Guidance Light

Trusting in God

• Jonathan Cordero • Season 1 • Episode 21

Share episode

Send us a text

Can you maintain unwavering faith in God when life's challenges seem insurmountable? Join me, Jon, as I kick off season two of Guidance Light with a heartfelt discussion on trusting God, especially during times when we are tempted to rely solely on our own strength. I share my personal struggles and lead a heartfelt prayer, asking for God's wisdom and understanding. Together, we explore the profound story of Job from the Old Testament, a testament to enduring faith through the most severe trials and tribulations.

Bold resilience during immense suffering is the theme as we delve into the trials faced by Job, highlighting his steadfast faith despite severe illness and societal rejection. We then draw parallels with the unwavering faith of Daniel and his friends during their captivity in Babylon. These narratives emphasize the vital importance of trust and endurance, encouraging listeners to hold fast to their faith irrespective of life’s adversities.

Reflecting on the trials of Joseph, from betrayal to becoming a powerful leader in Egypt, we underscore the significance of trusting God’s plan and divine timing. This episode wraps up with a heartfelt prayer for guidance and salvation, encouraging listeners to seek God's revelation in their lives. Introducing our ministry, Guidance Life, we invite you to join us in spreading the message of Christ and becoming a beacon of faith for others.

Support the show

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Guidance Light, where God is always number one. We talk about faith, spirituality, the battles of the flesh and the spirit, but mainly we are here for you to walk in Christ. We know how hard life can be, we know the ups and the downs, but we are a family in Jesus and we are here for you. My name is John and this is Guidance Light. Welcome back, guidance Light family to season two. It is so exciting for this to be the first episode ever aired on YouTube, and forgive me if the video editing processes are a little bit choppy or the sound is a little bit off or maybe I look a little nervous, it's because I've never done anything like this. So I am just wanting to say thank you so much for joining us. Whether you're joining us from abroad or here within the United States, I want to say welcome back. And today's topic is something that strikes true in the heart Well, at least in my heart and I think that it's going to strike true in a lot of different hearts and that's because what we're going to talk about today is something that I think we miss a mark in, that we think we understand, but do we really give God everything that he needs to be able to fulfill this in us. See, we constantly talk about trusting God in everything we do. I've ran into it myself where I say, oh, I trust God in all that I am and everything that I do. But truth be told is that I, as I look inside myself, I find myself sometimes not trusting in God. Whether I say it or not, it's almost as if I'm being a hypocrite onto myself, and I say this because it all depends on what I'm going through. See, I can trust God when the times are good, but it's when the times get rough that we find that. Well, at least I myself personally find myself trying to accomplish things in my own strengths, by my own vices. I, whether it's trying to go out and get a better job or gain more resources or do something for my family that I feel like I have the power to do, that I have the capability of doing, and I'm not giving it to God. I think that I could do it on my own. So am I really saying, oh, I trust God in all that I do, see, or there's something that's even better, and we constantly ask for it?

Speaker 1:

I know that I do when I pray and I say God, give me guidance, show me that you're there, reveal yourself to me, guide me, give me a sign, do something so I can know that what I'm doing is true or that it's your will. And God does exactly that in so many ways. See, he gives us dreams, he gives us visions, but the important thing is that he gives us revelation of what it is that he's giving us. See, only God can reveal what it is that we're going through or what he's giving us. He's the one that gives us the understanding through the word, through scripture, through dreams, interpretations, revelation all belongs to God. So, before we dive into the word today, I want to pray and I want to ask God to give us the guidance that we need in order to understand what it is that he will have us. He will what he has for us today. So let's bow our heads, let's pray and, as we enter this episode, I ask that you pray from a humble heart, to ask God, truly say God, I really want to understand what your will is for me. So let's pray together.

