Although my home was filled with turmoil, I had a childlike trust in God after I was saved at the age of eight. However, that trust was shattered when my 21-year-old brother committed suicide when I was 12. I thought that it was God’s fault that He took my brother away and I became angry at Him. This led to much stress during my teen years as I thought that I could do life on my own. At the age of 25, I returned to the Lord and He filled me with His unconditional love. I vowed at that time to never turn my back on God ever again. God has shown Himself to be dependable through the bipolar episodes and, recently, the colon cancer diagnosis. I thanked God for being a dependable God.
MEMORY VERSE
“My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (Psalm 62:7, NIV).
WHAT’S IN A WORD?
Dependable…
Dependable is “trustworthy; reliable” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary). One is “capable of being depended upon” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).
HIDDEN GEMS
At times, we may feel lost and alone in this world. We may have been hurt by someone we thought we could rely on in good times and bad times. However, we can hold tightly to the good news that we can depend upon God in good times and bad times.
“Were not the Cushites and Lybyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand” (2 Chronicles 16:8, NIV).
Read 2 Chronicles 16:8. Who were the two enemies here?
What did these enemies have great numbers of?
What happened when they relied upon the Lord?
God will deliver us from harm when we rely upon Him. If we were hurt by someone as a child, it may be difficult to trust God. However, God will be there for us as we trust in Him.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:16, NIV).
Read John 4:16. What do we rely upon?
How is God described in this passage?
Who lives in God?
God desires to love us. We can rely upon Him. God is dependable. God is indeed love. As we love others through the Holy Spirit, we can know the love of God more deeply.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).
Read Romans 8:28. What does God do in all things?
Who does He do this for?
How have we been called?
I clung to this verse as I struggled with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. I did not think anything good could come out of it. I depended upon God’s strength to get me through each episode. God did indeed bring it to good as I wrote about my experiences with bipolar to the glory of God. We can depend upon God to carry us through each trial and bring good out of it as we depend upon Him.
YOUR HEART’S DESIRE
“You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely” (Psalm 59:17, NIV). We can sing praises to God as we depend upon Him throughout each day. He desires for us to give Him our load of cares each day.
Name a time when you were hurt by someone.
Did you rely upon yourself to deal with the problem?
What was the result?
How did you draw near to God?
What Scripture spoke to you during this time?
How did God help you deal with the hurt and relieve you as you depended upon Him?
We can depend upon God in all things. God desires to work all things together for good. However, we must come to God and depend upon Him and His strength. When we do, we will be relieved of the cares we try to carry on our own.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that I can depend upon You in good times and in bad times. Every trial You will bring good out of if I rely upon Your strength instead of my own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
NUGGETS OF WISDOM
He who trusts in himself is lost. He who trusts in God can do all things. Alphonsus Liguori
Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love and the future to God’s providence. Augustine of Hippo
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Trust Jesus, and you are saved. Trust self, and you are lost. C.H. Spurgeon
Trust in God, and do something. Mary Lyon
Inner Beauty Bible Study 