I was trying to prepare for something and just my schedule didn’t go great. And it didn’t get to prepare as much as I wanted, but God was with me in that, in my weakness.

[00:12:53] In my wanting to be enough and wanting to be prepared and not having the opportunity to do that, to see where God meets me, God met me in that situation. Another time, actually, I guess I shared this on the show too. As I was sitting down to record a podcast, I was trying to pull together all the verses and all the ideas that I had in my head.

[00:13:15] And it wasn’t time. I wanted to have it done because I wanted my schedule. I wanted to have it fixed. I wanted my agenda to be moved on to a certain place in the season.

[00:13:26] But God had me wait, cause he had a conversation for me and a song on the radio where he could pour into me or he could encourage me where he could teach me a lesson.

[00:13:38] I don’t know if this podcast is for you or if this podcast is for me.

[00:13:43] because I am growing. God is using these conversations. And the fact that I get to listen to these conversations eight plus times.

[00:13:53] For me to learn more about who he is. He’s teaching me that he’s near, he’s teaching me that I don’t have to do anything for him. He’s teaching me that I don’t earn his presence, but I come to it only humbly only turning from myself because when I’m seeking myself, I am not seeking him.

[00:14:16] He’s teaching me that a branch, cannot bear fruit by itself. Unless it abides in the vine. He is teaching me that apart from him, I can do nothing.

[00:14:28] It he is teaching me that I am weak and in my weakness, his grace is sufficient and his power is made perfect in my weakness.

[00:14:38] He is teaching me that this is not my own doing, but a gift of God. That every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the father of lights. He’s teaching me that there are steps ahead of me for me to take, but they are not of my own strength or my own giftedness, my own talents. They are prepared for me and I was prepared for them when God made me and made me with certain gifts and talents and abilities.

[00:15:07] Friends, I don’t know if these words are going to hit you. Like they hit me. like Ana said in the last podcast, while she was in the midst of the struggle if someone told her, you know, it’s all gonna work out, read your Bible, be in God’s word, but she would say, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:15:28] Actually she said something else, but, she talked about how often. It takes the experience to say yes, the love of God is real.

[00:15:40] Friends. I have been praying something for my children for the last couple of years. And what I’ve been praying for them is that God would do what it takes to turn their hearts to Him.

[00:15:51] I started praying this after some challenging years in my life. After God used some very challenging years in my life, for me to know him more, for me to trust him more, and opportunity for him to show me my weakness. For me to see that the things that I have are not because of myself, but because of the gifts that he’s given me. It took that hardship and that heartache for me too.

[00:16:16] And friends, that’s a risky prayer to pray for ourselves or to pray for our children. It’s a risky prayer to pray God do what it takes to turn my heart to you.

[00:16:27] But I think sometimes it takes more than words. It takes more than me telling you being in God’s word, seeking to sit in his presence, to turn your heart to him. Find out more of who he is. That may not be enough.

[00:16:43] I know that because that’s been the experience for myself. And that’s been an experience that is common for many of those who have come on this podcast. But also it’s something that God says in his word. In Psalm 81, verse 13 and 14, it says, “oh, that my people would listen to me. That Israel would walk in my ways I would subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.

[00:17:11] Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him and their fate would last forever. But he would feed you with the finest of wheat with honey, from a rock, I would satisfy you.”

[00:17:21] God is saying, I wish that you would listen. I wish I could just tell you with my words,

[00:17:28] but we don’t often let words be enough.

[00:17:31] Friends. This is me asking and praying over you that God’s words calling you. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” That those words would be enough, that you would see that his grace is sufficient for you. That you can sit before him with empty hands. You don’t have to do enough or be enough to be in his presence.

[00:18:01] And yet I fear

[00:18:03] I know that if God’s words, aren’t enough to turn the people, that my words are not going to be enough. So friends, I ask you to consider a prayer and maybe it goes like this. Oh Lord, help your words be enough in my life. And maybe it goes like this. God do what it takes to turn my heart, Lord, do what it takes turn the hearts of my children and my family to you. Lord God, we want to seek you.

[00:18:36] We turn our own way. We trust our own good works. We trust our own strength, our own smarts. And yet Lord, we don’t realize when we trust in those things, that God, those are gifts from you show us. Oh, that your words would be enough to turn our hearts to you.

[00:18:58] It’s in Jesus name that I pray.

[00:19:00] Friends, as I said, I don’t know if this podcast is for you or if it’s for me. I don’t know if you need those words more or if I need those words more. But I do know that I need those words. Even as I try to turn to God, each time I come, each time I sit in his presence. I see more my need to be there. I see my weakness, but I don’t see it with hurt and heartache.

[00:19:29] Well, sometimes I do. Sometimes I do see it with hurt and heartache because it hurts to die to ourself. The Bible tells us to die to ourselves, to die to our sin, that we will be raised to life.

[00:19:42] And sometimes that does hurt, but yet, sometimes I can sit there and let God’s grace, his sufficient grace wash over me and remind me.

[00:19:55] If his steadfast love.

[00:19:57] We are invited by God’s word to be in his presence.

[00:20:01] when we are invited to abide in him and we are invited to come to.

[00:20:08] When we are invited to walk in his ways

[00:20:12] and friends, we are invited to spend time with him to get to know who he is by being in his word, by seeing what he desires for us. Not of.

[00:20:24] again, We are invited to see what God wants for us. Not of us. Back to that. First I read earlier and we looked at it earlier this season from Psalm 81, but he would feed you with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock I would satisfy. And earlier in 81, verse 10, it says, I am the Lord, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, open, wide your mouth.

[00:20:52] And I will fill it.

[00:20:53] God wants us to be satisfied in him. he wants to give us good things in James. One, one, it says every and perfect gift is from above.

[00:21:06] He has given us good things.

[00:21:09] We come to him only with empty hands. He needs nothing from us. He wants to give us good gifts. And so yes, he does ask for us to listen and to submit to him Some 81 verse 11 says, ” but my people did not listen to my voice. Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own councils.” Friends, will we follow our own council or will we listened to his voice? Will we submit to him?

[00:21:42] Dear God, give us the strength to submit to you. Do what it takes to turn our hearts to you. Father in Jesus name, I pray.

[00:21:51] friends. Thank you for joining me. It’s an honor to go through these verses and be challenged through God’s word with you.

[00:21:58] It’s an honor to point each other to Christ. This is important to be in God’s presence so that we can know who he is.

[00:22:07] So that we can see the steps he has laid out for us. If you don’t know where to start, if you don’t know how to find yourself in God’s word and seeking out who he is, letting him pour into you So you can see where you can pour out his love and mercy and take that next step he has for you. Then I encourage you guys to sign up for my newsletter, where you’ll receive the five-day journaling resource to help you look at God’s word and consider what is God’s next step for you.

[00:22:36] I’ll put the link in the show notes. There’s also some journaling questions in those show notes where you can process through this information and these verses with me. Thank you again for joining me. If you guys have been encouraged, or if you want to have someone to go through these questions with, I encourage you to share the podcast with a friend.

[00:22:56] Also, would you consider leaving me a rating or a comment on an app you listen to your podcasts with. This helps other people find the show and be encouraged friends. Thank you again for joining me. I can’t wait to see you back here next time. But until then, I want to leave you with this reminder from Ephesians two 10 for we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them friends and praying for you as you keep on stepping.