Speaker 1:

Father, we come to you today, lord, asking for guidance. Lord, we know that we're filthy and that what we believe to be righteous in our own standards, lord, it's like filthy rags to you. Father, cleanse us of our sins and bring us to your word so that we can understand what it is that you will of us. Help us understand by giving us a revelation in your word, lord. You know the storm that we're walking through, lord, you know what we're going through. You know our hearts in and out, for you stitched us in the womb, lord, you knew what we are capable of and you planted that seed inside of us from the womb. God, give us revelation, help us understand. Let your will manifest itself in our lives so that we can be better versions of ourselves, lord, so we can understand what it is that you will of us. In Jesus' holy name, we give you all that we are, lord. We give you our will. Lord, we give you our understanding. We give you our mind so that you can mold us and take us to wherever it is that you want us. In Jesus name, as we approach your word today, god, help us understand, help us see the picture that you are painting for us in our lives. In Jesus name, we pray that beautiful name above all else. Thank you Father, amen. All right, guys.

Speaker 1:

So as we talk today, we're going to be talking about the first book that has ever captured my attention, and it is so relevant in today's life because it has something about everything that we experience from our adulthood on, from that moment that we take our first steps into the world, that we say we're going to take on the world and everything it has to give to us. That's talking about the moment you step out from underneath your family, that you start taking your first steps into forging your path in what we call life, and that is the book of Job. See, job is such a relatable character in the book in the Old Testament that there's something for it for all of us, because at one point or another we've all experienced at least one thing that Job goes through. See, job is a guy in the Bible that has had absolutely everything. He was faithful to God and he had everything you can think of. He had land, family, servants, status, money, power, everything that you can think of and he was always faithful to God. And in the book of Job, the devil goes up. Satan goes up to God and says I bet you that Job worships you and loves you because you've given him everything.

Speaker 1:

So we're going to start here in the second chapter of Job. So we're in Job chapter 2. I apologize here, job, chapter 2. And we're going to go into what's called Satan's second test of Job. See, I want you to understand a little bit of background here, because we're going to go into what's called Satan's second test of Job. See, I want you to understand a little bit of background here, because we're not reading chapter one. So at this point in time, god has given Satan the okay to take away everything that Job has. He's taken away his land, he's taken away his children, he's taken away his wives, he's taken away his family, his servants, his cattle, everything, his status, his money, his power all of it is gone. And he approaches right here.

Speaker 1:

This is a conversation that we're capturing at the start of chapter two, that is between satan and god, and I'm going to go ahead and read right into it. And it says in in chapter two. In Job chapter two it says one day the sons of God came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord asked Satan where have you come from? He responds by saying from roaming the earth. Satan answered him and walking around on it from roaming the earth. Satan answered him and walking around on it. Then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant, job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity who fears God and turns away from evil. He still retains his integrity even though you incited me against him to destroy him for no good reason, skin for skin.

Speaker 1:

Satan answers the Lord, a man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones and he will surely curse you to your face. Very well, the lord said to satan he is in your power, only spare his life. So I'm going to stop there, and that's the end of verse six. So I went from chapter two, verse one, through six here and I want to talk about this really quick. So at this point, satan, right before this conversation, satan had taken away everything that God had given Job, all the physical possessions, physical aspects of life. He took away his family by killing his kids. He took away his wives due to grief. His servants fled when they had no more work. His land was desolate. At this point, everything he had worked for everything he had was gone. And Satan still came up to God and said you want to know what? Any man was going to give up any of this stuff in exchange for his own life. And God said go ahead, strike his body, strike his flesh and his bones, but don't take his life. So at this point, god, let Satan go to him and strike him with an illness that at that time was absolutely devastating to anybody.

Speaker 1:

See, in the book, in the Bible, in the old Testament, at this time in history, leprosy was a very, very, very ugly disease. It was so ugly that most people would stay 10 cubits away from the person. Who is a leper, who is considered a leper. And for those who don't understand what a cubit is I didn't for a long time a cubit is roughly the distance between your elbow and your wrist and a span is your hand to your uh, to the tip of your fingers, from your wrist to the tip of your fingers, from your wrist to the tip of your fingers, which altogether roughly spans about 18 inches. But if we're talking about 10 cubits, that's more or less 10 feet or more. So imagine being so sick that nobody will approach you within 10 feet. Gives air to that won't touch him with a 10 foot pole. That's usually where that comes from, at least in my opinion, because it makes sense.

