Is trusting an easy feat? Do you find it hard to trust those around you? Do you struggle with trusting in God? How can I trust in someone I cannot see? Why should I trust someone who has hurt me?
Do any of these questions sound familiar? Have they gone through your head at one time or another? Whether they are about God or a person, is this something you have struggled with like me? This is going to be a vulnerable post for me. I struggle with trusting in people and God. I am learning the process of trusting God more quickly. By learning to trust in God more He will give the strength and wisdom when it comes to trusting people. Someone gave me advice once and they said, "You are thinking like God as a human father. We know that humans can let us down or break that trust. God is a heavenly Father who is faithful until the end." Isn't this statement so true when our thinking of God is skewed? When we do not understand or know our God, we will not trust him like we should. You only trust someone when you know them on a deeper level. We will not know God this way if we do not consistently learn about him in the Word.
There is the idea that trust needs to be earned. There is nothing more He can do to earn our trust. He sacrificed his only Son to die for our sins. Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as his Father's will. How better to prove your love for someone than to give up your life? What would you sacrifice for God? Luke 9:23-24 says, "And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." Dying to oneself shows complete trust in God. This is difficult to do because of our sinful nature.
Trust can mean something different to each person. I asked close friends of mine what trusting in God means to them. Here is what they had to say:
"To me, it means emptying myself of all my desires and expectations, and completely leaning on Him in acceptance of His will in my circumstances."-Kim
"Trusting God means complete confidence that no matter what happens or how painful or bad it seems, God is in complete control and doing things for my good. Of course, He defines good for us in Romans 8:28-29, and that is to be conformed in Christ's image."-Jessie
"To trust in God means to believe in every promise in the Bible and allow God to be in every aspect of your life."-Heather
I think they defined it even though there is a slight difference in each of their definitions. To me, it is wholeheartedly being confident in Him and His character. It is being confident that He will do what He says He will, and that he will not act contrary to His character as we countless times in the Bible. Trust is a choice based on faith in Christ.
I think of the story of Job. In Job 1:1 it says, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil." (my emphasis with the underlining) Later in the chapter, we see that Satan goes before God and says that if He would take away what Job had he would curse God. So, God told Satan that he could touch what Job had but not Job himself. So that is what he did. Job lost everything including his children. Then in Job 1:20-22, it says, "Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshipped. And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." (my emphasis with italics) Wow! What trust in God and His faithfulness. How many of us can say that we would not rant and ask God "Why?". When Daniel was two years old, he was mauled by our family dog. He was within one-quarter of an inch from losing his eye. I will admit I did ask God "Why?" as I was angry such a defenseless child was hurt in my care. I had so many wonderful people in my life who supported and encouraged us through prayer and God's word. I even had a couple I did not know stop us in the hallway of the hospital and pray over Daniel and his recovery. This was a hard time for me, but I learned more to trust in God and his faithfulness to me. This was a growth in my faith.
In Chapter 2 of Job, Satan causes Job to have boils over his whole body. Job's wife (who is supposed to be his helpmate) tells him in verse 9, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." Woah! Where is the support? I think of my wedding vows "In sickness and health". In verse 10 Job says, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. In verses 11-13, Jobs' friends come into the picture. In these verses, we see they sit and mourn with him. They start with support for Job, but we see in chapters 4-5, 8, and 11 that his friends tell him that he must have done something wrong that has happened to him. Yet he still trusted in God to take care of him no matter what. I am currently learning in my bible study group that we can praise God despite our circumstances. We see throughout the Psalms that David still praised the Lord even through his sufferings. Back to Job, his friends raked him over the coals for his faithfulness to God.
Then in Job 32, Elihu (the youngest of all the friends) rebuked his friends for not encouraging Job with wisdom. They kept telling Job what he did wrong. Then in chapter 33, he rebukes Job. He tells him haven't you spoken words to me about repentance and faithfulness to God? He says in verses 29-30, "Behold, God does these things, twice, three times, with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life". In Chapters 34-37, he encourages Job with truth. In Chapters 38-41the Lord answers Job. The Lord tells him all that he has done through the creation of everything and asks Job "Where were you?". In Chapter 42 verses 1-6, Job repents of the doubt he began to have. Then in verses 7-9, he rebuked Jobs' friends and accepted their repentance.
In verses 10-15 of chapter 42, the Lord blessed Job with twice as much as he had before. When we trust in the Lord and remain faithful, we will be blessed beyond our comprehension. One of my favorite songs is by Laura Story it is called Blessings. She talks about how blessings come in different forms. We even need to look for the blessings in the rain. Sometimes this is very hard to do. Many times, I have asked "Why?" when things are not good. When there is suffering, I do not want to find joy. I want to wallow, but that is not what God wants us to do. James 2:2-4 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of all kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." We have trials so that we can grow in our faith. A favorite podcast I listened to was called Joy Right Here by Sarah Fedorko. It was such an encouragement to find joy wherever you are in your life, even through the pain. Job was a great example of not losing his faith despite his circumstances.
This is one of the countless examples in the Bible that I have read and has helped me with my faith and trust in God. I mentioned my son's injuries he sustained earlier. This was a trying time in the beginning, but I soon felt God's presence and was encouraged by so many people. Another way I work through the process is by praying and asking
God to help me to have faith in Him and to give me strength to trust Him completely. It is getting easier the older I get and the more I study His Word and seek His presence. During the day I listen to worship music and Christian podcasts. This helps me to keep my focus on him. I also ask family and friends for prayer especially when I am struggling. My pastor has recommended listening to sermons. He said those are a great encouragement to him. There are so many great resources out there that you can read. Nothing can take the place of the Bible, but many authors out there are using their gifts for the Lord. At my church, our ladies' group has gone through many great Bible studies. I have been challenged by each one and have grown through each one as well.
It is important to be in the Word every day even if it is listening to it. It is vital to have a strong prayer life. Speaking to God is the best remedy when we truly trust and lean on Him. Keeping your focus on Him will help you with your reactions in your daily life and relationships. How do we keep our focus on him? Listen to sermons, read your Bible, get into a good Bible-preaching church, listen to worship music, fellowship with other Christians, and find an accountability partner. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my blog. If you have any questions, need help finding a good church or resources, please email me.
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