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Tag Archives: Verse of the Month

He Is Trustworthy {Proverbs 3:5-6}

He Is Trustworthy {Proverbs 3:5-6}

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Entering into diaper changes with the twins these days is like stepping onto a battlefield. (When I read that sentence back to Luke, he interjected that “entering the apocalypse” was a more accurate description.) From the moment I lift them onto the changing table until the very last onesie snap is buttoned up, they writhe and squirm, scream and sputter, and make my job as exhaustingly difficult as possible. They fight me in every way they know how, leaving us all in tears by the end, and all the more resistant to the next time we will be forced to wage this perpetual battle.

I wish they understood that if they would simply give in to the process—if they would allow me to change them smoothly and efficiently while chatting and singing together—the entire change could be a pleasant experience for all of us. I wish they could trust that I have their best intentions (fresh booties and clean new clothes) in mind, that I really do know what is right and good and best for their hygiene, and that I am good at this job, even when—to their young minds—it seems as though I intend only to torture them.

Lately, every time I enter the war zone that is the diaper change, my mind has been turning to the ways I am like this with God. He is my nurturer, caretaker, and provider who knows what is best for me. . . yet I resist Him in every way possible, balking and screaming about His methods because they don’t always feel good, and trying to entrust my care to my own inadequate methods.

The past several years have been a massive trust exercise for me. Through parenting, infertility, the pandemic, and most recently my mental health struggles, I’ve been forced to my knees, with no option BUT to trust that God is in control because I so clearly have no agency over my circumstances or outcomes. I’ve made great strides in learning to trust God in the big-picture aspects of my life’s trajectory, and even in many of the smaller day-to-day scenarios where I am tempted wrestle the reigns from God’s hands but have chosen to relinquish them instead. I’ve learned to set fear and foreboding aside, exchanging my own intentions, desires, and solutions for His.

There is one area, though, where I’ve begun to recognize a complete inability or even desire to trust God: the realms of knowledge, facts, and truth.

The chaotic events of the past year have exposed our nation to the precariousness of our institutions. We’ve become hauntingly aware that our world is not as safe or predictable as we’d imagined, and we’ve finally gained a (healthy) perspective of how little control we wield over our own future. I’ve largely found peace in the midst of the unknown, recognizing that any former semblance of control was a facade; this acknowledgement has been a difficult pill to swallow, to be sure, but I’ve done so, and been appreciative of this more accurate view of reality.

However. . .  in this era of fake news and conspiracy theories and massive politicization of everything, I’ve struggled with not being able to accumulate accurate information about all that is happening. I have plowed through news podcasts, articles, and even books, seeking indisputable facts or simply someone whose perspectives I could trust on a plethora of issues, from how to approach COVID and the election, to how to navigate political sparring and racial tension, and even how to interpret God’s Word in light of these unprecedented circumstances.

My efforts have been futile: at some point, every teacher or source has let me down. At best, their information has been misguided; at worst it has been manipulative and clearly out of line with the few core things I do know to be true. I have not found a single organization or news outlet or political party or even one individual whose views fully align with my own. . . . And where I disagree with how to see the world, it’s impossible for me trust that what they see—and what they are telling ME to see (and feel and believe)—is right. And I won’t lie: this has left me feeling helpless and hopeless, plagued by a sense of loneliness in my views and nostalgia for an easier time when my world seemed so secure, and so very black and white.

But it is in this desolation that the Lord has met me, gently leading me yet again to trust in HIM. He has shown me that in looking to others for answers, I have been trusting them over God. I have given the keys of my assurance to untrustworthy caretakers, expecting them to fulfill roles they were never meant to hold. And in seeking to understand, I have made an idol out of little-t truths rather than turning my heart, mind, and trust toward the Ultimate TRUTH of WHO God is, what He says, and what I know of His character and His divine will.

I memorized Proverbs 3:5-6 at summer camp when I was ten years old, reciting those comforting words around a campfire while we danced along to silly songs. The passage has remained at the forefront of my mind in the decades since, but its message hasn’t always been close to my heart. Lately, though, these verses have become a lifeline, reminding me to turn COMPLETELY to God and trust only in Him—not in news outlets, not Bible teachers, not even what my own mind is telling me. My earthly sources will often get it wrong, but God NEVER will. He will guide me in every decision, in every opinion, in every step that I take.