Speaker 1:

Lepers were completely shunned in society and at this point Job has nothing left to lose. But he never loses his trust in God, even though his friends and his family, and everybody that comes to him from this point his wives that are still alive they say you have lost everything, you are sick, you have nothing left, you were a beggar on the street. Why do you continue to worship God, curse his name and go and die? And Job says blessed, are you God who gives and takes away? His trust in God was never shaken. No matter what he loses, it's never shaken. And in this God rewards him and gives him back double of everything he has. But he is not the only one that God rewards in trust and faith to God. So we're going to go over to the book of Daniel and I'm going to shine a light a little bit on the history of where they are right now.

Speaker 1:

As we speak in the book of Daniel, in chapter one, verse 17, where that's what, where we're gonna be starting at, and I want you to understand that this is a point in time of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, as he conquered Jerusalem and took the people of Jerusalem over to Babylon to reprogram them, almost like a society of reprogramming that he's doing to the Jews at this point over here in Babylon, and Babylon doesn't worship God, doesn't worship the Jewish God, the God that we have faith in. They worship Baal, which is a pagan entity. It's some people call them demons, some people call them Baal there's other names of them but ultimately they worship blood, sacrifices and things that are contrary to the word of God. And at this point Daniel and his three friends are captured, are part of this captured group and are submitted to become eunuchs in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar. Now there's so much going on because this program of servitude that Daniel and his friends have to go through is a three-year-long program that starts with the dismemberment of their genitalia and that alone has about a 25% survival rate in this time in history. So the odds are already against the people of God in this point, but God has favor with them and is going to protect them. And we're going to talk about that because, as they go through, all four of these guys survive this, and they're about 12 years old during this timeframe and they go through the training program and they have faith in God, up to the point where they are asked to eat that which is provided by the chief eunuch so they can fatten up, because that was a standard. They were supposed to be eunuchs and supposed to be plump in nature, because that was a standard for the court of King Nebuchadnezzar as a scribe, as what Daniel and his friends were going to be, as what Daniel and his friends were going to be. And Daniel and his friends say don't, we're not going to partake of the food that you're giving us. Give us just food or vegetables and water, and you will see that in about 10 days worth of time we will be just fine. The eunuch didn't want to at first. The chief eunuch didn't want to. But he said okay, fine, but after 10 days, if you're looking sickly, you're going to eat the food. And Daniel said that's not a problem because our God will carry us through. So he did and after 10 days Daniel and his friends were looking healthier than those who partook of the food of the court of King Nebuchadnezzar.

Speaker 1:

And out of that faithfulness and that trust in God, it says here that in chapter 1, verse 17,. It says God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. That is important to understand because when we trust in God, god provides. He provides our way, he provides guidance, he provides revelation in everything we do, and that can be the seed that you need, that small part of what you need, in order to be able to understand something that could affect generations.

Speaker 1:

So I'm going to pause talking about Daniel for a second and I'm going to talk a little bit about a conversation that I had earlier with my wife. See, my wife and I recently we offered to volunteer to serve God in a manner that we've never done so before and in a private conversation, my wife came up to me and said I don't understand how what I'm doing is serving God, and it's a fair question, because sometimes what we do in our daily lives, when we are volunteering or offering to serve God, doesn't make sense on how that could possibly serve God. And the way I, the way I would tell you to to look at it is that picture yourself as a piece of a puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle. Does a piece, one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Does a piece, one piece of a jigsaw puzzle paint the whole picture or are you part of a bigger picture? Is that one piece able to show you everything that that puzzle is going to look like? I know, when I build a puzzle, I look at the box because I need to see the whole picture.

Speaker 1:

God is the artist of our big picture and we are but a single piece in that jigsaw puzzle. What we are is a single piece in the grand tapestry, in that grand plan that God has for us, and what he's asking us to do sometimes is something so grand that it's going to affect generations, just like it did in the book of Daniel. See, god gave Daniel the ability to interpret dreams and visions, and he uses that as a seed to be able to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. That is something that is going to affect nations and generations moving forward, and he is not the only one that talks about this. We're going to go back back in time, further back than Daniel, and we're going to go to the book of Genesis and we're going to talk about someone who also went and listened to dreams that was given to him by God. See, this gentleman in the Bible had dreams so grand that he was shunned by even his family. So we're going to go and talk about Joseph in the book of Genesis.

