Trust and Obey
Trust and obey,
for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey.
Hello, my name is Juliana Marie Toth, and this is my story on how the Lord helped me come to the end of myself and saved me. My family started attending Lehigh Valley Baptist Church soon after I was born, so I have had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home. The importance of being saved was stressed to me at a very early age by my parents, friends and teachers. Even though I knew the importance of being saved, I didn’t fully understand and continued to live my life from day to day, trying to be a good girl and please those around me.
On December 22, 2015, I was having a sleepover at my cousin’s house and we were listening to a sermon entitled “Look+Live.” Although I had heard many sermons throughout my life, this specific sermon touched my heart like none before. It was simply on the topic of salvation and that if you did not see yourself as a sinner and accept Jesus into your heart you would end up spending eternity in Hell. After listening to that sermon, a sudden burst of fear came upon me. I realized that I was a sinner and wasn’t saved. The Lord opened my eyes and heart to see my true state of sin and accept Him as my personal Savior. I knew then that I needed to surrender my whole heart and life to Jesus. On that day, I can say with true confidence that I repented of my sins and gave my life fully to Christ.
Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God.”
A few months after I had gotten saved, fears and doubts started to arise in my heart. I was allowing the devil to steal my joy, and I was believing his lies. I felt like something was wrong with me, why was I feeling this way? A few years go by, and I was listening to a sermon my youth pastor was preaching entitled, “The Problem of Obedience.”
"On that day, I can say with true confidence that I repented of my sins and gave my life fully to Christ."
During his message, I realized that allowing myself to give into the fears and doubts the devil was filling my mind with was a sin, and if I did not stop and trust in God alone, my torment would only continue. I reflected back on my life since the time of my profession of faith and observed the Fruits of the Spirit that I had seen producing and growing in my life.
This helped show me that there was no reason for me to question or doubt my salvation. I had the assurance I was looking for. That day, I decided to lean on the promises of God, and if a fear or doubt would come my way, I would cast it down. Even though I still struggle with doubts and fears from time to time, I remind myself of the verse, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
If you have ever made a profession of faith and struggle with doubts like I did, reflect back on your life and see if you see a true change in your life. If you’ve never realized you’re a sinner and repented of your sins, I urge you to give your heart to Jesus today!
Not a doubt or a fear,
not a sigh or a tear
Can abide while we trust and obey.