Trusting God

Ten Minutes in Light of Forever

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

“When God gave me a revelation of forever,
of eternity, everything changed.”

After sending this message to a group of friends, I sat back and thanked God, for perhaps the thousandth time, for giving me a revelation of forever, for helping me grasp eternity. That moment of thankfulness led to a conversation about the difference between understanding and revelation.

You can have both.

We gain understanding in many ways— through study, through logic and reason… We gain understanding of God’s Word through spending time with it, meditating on it, digging into it, leaning on the Holy Spirit as our teacher…

Revelation is something different: It comes directly from God, and it bypasses the requirement for understanding. Where understanding acquaints you with truth, revelation confronts you with it.

One day at church camp I was in chapel listening to the minister and came to that moment. I’d heard enough about salvation that I knew the basics, but I didn’t really understand it. Nonetheless, in an instant the conviction settled in my soul.

Without a doubt, I knew I needed to be saved so I stepped into the aisle. It wasn’t an emotional thing; it was more a logical reaction to sudden knowledge. I didn’t even comprehend the magnitude of my decision until I saw my camp counselor crying.

Much later, I came to the realization that what I’d experienced was revelation knowledge. It was communication straight from God that convinced me of my need for salvation. I didn’t have to understand it. I didn’t even have to feel anything. I simply knew the truth, acted on the truth, and my life changed in an instant. There have been several times in my walk with God that He has given me such revelation and changed things instantly.

There have also been at least two times I specifically asked God for revelation on things I was desperate to comprehend. The first was the Rapture of the Church. Witnessing was hard for me and I felt that if I could just grasp the truth of the Rapture, and the reality of people missing it, I would be more driven to witness.

After a time, God gave me that revelation. And after the revelation, as I studied, I also gained understanding.

The same happened with forever. I’d had my blog “Eternally Planted” for years. The title is based off part of Ecclesiastes 3:11 in the NLT: “…He has planted eternity in the human heart…” Eternity is planted inside us even if we fail to recognize it. I think that’s why so many believe in reincarnation—because man has an instinctive knowledge that this life isn’t everything.

When I named my blog what I did, I had some understanding of forever, but at some point I realized I needed revelation. So I asked God for it. It didn’t come instantly, but one day God dropped it into my spirit in a way that lit up my world—and it changed everything about the way I saw my life.

I’d been married to my narcissistic husband for decades and was now responsible for keeping him alive and healthy, or as healthy as I could when he seemed intent on destroying his body. Every day was a struggle and my stress level stayed dangerously high. So this wasn’t a theoretical lesson. It came in the middle of a very real, very heavy season.

But then there was that day. In an instant, I suddenly had it. I knew in my innermost being that this life is nothing compared to the life I will have in eternity. That very hour, I told God that, if I had to live the rest of my life as I had been, it was ok. Because in light of eternity, this life is only ten minutes—and I can do anything for ten minutes.

Life didn’t get easier, but my focused changed. I was no longer looking at what was directly in front of me, but at what is waiting down the road. When you suddenly see a broad, beautiful vista ahead, walking becomes less frustrating and more of a challenge you’re willing to face.

We need understanding, obviously. But we also need revelation, and the beautiful thing is that God is ready and willing to give it. For me, it normally comes after He’s highlighted something I’m reading in the Word, after I’ve taken time to meditate on it, mull it over, and spend time talking to Him about it as I grow increasingly hungry for answers.

And sometimes I just ask.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Potiphar’s Trust: Proof that Letting Go is Possible

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment
An open hand symbolizing trust and release, paired with the words “Learn from Potiphar,” reflecting the lesson of letting go and trusting God.

Have you ever considered looking to Potiphar as an example of how you should walk as a Christian?

Neither had I—until recently.

I’ve been reading The Master’s Indwelling, by Andrew Murray, and in one of the essays he pointed out something I’ve seen probably a hundred times, but never really SAW.

Genesis 39:1-6 NET
“Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, purchased him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. The LORD was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. His master observed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made everything he was doing successful. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar appointed Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned. From the time Potiphar appointed him over his household and over all that he owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the LORD was on everything that he had, both in his house and in his fields. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate.”

