Trust in God

 

 

My birthday was last month and I had a nice day. We had dinner with our daughter, my wife made a beautiful birthday cake, and I got some nice presents and cards.

 

The lead-up to my birthday made me think about faith and trust. I trusted my wife and daughter to do their best to make it a good day for me, even though I didn’t know all the details. My trust was based on many years of birthday celebrations that I’ve had and knowing the love they have for me.

 

We often trust people without giving it much thought, whether they be family/loved ones or professional people such as doctors, pilots, or repairmen. We trust the former because of their love for us and the latter because of their knowledge and abilities.

 

While we confidently trust in fallible people, we sometimes find it hard to trust in God, who is all loving, all knowing, and all powerful. Why is this? I’m not sure, but I think a contributing factor may be that we tend to take God for granted. We see the good things that happen to us and attribute them to our own efforts, the efforts of other people, or just good fortune. We also like to be in control. When difficulties arise, we try to do everything within our own power first and only come to God when we have failed on our own.

 

We can trust God with every aspect of our lives. We’re reminded, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water…..It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

 

God’s infinite love never changes; He always seeks the best result for us and He has the knowledge and power to make it happen. We need to be spending time in prayer so that we can be open to what He is telling us and what He is doing for us. Just being in His presence can make things clear for me. I also find that my Bible study often speaks to me about what I am going through that day.

 

God has done so much for us. If we keep in mind all the ways we have experienced His love and care, they will serve as a reminder of His promises to us, especially when we can’t see to the end of the situation we are in.

 

Trusting God is a choice we make. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible because of faith. We received that faith through the Holy Spirit, so we know that we have enough for what we need. God never shortchanges us! When we live day by day in faith and trust, we are better prepared for the inevitable difficulties in life. We may face trials that threaten to overwhelm us but God is always there to help us when we call out to Him.

 

There are many online resources about trusting God. “How to Trust God, Even in Difficult Times”, at https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/trust-god.html, gives some good practical advice.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.