Trusting God
Trusting God
When I consider the last few months with illness, the death of my father-in-law, illness within my immediate family, and business challenges, I am reminded that my trust lies in one who has always been by my side. He may be carrying me at times. He may be in the midst of the struggle providing encouragement. He may be that still small voice when I’m on my knees.
I know there is only one that is authentically and unconditionally trustworthy; God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit; three in one. He was who He said He was; He is the only one who rose from the dead. He did what He said He would do; He sent the Holy Spirit to help us along the way. His love was so true He gave us the roadmap of His life; His love and His relationship with His Father not just that we could have an eternity with Him but a way to be the best “us” in this world.
Trust on our part with God is directly related to the amount of time we spend with Him in prayer, reading His word, bringing God into our everyday living. Good times, challenging times and downright tough times, it is bringing God into all of those places that determine how much we will trust God.
As we grow in faith – trust in God – we learn to trust him through the challenges we face daily. One would think after a bit over 40 years of faith in Christ, the trust would be easy, “never fail” trust in God, no fear; not so. I’m not talking about faith in salvation, or even day-to-day challenges, or things you don’t see an answer to. I’m talking about the things that collide in your life that you have no control over and you get caught like a diamond in the making under crushing pressure and you wake up praying and the small still voice of God that simply says “trust me.”
It is not what happens to you that means anything; regardless if it is your fault, someone else’s fault or simply a life event you have no control over. It is your response to those circumstances that mean everything, those responses, whether actions or words show exactly who you are and who you listen to.
It is God’s plan that we know who He is. He placed the first four books of the New Testament all about His Son, the Savior, the Truth, the mirror of God, so we could know Him first. God wanted us to get to know who He is. He wanted us to know how He loved us. He wanted us to know how to live a life of internal peace; a peace that passes all understanding. It would require us to trust Him, to follow Him, to take His direction on how to live life. If we trust Him when we come into circumstances we don’t have control over, we then can look to Him for wisdom, understanding, to choose the response that brings glory to Him with peace and joy we would never have guessed could happen.
When writing to the Romans Paul says it perfectly:
“And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.”
Romans 5:4 Living Bible (TLB)
Am I willing to trust through all situations; willing to praise Him even when I don’t understand?
Paul reminds us of the promise found in Romans:
“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience, in turn, forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!”
Romans 5:3-5 The Message Bible (MSG)
There is more to life than striving and surviving. We really can thrive!
When I trust God for all circumstances, all challenges, all hard places I find His grace is really sufficient. He not only uses all things for my good in the process He is able to touch those around me.
We have the freedom to choose to trust when it is easy to fear, grumble, complain, and wallow in self-pity. In trusting God, I am able to get up when under crushing pressure, be re-fired when exhausted and tired of being strong, love, even when it seems like I’m an empty jar, give when I’m sure there is nothing of any value left to give. It is at this very place when I trust God He steps in with an abundant amount of grace and gives me the very things I lack to succeed, to get up, give out and love so much more than I ever thought humanly possible!
God has never failed me, never not even once.
In trusting God I have found that thriving replaces fear, insecurity or bitterness. Trusting enables me to look at circumstances and ask, “What does God want me to learn, what does He want to do through me? Whose life can be affected by how I respond to this circumstance?” The answer has always been encouraging to me and often to others. Trust has provided inner strength and peace.
Trust is sometimes challenging. With people, it is inevitable that there will be a time that we are disappointed. There will be some opportunity to test your trust; sometimes it is in ourselves that we are disappointed.
When we get to know who He is by reading His word we learn how to love, how to live an incredibly full and peace-filled life that is rich with grace. We learn how to be a person that can be trusted not because of circumstances but because of character, a life filled with grace.
Today are you willing to trust God even in the tough places?