Potiphar saw the evidence of God’s hand on Joseph’s life, and as a result…

“Potiphar appointed Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned.”
“So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care”

AND

“he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate”

Even though I’ve been thinking about this for days, meditating on it, mulling it over, I’m still sitting here with my mind blown. Potiphar was a heathen. As far as we know, he knew nothing about Joseph’s God beyond the evidence of his own eyes.

But he had enough trust in Joseph and the God Joseph served that he literally trusted Joseph to take care of everything. As Joseph later explained to Potiphar’s wife, she was the only thing Joseph didn’t have access to and power over.

Take a minute to really think about this. I’m serious. I’m encouraging you right now to pause your reading and actually consider what we’re seeing here. This article will still be here when you get back.

[pause]

I’m honestly hoping you’re coming back to this with your own thoughts as I type mine.

This man was almost surely a heathen. He couldn’t have known anything about Joseph’s God. Who would have taught him? Yet he had enough faith in Joseph that he totally stopped worrying about what surely had to be significant wealth?

No wealthy man I know of has ever handed the entirety of his estate over to the care of someone else, to live the rest of his days not worrying about any of it.

I look at Potiphar and I think about how much worry Christians tend to live in. We know intellectually that God has promised to take care of us as long as we follow His lead, doing as He says, but how often do we instinctively try to take back control from the very God we claim to trust?

We’re not alone. Abram did the same thing; he and Sarai ran ahead of God and, by having Ishmael, made things a lot harder on themselves.

So we might be tempted to give ourselves an out. After all, if Abram/Abraham and so many other heroes of the Bible failed to truly trust God then surely God knows I’m just as weak as they were. Right?

But then I look at Potiphar and I have to answer, “Wrong.”

It’s been staring me in the face all this time and I’ve only just seen it. If Potiphar, who knew nothing of the God I serve, was able to fully put everything into Joseph’s hands, then I am capable of putting everything into the hands of the God I know and love. And leave it there!

And not worry about anything except what I want to eat for dinner.

Potiphar is proof.
It can be done.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Prepare for Surprises

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

If you read my post from yesterday, From Perseverance to Prepare: My Word for 2026, you know that the word God gave me for 2026 is PREPARE. So you can imagine my reaction when I received Rick Renner’s newsletter today and the subject line was “Prepare for What’s Ahead.”

If you are not familiar with Rick Renner, I strongly suggest you check him out. He has a lot available on YouTube, has tremendous resources at Renner.org, has written I have no idea how many books, and every year God gives him a word that proves true.

I wish I could share the newsletter with you, but it’s copyrighted. So instead I urge you to check out this video in which he reads the word God gave him. It is very much in line with what God has been speaking to me, which is always exciting.

I love it when God confirms what He’s already spoken to me!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

From Perseverance to Prepare: My Word for 2026

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment
Field of stars with the word Perseverance and its definition

I’m not one of those who intentionally comes up with a theme or word for the coming year, but for the past several years God has given me one, and last year’s was perseverance.

Oh my, did it apply!

In 2025, I got to exercise perseverance in ways I’d never have expected. One of the biggest involved self-education. They say it’s important to keep learning new things if you want your mind to stay sharp, and I have been – or I’ve been attempting to.

Learning Spanish hasn’t been easy. In fact, I gave myself a break last month, though I fully intend to pick it back up this week. No, I don’t have a literal need to learn Spanish, but we have a large Hispanic population in our area and in my church, and I want to be able to talk to them in their language. It’s been a struggle, and those who are helping me are having to be very patient, but I’m trying.

And then there is technology and apps. I do not like learning new technology; it’s why I keep my cell phones until I have no choice but to upgrade. But this year?

Whether I’ve been at work or at home, I’ve had a list of things I need to learn. I’m making progress in all areas, including surprising progress in TikTok, which is an app I never even remotely intended to use for more than scrolling.

And then there are finances. I want out of debt! I’m working on it, intentionally making good choices as much as I can. I got slammed financially a few times this year, but I’m still persevering and am determined that the day will come when I will be able to say I’m completely out of debt.

So yes, perseverance is still a word I’m leaning on, reminding myself of. It’s like learning a new language – once you learn the word you keep it in front of you, continue using it so you don’t lose it.

