Trust God

 

 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord”              (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV)

The Oxford American Dictionary defines “trust” as having a good relationship built on what I refer to the following as “The Seven Building Blocks of Trust.” Trust is paramount to believing and having faith; therefore, I have defined each building block, according to Scripture:

1. Confidence is complete faith and trust in a person or something. “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask,  we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:13-14 ESV).
2. Belief is an opinion, a view, a conviction, and a way of thinking. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel,” because “all things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 1:15; 9:23 ESV).
3. Faith is complete trust and confidence in someone or something. Faith in God comes through revelation of His Word. “For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17). In other words, faith has all assurance and trusts God.
4. Assurance is confidence in the word, promise, pledge, vow, guarantee, and commitment made by another. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). Faith believes God and His Word for what is hoped and prayed for—before there is manifestation of that request.
5. Certainty is a confidence, conviction, and assurance in the integrity and honesty of a person. However, “it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).
6. Conviction is an unmovable belief, faith, sureness, confidence, and reliance in something or someone. “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16). We are either convicted by the truth and reliability of God’s Word and we live by it, or we do not hold to that conviction. There is no middle ground—no fence riding with God.
7. Reliance is dependence and trust in someone or something. Whom do we rely on? Do we rely or trust in ourselves, the economy, our job, our spouse, etc., or do we rely on God?

I learned firsthand the importance of trusting God. When I was a new Christian, I had many challenges as a divorced mother of a young son. However, I believed that God would take care of us, no matter the circumstances. The more I trusted God, the more He graced our lives with big and small miracles. I had complete confidence that He would take care of our needs, and He always did.

As time passed, I began praying that God would send a godly man to be my husband. While praying one day, I thought I heard God speak into my spirit that He would be sending him “soon.”

“Soon” turned into months and then years. I became angry with God and began dating a non-believer. I did not know God’s Word that instructs us, “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing…(Hebrew 3:8 ESV). I had hardened my heart and no longer trusted God, because I erroneously believed He had lied to me.

Had I known God’s Word, I would have known “God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19-21 ESV). I did not know that “for all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Instead of rebelling, I should have said, “Amen. I trust You and Your timing.”

Interestingly, the Hebrew definition of “amen” means truth, certainty, and is used adverbially as an expression of agreement, consent, belief, and affirmation. Several months later, I became convicted of my rebellion, repented, and broke off the relationship. I then re-surrendered my heart to the lordship of Jesus Christ. A few short months later, God brought a godly man into our lives who would become my husband of 39 years and counting.

God is a good and faithful Father who loves His children. However, as His children, we must learn to first and foremost trust Him and not lean on our own understanding, because He tells us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV).

God will do things in His time and not in our time. “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3). God has an appointed time for everything and we cannot change or rush it. He will do what He has promised—no sooner and no later.

Trusting God is the key element to faith. For without trust, it is impossible to believe God. And without faith, it is impossible to please Him. Any close relationship formed with another person, has been developed over time, bringing about a level of trust. So that truth begs the question, “How can we trust God, if we have not formed a relationship with Him?”

How do we form a relationship with God of the universe? We start with prayer (talking with God as we would talk with a friend) (John 15:15). The next step is reading and studying His Word, because “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training…” (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)

God assures us that if we seek Him, we will find Him, when we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found by us (Jeremiah 29:13). But why does He tell us to seek Him with all our heart? The “heart” is mentioned 963 times in the King James Version; therefore, God places much emphasis on the heart. Jesus said that where our treasure is there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

What kind of treasures are we storing in our hearts? Hopefully they are the Words of God.

PRAYER: LORD, I ask that You give me a hunger for Your Word, so that I may know You and trust You with all my heart. I want to be a person of faith who does not doubt, but believes and trusts You to fulfill Your promises and to perform Your Word in my life. In Jesus name, amen.