Speaker 1:

And this man was blessed by dreams from a very, very young age, and he would go and boast about them and how God gave him this dream and that his family would be bowing down to his knees, and it rubbed his family and his brothers the wrong way. So much so, because Joseph was the favorite child of his father. Joseph was the favored child of his father, and his father gave him a colorful robe in order to honor him and to display that he was a favored child and that his elder brothers would have to work the field, while Joseph had to do lighter jobs. And his brothers were already they're already jealous of him. They shunned him. And here comesph talking about these wonderful revelations and dreams that god was giving him about how his brothers were going to bow before him. So his brothers decided to take joseph on one day and throw him into a pit and planned and plotted to kill him. They took his colorful robe and smeared blood on it in order to tell their father that he had been killed. And while they were plotting, they had a pain of regret of what they were doing and they were discussing on how they were going to kill him and they just couldn't come to it. See, god was already protecting Joseph.

Speaker 1:

And I want you guys to stop for just a moment and put yourself in the headspace of what Joseph is going through right here. Joseph has been betrayed by his family. How many of us, in this form of betrayal, would lose trust in God? We'd say, god, if we're going through what we're going through, you cannot exist, because why would you allow this to happen to me, if you exist? But see, god has a purpose. God gave Joseph dreams and revelation, but if Joseph wouldn't go through the storm, if he wasn't going to go through the trials and tribulation that God had set before him, he wasn't going to go through the trials and tribulation that God had set before him. What he had planned for him, that revelation that he gave him, would never come to fruition. So, going back to the brothers plotting Joseph's revenge or Joseph's murder, they have this pain of regret and that is already God protecting them, using that Holy Spirit to stop them from committing something that would stop God's plan.

Speaker 1:

And in this moment of conversation. They see a traveling caravan of slave traders on their way to Egypt. So they say you know what? Instead of killing him, why don't we just sell him to the slave trader and then tell our father that he was killed? And that's exactly what they do. They take Joseph Joseph who is now the youngest out of all his brothers and sell him into slavery, to go into a completely foreign land with different customs. How would you feel if that was you in Joseph's shoes? Would you lose trust in God because of what you're going through? I know that I probably would.

Speaker 1:

But Joseph remains steadfast in God's will. He remains, his faith remains untouched. And it leads us right here to years later, when he is serving in Potiphar's house. See, god uses Joseph, and Joseph continues to work hard and becomes the head of Potiphar's household as a head servant, so much so that Potiphar's wife takes notice on him and tries to seduce him. And Joseph pushes her away and says no, I serve my master. And Potiphar's wife slanders him and complains and says evil things about Joseph, enough so that it lands him in jail. But this is where God again shows favor and begins to manifest his plan in Joseph, that revelation and dream that he had, that he was talking about with his brothers years before Potiphar's wife slandered him, is now starting to take place.

Speaker 1:

How many of us are waiting for change today, losing trust in God today because we don't see what we want to see today, or tomorrow or next week? People of old people that would follow God's will to the letter had to wait for years sometimes, and we are not patient enough and trusting God enough to wait in him and trust in God enough to wait in him. Let's talk about what happened in the prison. So I'm gonna start here. In chapter 40, verse seven, it says so.

Speaker 1:

He asked Pharaoh's officers who were in custody with his master's house why do you look so sad today? And this is the royal cup bearer and the baker who are sitting in prison with him. And they're the ones who look sad. And they tell Joseph in verse eight we had dreams, they said to him. So why do you look so sad today? Again, we had dreams, they said to him, but there is no one to interpret them. Then Joseph said to them and this is where it gets me don't interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams. He had faith and trust in God and he understood that God speaks to us and gives us guidance through dreams and through revelation, and that is what interpretations come from. It's not about what you dream of and what you find in Google the very next day. I'm guilty of that. I've dreamt of things and I've gone on Google trying to figure it out, because it had such a big impact on my waking life that I'm like I have to figure this out. What I never stopped to realize is that interpretations and revelation come from God, and Joseph knew this because he trusted in God and God showed favor, no matter where he was, and gave him the ability to interpret this, which gave him the ability to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams and that led to Joseph being second to none other than the Pharaoh and fulfilling that vision that protected the land of Egypt along with the family that sold them into slavery that many years ago.

