“But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness; he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” (Psalm 9:7-10 KJV)
There is much talk today about trust. What is trust?
The dictionary says trust is “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence; confident expectation of something; the obligation or responsibility imposed on a person in whom confidence or authority is placed.”
The Bible is full of verses calling us to trust in God, in His Love, in His ways, in His protection. The word trust shows up mostly in the Book of Psalms. The Old Testament revolves around the Hebrew word “batach.” This means to act boldly with security. This is shown in Psalm 91:2: “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” (KJV) It is also reflected in the New Testament with the Greek word “pepoithēsis” which has the meaning of submitting with confidence. “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 3:4 NLT)
This is all nice and well. But how much are we really willing to commit our trust to God? Before answering, consider these situations. Do we really trust the Lord when everything seems out of control and He appears absent? Do we commit our trust when He's called us to move in a certain direction that seems risky and does not seem to make sense? Or are we willing to trust when painful circumstances continue, making us wonder if the Lord really cares at all?
We all have times of doubt when our expectations of God are crushed by the reality of our situation. Many of us want to trust Him more but aren't sure how to do so.
In verse 10 of today’s passage David reveals that the key lies in knowing the Lord. Distance in our relationship with Jesus results in a lack of faith, but those who are in close relationship with Christ find it easier to trust Him wholeheartedly.
Whenever we are tempted to doubt, remember these three essential truths about the Lord:
He is completely sovereign. “The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.” (Ps. 103:19 NLT) God has everything in His control even when we can't see it or recognize it.
He is infinitely wise. “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Rom. 11:33 NLT) The Lord knows every side of the situation, the up side and the down side, inside and out. And every He knows every event past, present, and future.
He loves perfectly. When God came and met Moses, He declared His love for His people. “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6 NLT) “Love and faithfulness” focused on whom? Is it Himself? No, His love and faithfulness is focused on you and me. Without exception, He always chooses what is best for us, even if it's not easy.
We grow in faith, not by trying harder to believe but, rather, by seeking God’s face in all we do. We trust the Holy Spirit will lead us to what God has planned for us. But we must submit with confidence knowing that God is in control and act boldly in all we do so that what we do exalts the name of Jesus Christ. This involves doing all we can to get to know Him--in particular, spending time in His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Then our trust in Him will grow as we learn that He never forsakes those who seek Him.
The early American Indians had a particular way of training young boys to become Indian braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a thick forest to spend the entire night alone. Up until then, he had never been away from his family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.
When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was scared to death! Every time a twig snapped, he would think that a wild animal was getting ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, and the sun began to rise the next morning; the boy looked around and saw flowers, trees, and a path.
And then, to his complete amazement, he saw the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. And he had been there all night long.
God is like that. Even when we don’t see Him, He’s there. He is faithful and true. He has promised, and He has kept His promise. He is our refuge in times of trouble, and we can trust Him on that.
Still Alive...
11 years ago