I did learn perseverance in a whole new way in 2025, and I plan to keep on walking in it.

And what, you ask, is my word for 2026?

God gave it to me at the last minute, so to speak, in our New Year’s Eve service at church. It’s prepare. I know part of what God meant in giving me this one. We’ve talked about it and He’s told me to prepare both to level up spiritually and to share Jesus more. There’s more coming, I know, but He’s gracious in that He only tells me what He knows I can handle hearing. He’s good about that. In the meantime, I’m leaning on Proverbs 16:3 for this one. In the NLT, it reads:

Commit your actions to the LORD,
and your plans will succeed.

I’m looking forward to great things in 2026. I hope you are too!

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

Trust the Process

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment
DIY shelving unit reminding us to trust the process step by step

Sometimes things don’t look right mid-process,
but that doesn’t mean they won’t fit in the end.

Have you ever assembled a piece of boxed furniture?

I have, several times. It’s amusing, I suppose; I don’t have the patience required to refinish the beautiful wood pieces I instinctively love, but I can sit down with a couple screwdrivers and “build” these pieces without a problem.

The funny thing is that, with pretty much everything I’ve ever assembled, I’ve hit a spot where I honestly thought it wasn’t going to come together right. It happened again yesterday, while building the unit in this picture. I sat staring at it, debating whether I could safely move ahead.

I was following the instructions to the letter (and the diagrams). I even went back through to ensure I’d not skipped something somewhere, but it looked like the next step was going to throw off the fit.

And I heard God whisper, “Trust the process.”

So that’s what I did. I chose to trust that I’d done everything correctly and what I saw as an issue would correct itself when I made the next move. It did, of course, and now I have better organization in my makeup area as well as room for more books in my primary bookcase.

And I have another object lesson to add to my collection–another reminder that all I have to do is follow the directions God gives me, step by step, and trust the process. Proverbs 3:5-6 has served me well for years.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.

We instinctively want advance warning about what’s around the next corner, detailed directions from our current location to our destination. But God isn’t like GPS apps, and our ultimate destination is so far down the road that we’d be overwhelmed.

The most important part of our relationship with Him is trust (AKA faith), and He will allow us to go through various experiences so we can build our faith and come out stronger. Our spiritual growth is a process, and as His kids we need to trust Him–and trust that process.

When we do, everything fits together perfectly. The final product may not be what we were expecting, but it will always be what He wanted for us.

Trust the process. Trust Him.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C

God’s Question That Stopped Me in My Tracks

Tammy M CardwellLeave a comment

I was thanking God for a friend a few days ago. Some time back, she volunteered to handle a specific task every month. It’s not super complicated, but it does take time and requires her to run an errand that otherwise wouldn’t fall on her. Month after month, she consistently covers this project for me. “I’m so grateful for her, “I told God. “I know I can hand her this job and she’ll get it done.”

I meant what I said, every word of it. My heart was full of gratitude. Then God asked me a question.

He wanted to know why, if I trust her so easily, I sometimes doubt Him and whether He will “get the job done.”

OUCH!

We’re talking punch-in-the-gut stuff here. I like to think I’m a woman of strong faith, but He wouldn’t have asked me the question if it didn’t apply. Do I really, at times, trust a human friend more than I trust my God? I mean, this is GOD we’re talking about. Of course He will get the job done, whatever that job is!

I do tell Him on occasion that it’s not Him I’m doubting, but me. More specifically, I too often doubt my own ability to hear Him clearly. Did I really hear God’s voice, or did I go off on a tangent of my own creating? Yes, I have those moments – more than I like to admit. I wonder if this is part of what He’s talking about, that in doubting my own ability to hear Him I’m doubting His ability to help me understand. Possibly?

I’m still thinking about this one, about how I have at least on occasion failed to trust The Creator of the Universe, how at times I apparently put more faith in the one who holds my project in her hands than in the One who holds my whole life in His hands.

This faith walk? One of its most important factors is self-assessment – making sure we are who we think we are, and repenting if we’re not. If we’re not listening and judging ourselves when He asks questions like this one, we’re not getting the job done.

Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C