Speaker 1:

God works through us and gives us dreams to guide us. He gives us revelation to understand what it is his will, is trying to do. All we have to do is trust in him, not in our timing, not in our own vice, not in our own strength, not in our own knowledge, but in heavenly wisdom, in the word of God in the living word that can change every single time you read it, because it will change according to what God wills for you in this life. It will change according to what God wills for you in this life, and that is what we need to rely on every single day. God's will in our life is going to lead us further than we can make it. It's going to give us everything we need. We don't need to go and chase something in order to be able to have it. God is going to give it to us and that is what we need to have faith in. No matter the struggle, no matter what we're walking through, god provides and we need to have faith and trust in him. This is what God mandates of us is what God mandates of us.

Speaker 1:

We don't see the bigger picture. We are but a piece in that puzzle, and if God chooses to reveal to us more of the vision, then so be it. Follow God's will do it in his honor and in for his glory. We are his vessels. We are but instruments. I ask unto you if you were an instrument, whatever instrument could you play yourself? The answer is no. A guitar can't play itself. A piano cannot play itself, but in a master's hand, in our master's hands, he can play us beautifully, and that is him utilizing you as a light to others, following his will so that your life can find the fulfillment. That is everything we are chasing. Everything that the world tells us that we need is in order for us to fulfill what we feel that is missing on the inside. Maybe I need a new house that's going to fill it. Maybe I need a new job or a new career, or maybe a car or a nice fancy watch or a purse or something. But when we obtain what worldly pleasures we think we need to fulfill what we have empty inside, we come to realize that it never hits the mark, it never fulfills us like God can, and that is what we get when we invite God into our hearts.

Speaker 1:

So, as we continue to walk down this path, I'm gonna task you guys this week to dive into the word of God, to read the book of Job, and I promise you that something is going to be relevant in that book to you. Maybe you've lost a loved one. Maybe you've lost a job. Maybe you've lost income. Maybe you've lost your health or somebody else's health that you are afraid of losing, but God has a purpose and you need to understand how Job approaches it and how God rewards him for it.

Speaker 1:

It is a beautiful, beautiful story, and I implore that you understand it and read it through God's eyes, ask him for revelation of what the word of God is trying to give you, so that you can apply it in your own lives and in your own understanding, and to begin to understand why God has you in the position he has you in, and to stop saying that, if God is real, this wouldn't happen to me. That is not true. I've done that. I've been angry at God and I am so sorry for it because I was a fool. God had a purpose, whether it was to teach me to trust in him, whether it was teach me to understand something he had in store for me. Something comes from every trial and tribulation that we have and that God puts us through comes from every trial and tribulation that we have and that God puts us through. So let's, as we're closing this episode, let's bow our heads and let's pray and let's ask God to continue to guide us.

Speaker 1:

Father, thank you for everything you do for us. Thank you for the words that you've given us today in your book. Thank you for helping us understand our lives and the revelations that you give us through our dreams, and that we understand that interpretation is part of revelation and is all part of what you're giving us, god, thank you for giving us men like Job, men like Daniel, men like Joseph. In order to be able to understand that we need to remain steadfast in you, lord, that we need to trust in your words, father, so that we can make it to what it is that you want us a one of us, lord, help us put aside our pride, our will, so that yours can take place in our lives. Help us be a beacon unto others through your works, lord. Help us serve in the way that you want us to.

