Trust...or not?

Trust, noun \ ˈtrəst \ : firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

Have you ever put your trust…your firm belief…in a person, only to have that person let you down? How easy was it to rebuild that trust? You have probably found that rebuilding trust is a long, long process. And if you have been the person who faltered, who lost the trust of a friend or mate, you know how painful and slow the process is from that vantage point, too.

What about your trust of God? How are you doing with that? You may have heard me mention that through the years I have developed a very simple philosophy:

You either trust God…or you don’t.

There is no middle ground.

There are times when it is easy to trust God. Will the sun rise tomorrow? Of course. Is the Lord’s salvation sure? Everlasting? Trustworthy? Yes. But what about those other areas of our lives. What about the grey areas, the tough areas, the hard times, the lingering illness, the tough financial days? What about then?

You either trust God…or you don’t.

Richard and Henry Blackaby in their devotional book Being Still with God talk about trusting the Lord in our lives.

“All I have needed His hand hath provided,” the hymnist wrote. Yet still we wonder… How in the world can we afford college? Where will I find a job now that I’ve been laid off? Will God really help me if I step out in faith?

These and many other day-to-day questions tend to pull us away from God, eroding our trust in Him. Maybe we think He is too busy. Maybe we feel our problems aren’t big enough to warrant the Lord’s attention. Or we think we are not worthy. Or…a thousand other thoughts that pull us down.

A while back a friend mentioned to me that despite some ministry challenges we have faced, I appear calm and confident. I’ll quickly tell you that I have my moments. There are times I am concerned about direction, finances, family, our world, and a myriad of other things. But as quickly as these things come to mind, I try to pray about them and turn them over to the Lord Jesus. I remember the truth of His Word from the Old Testament.

[blockquote author=”Lamentations 3:23 NLT” link=”” target=”_blank”]The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.[/blockquote]

Singer-songwriter Twila Paris wrote a song at a time when her world seemed to crumble. Hope was shaken. Trust in God was eroding. What do you do in times like that? In the song “Do I Trust You, Lord?” she talked of building upon the things for which we do trust God. Little by little. Step by step. At one point in the song Twila sings:

I know the answers, I’ve given them all
But suddenly now, I feel so small
Shaken down to the cavity in my soul

I know the doctrine and theology
But right now they don’t mean much to me
This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know

Do I trust You, Lord? Does the robin sing?
Do I trust You, Lord? Does it rain in spring?
You can see my heart, You can read my mind
And You got to know I would rather die
Than to lose my faith in the One I love
Do I trust You, Lord? Do I trust You?

What is happening in your life and ministry right now? Do you trust God? At the end of Twila Paris’ song, she makes the firm commitment that I hope rings in your heart as well.

I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why
I will trust You, Lord, till the day I die
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain
You were God before and You’ll never change

I will trust You, I will trust You
I will trust You, Lord

Trust God.

God’s best…