There have been only a couple of seasons of my life that I haven’t had to wrestle with the question, “can I trust God”.
One of those seasons was throughout my childhood when I really could have cared less about God. Why would I need to trust Him?
The other is that rare season of life where everything is going smoothly and I have no challenges or stress. I don’t NEED to trust him.
Both are very dangerous places to be…to have no interest in Him or feeling so self-sufficient that I have no need of him. (This is one of the primary reasons God does allow so many trials in our lives, BTW)
The Bible says this about trusting God.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)
6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:6–7 (ESV)
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. Isaiah 26:3–4 (ESV)
And here is the ringer…
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
Without faith, it is impossible to please God and trust is always a key component of faith. To trust in something that we can not see.
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
So, can we trust God? It is the preeminent question for those claiming to Follow Jesus. You will be constantly tempted to trust in yourself.
To change God’s word to fit your needs.
To ignore his instructions as archaic, outdated, or unenlightened.
To bail on Him when we don’t understand what He is doing.
In the end, I trust because God is my King. That’s why I don’t get embroiled in so many political rants. I am way more interested in His Kingdom than the kingdom of the USA.
As King, he is sovereign. David’s prayer is such an awesome picture of this.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:11–13 (ESV)
He is sovereign, so I don’t have to always understand, but I do have to obey. I do have to trust. I do have to seek Him first.
For me, trusting God means…
I should do whatever God says I should do.
Conversely, I shouldn’t do whatever God says I shouldn’t do. He knows best
Whatever God says is good IS good, because He said so.
Whatever doors God closes should have been closed.
Whatever trials God does allow do have some greater purpose.
As I’ve grown in my faith, I do ask this question less and less as do other maturing Christians. Over time, God shows Himself faithful time and time again. That experience coupled with a deepening understanding of God’s sovereignty tends to remove the fear that I can’t trust Him.
It still must be said, at the end of the day, trusting God is a choice. You have to choose to trust Him even when you don’t see the purpose or the good or the light at the end of the tunnel.
You have to choose to submit. Choose to obey. Choose to see your world, life and circumstances through His eyes (as best we can) instead of your own.
God isn’t afraid of the question that we began with. He is most concerned with how you answer it throughout your life.
Pastor Mark
Lead Pastor