This year is the perfect opportunity to till the soil of our heart and plant seeds of trust that create an unwavering faith in the Lord. For God is calling us, His Church, to trust Him, believe His Word, and allow His Spirit to guide us in our daily lives. He warns us to take refuge in Him and not trust in a man (Psalm 118:8) For man is fallible and subject to error.
The dictionary defines trust as “a firm belief in the reliability, truth, and strength of someone or something.” Trust accepts the truth of a statement without evidence. Biblically, faith is built upon trust. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It is a confidence, certainty, conviction, and reliance in God and His Word, while trusting and believing that He holds our lives securely in His hands.
Trusting God can be difficult, especially if people have betrayed your trust. When I was a new Christian, I believed that if people betrayed my trust, then God would do the same? Over the years, He consistently proves to be faithful to His Word as He calls me to trust Him.
Six years ago, I went through a lesson in trusting God as I battled a life-threatening allergic reaction to an antibiotic. Feeling weak and physically ill, my husband took me to the E.R., where I received a steroid shot and a script for medication.
Days passed as my condition worsened, so I saw my primary care doctor, who prescribed a different medication. With no improvement in sight, I prayed, “LORD, You said to trust You, so I trust You to either heal me or lead me to the right doctor who can offer a solution.”
I quickly got an appointment with a Vanderbilt doctor, who specialized in allergic reactions to medications. Unlike the previous doctors, she took a biopsy of my skin. I was then prescribed the correct medications and therapy.
Each day as I soaked 30 minutes in a tub of diluted bleach water and then covered by body with medicated ointment, I said, “Lord, I trust You.” To this day, my body is covered in scars to remind me of God’s faithfulness to keep me alive, as He walked with me through the storm.
The Word encourages us to pray for healing. However, God heals and restores in His time and according to His purposes. Often that road to recovery involves the medical community who work, either knowingly or unknowingly, hand-in-hand with Him to bring about healing. Unfortunately, there are those who believe that if they fail to trust God for a miracle, that they are failing in their faith as a Christian. A few years ago, we lost a dear family member because she had held fast to that mindset and did not seek medical help until it was too late.
God has provided doctors with wisdom, training, and knowledge to help us in the healing of our bodies. We should never feel guilty for seeking their help. Yes, there are times when God supernaturally steps in and miraculously heals, but more often than not, He allows us to take a path different from the one we imagined, so that we may know that He is with us, leading, guiding, and helping us to develop our faith and trust in Him.
Then there are those who suffer from a chronic medical condition in which they find no relief. The Apostle Paul had a “thorn” in his flesh— a chronic condition. He said, “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me, and He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore, I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
God does not afflict us with sickness, for He is not the author of sickness and disease. Satan who, was cast down from heaven, was given authority over this world, so when Adam and Eve believed his lie and doubted God, their sin of disobedience and unbelief set all humanity on a collision course with illness, accidents, disease, and death. Though God is not the author of these things, there are times when He will use them to refine and remove those things within hearts and souls that hinder a relationship with Him.
Sickness can also be the result of a demonic attack. The Bible describes several instances, one of which was a father, whose son was plagued with seizures. He brought him to Jesus, who rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly (Matthew 17:14-18).
The many challenges that we face on earth can either draw us closer to God or we can become angry and turn away from Him. I discovered early in my walk with God that being angry with Him was counter-productive. Instead, I have chosen to depend on His complete goodness and faithfulness to do the very best for me.
God is more concerned with the health of our soul and spirit, than He is with our flesh. For these earth suits, called bodies, are corruptible and will one day return to the dust from which they came. So, when this corruptible (the flesh) has put on incorruption (heavenly bodies), and this mortal has put on immortality, then “death is swallowed up in victory” (I Corinthians 15:54).
Why do we pass through the fires of suffering? The answer is summed up in the following scripture: “We now have this light shining in our heart, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair” (II Corinthians 4:7-12).
God allows us to pass through difficulties and affliction to test our mettle. Will we break under the pressure and turn away from Him, or will we draw closer to Him and trust Him to work all things together for our good?
PRAYER: FATHER, I surrender all that I am into Your loving and capable hands. Help me trust You in all circumstances. For You are faithful and the Rock of my salvation; Your deeds are perfect. Everything You do is just and fair. You are a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright You are (Deuteronomy 32:4). I stand on Your promise that You guard the paths of the just and protect those who are faithful to You (Proverbs 2:8). “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for You are my praise” (Jeremiah 17:14). In Jesus’ name, amen.