Speaker 1:

Lord, the Bible says that you stitched us together in the womb. Lord, you planted a seed in us, and only you know what it is that will make us whole, guide us, to feel that fulfillment. Whether we have a little bit or a lot, whether we have resources or not, lord, whether we feel like we're gonna be able to make it to the next day or not, lord, help us have faith in you, lord, in your will, that you are going to carry us, no matter the storm, no matter the troubles, no matter the troubles, no matter the loss, no matter the pain, the addiction, the suffering. Lord, help us trust in you in all that we do, so that we can have a firm foundation in you, father. And if you've never, never, ever, lord, left us hanging, we know that you won't Today, tomorrow, in the future. Lord, you have never left us. You are the same God that has provided for us throughout our entire lives, whether we have seen it or not. So we thank you, father, for the words that you've given us.

Speaker 1:

In Jesus' holy name, we pray Amen. And with our eyes still closed and our heads still bowed, if you've never had a relationship with God, if you were to die today and stand before God in judgment, would your name be in the book of life? Would he look upon you and recognize you as a faithful follower and say well done, my good and faithful servant, welcome into the kingdom of heaven. Or would he look away and say I don't know who you are? If you want to have a relationship with God and walk with him, you can say a simple prayer with me today so that you can begin your walk in Christ and that your faith can take you to places that you have never even imagined, because his picture for you, that piece of the puzzle that you are today, and in Jesus' name and in his will, is part of such a grand tapestry that you couldn't fathom it.

Speaker 1:

So, with eyes closed and heads bowed, pray after me, father. I know that I'm a sinner. Lord, I ask that you cleanse me of my sins. I know that you send Jesus to die on the cross for my sins and to rise three days later. Lord, to follow you in all that I do. Lord, I ask that you come into my heart and save me. Lord, be my Lord and savior, and in Jesus name, I know that I am cleansed through his blood that he shed on the cross. I thank you for all that you do. Help me be a better version of myself so that I may follow you in all that I do, every day of my life. In Jesus' holy name, I pray Amen.

Speaker 1:

And if you said that prayer, guys, I want to welcome you into God's family. In the book of life, in the words of life in the book of Luke, it says that there are choirs of angels rejoicing over the decision that you made to accept God into your heart as your Lord and Savior. There are choirs of angels rejoicing in heaven right now as we speak, so welcome, welcome to God's family. You are now a brother or sister in Christ, and also welcome to Guidance Light, where God is always number one. I am so grateful to have you guys tune into these channels and I pray that the message that God is imparting to you through these words rings true in your heart and that you are filled with the Holy Spirit to act on everything that God has for you.

Speaker 1:

This channel cannot grow without you, whether you are serving God by spreading the word of this channel to friends and family, or maybe to somebody who needs to see this. Maybe they've lost their faith, or maybe they've lost their trust in God. God is there for them and he is willing to pick them back up with his righteous hand. Maybe in sharing it, you're serving God's purpose. You are being that light, that beacon in the darkness, that lighthouse in the middle of the storm that everyone is looking for. Remember that you cannot stand on the water. If you never venture out into the water, that storm will come and go and you will never give God the chance to show you his power. If you hide, if you run away from God and you don't give him the chance to manifest himself in your life, to give you that fulfillment that only he can give, only God has the power to change your life. Trust in him and he will guide you through whatever storm, whatever season, whatever you lack or whatever you need, god is going to provide. God is going to take you that extra mile. He is going to manifest his will in your life, so long as you have faith and trust in him.

Speaker 1:

Visit us guys on In Guidance Light at wwwguidance-lightcom.

Speaker 1:

You guys could visit us and see all kinds of cool things like send us prayer requests, promote the channel.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna start putting music that I listen to to be able to help you walk in Christ, because that is what we're doing today as a family, because this is a ministry that is led by faith Faith that I have, faith that you have, or faith that you will grow into. This isn't about anything else other than the fact that we are all his flock and God is a shepherd. He is the one who will leave the 99 for the one. You are that one, I am that one. He will leave the masses to find us and to take us to greener pastures. So long as you believe, Help me in spreading the name of this channel, donating to the ministry serving offering services. I can use all the help I can get to reach as many people. As God has intended for this channel to grow, and through you I know that we can make it. Thank you so much for tuning in. This is John from Guidance Life signing out. May God bless you and I will see you guys on the next episode.