It
is easy to say, "I trust in the Lord." However, trusting without any amount
of reservation is extremely hard. We have faith in God's faithfulness; yet, at
times, there is a sniggling of doubt that plagues us.
This
causes us not to trust with ALL of our heart (Proverbs 3:5-6). We hesitate in
the recesses of our mind, driven by some indescribable curse of uncertainty.
There is an amount of risk involved in letting go of control.
Thankfully,
God continually proves His faithfulness to us. Trusting enough to walk away
from a situation, and to leave the issue in God's capable hands, takes a
measure of faith. Therefore, we are tempted to call on human resources - our
own and other people's - to bail us out of difficulties.
This
is only helpful if God's directs us to do so, because He may be setting us up
for some divine opportunity to make a new friend, or to fellowship with or to
encourage an old friend by enlisting them to help us.
However,
this trial may be giving us an opportunity to allow patience to work perfection
in us (James 1:4-8). Most humans do not possess much patience. We despise
waiting for any length of time. So we have need of this exercise in maturity.
Throughout
our life, Daddy God always brings a miracle out of every trial, and this builds
our faith. Yet, sometimes we still struggle with that twinge of doubt caused by
our human penchant to overthink a problem. Fear of the unknown is the culprit
here.
There
is risk in every action we take, even when we are sure of the outcome; because
life has a way of squeezing right out of our mold for it. We have an innate
compulsion to keep our self safe, regardless of the possibilities and liabilities
of our actions.
Faith
takes courage, as well as trust in God, to help us to deal with any unknown
contingencies. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6),
and trusting without reservation is equally challenging at times; however, God
even helps us in our unbelief (Mark 9:24).
Prayer:
Father
God, You know our weaknesses, and You give us strength to trust even when we have
reservations. Thank You for Your promises, for examples in Your Word of Saints who
also struggled with their faith; and for Your assurance that everything
culminates in blessings for us, if we love You and are the called according to
Your purposes (Romans 8:28). Remind us not to trust in our own understanding,
but to consult You each moment of our day.
In
every situation that we encounter, help us to place all of our concerns on Your
capable shoulders, and to yoke up with You throughout our lifetime (Matthew
11:29-30). Teach us to pray and praise, even when circumstances threaten to
overwhelm us. You are our strength, our defense, and our salvation in every
situation, which we experience (Isaiah 12:2).
Thought
for the Day:
Trusting
God with every fiber of our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - is
difficult at best, unless we wholeheartedly trust that He will always make our
path straight when we walk by His Spirit and in His ways and timing.
-
Isaiah 59:8-9; Proverbs 3:5-6; Galatians 5:15-25