I especially love these verses in The Passion Translation, which reminds me to “be intimate with him” in all that I do. This requires some effort from me: I need to be earnestly seeking knowledge from the Word, bathing in it daily and soaking up its eternal wisdom. I need to be in continuous prayer, talking with God over every decision and action, and making space for Him to answer. I need to confess my mistrust and my quickness to exchange earthly facts and human teachings for Godly Truth.

Lord God, help us trust in You and You alone—for our daily bread, our hourly knowledge, and our minute-by-minute assurance that YOU are in control.

Filed Under: Reflections
He Is Worthy [Revelation 4:11]

He Is Worthy [Revelation 4:11]

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

(This year, I am returning to an old practice of choosing a passage of Scripture to memorize and meditate on throughout each month. And I’m inviting you along for the journey, beginning today with my January Verse of the Month.) It was two days after Christmas and time to take down the decorations. I placed… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
September Verse of the Month // Psalm 25:4-5

September Verse of the Month // Psalm 25:4-5

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Many Christians talk about how they regularly hear from God, sometimes even audibly. But even though I’ve had a personal relationship with Christ for most of my life, this direct hearing from God isn’t an area where I have a lot of experience. Through the years, I have had moments when I was confident God… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
August Verse of the Month // John 14:27

August Verse of the Month // John 14:27

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

While I’m doing my best to embrace all of the wonderful aspects of being pregnant, I won’t deny that pregnancy is an anxious time for me. In the beginning, right after seeing those two pink lines, there was the ever-present fear that this wouldn’t be a viable pregnancy. Now that I’m well into my third… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
July Verse of the Month: James 3:17

July Verse of the Month: James 3:17

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Last month in one of her daily Bible recaps, Tara-Leigh Cobble explored the definitions of three frequently-confused concepts: Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding. Tara-Leigh defined knowledge as “having the facts.” In a world where we carry an endless supply of books, encyclopedias, and news sources around in our pockets (or even on our wrists), the facts… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
June Verse of the Month: Ephesians 1:3-5

June Verse of the Month: Ephesians 1:3-5

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

We’ve all heard the quote (attributed to various individuals) about the two most important days in your life being the day you were born and the day you find out why. In a recent sermon, our pastor suggested that the third most important day in an individual’s life is the day you begin to wonder… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
May Verse of the Month: Colossians 3:1-3

May Verse of the Month: Colossians 3:1-3

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

A few Sundays ago, during a sermon about Christ’s death and resurrection, our pastor taught us the Hebrew word zakar, which can be roughly translated as “remember, recall, or call to mind.” I have a fairly decent memory and enjoy recalling or reflecting on past moments and events. But zakar is different from this type… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
April Verse of the Month: Deuteronomy 6:4-7

April Verse of the Month: Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Last month, as part of my plan to read through the Bible in 2019, I worked my way through the book of Deuteronomy. To be completely candid, I wasn’t looking forward to this particular book. After surviving the laws of Leviticus and the genealogies of Numbers, I was longing to dive into a part of… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
March Verse of the Month: Psalm 107:1-2

March Verse of the Month: Psalm 107:1-2

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Redemption is one of my favorite themes to encounter in fiction . . . and in real life! An essay in the Oxford Handbook of English Literature defines redemption this way: “Redemption is a powerful and uplifting theme that acknowledges the human potential to succeed after having failed. Theological understandings of it focus on how… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
February Verse of the Month: Psalm 147:11

February Verse of the Month: Psalm 147:11

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

Though I don’t write about it often, our efforts to grow our family have been a prominent part of my life for the better part of a year. I wish that I could relegate secondary infertility to just a small corner of my life, but the unfortunate truth is that this “thorn in the flesh” manages to weasel… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
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  • Hi, I’m Kendra! I am a follower of Jesus, an avid reader and podcast-listener, an Enneagram enthusiast, and a big fan of lists. Born and raised in Southern California, I am now living life in Austin, Texas, with my husband Luke, our son Charleston (2015), twins Sullivan and Kalinda (2019), and Arlo the Labradoodle. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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