I'm learning to trust

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

There are so many Bible verses that exhort us to trust God. And so many others which prove He can be trusted. I have read those verses, and memorized them, and hoped in them, but I don't think I began to really walk in the joy, peace and freedom of trusting God until just last year. Before then, I was constantly trying to help God, always trying to connect the dots and then work things out. In fact, at one time I actually used to ask the Lord for a "blueprint" so that I could see the bigger picture first. I was also always being disappointed, because this method does not work.

I've heard exhortations to trust God too many times to count all through the past several years but it now feels like no one ever told me how wonderful and freeing this way of living is! It's like a fresh new discovery that has taken the world of trouble and worry off my shoulders. I can take everything to God and wait for Him, do what He tells me one step at a time. If I get something wrong or fail to do what He tells me, He corrects me and I repent, turning to the next right step. This is unlike my past when I would find myself miles down the wrong road because I had been trying to make my own way, or bring His word to pass by my own reasoning and planning. Now I've found that God's next step for me is really enough.

I was reflecting on this recently. I walked myself through memories of things I'd sincerely trusted God about and there is nothing He's ever failed me in. Nothing. Despite the fact that very few things unfolded or worked out 'when' and 'how' I wanted, believed, or hoped. And despite the fact that I didn't understand His working in those things until years later (and that there are some things which I never will understand on this side of eternity). All I know is that I have His peace...and I stub my toe less on life's roads. He knows how to make the crooked places straight.

God can be trusted. No one ever trusted Him and was put to shame (Psalm 22:45, Isaiah 49:23, Isaiah 64:4). Unlike love, which does not need to reciprocated to be true love, the very nature of trust points to a relationship wherein it must stand upon the character of something or someone else. God doesn't ask us to trust Him arbitrarily. He tells us who He is and what He is like in His word. He takes us through experiences in our life where we get to see Him act. He sends us the testimony of others. He is always consistent, never-changing, always faithful. God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it (Numbers 23:19)? Our trust in Him is well founded. With people, we take our chances.

People are people, with human hearts. Because of this, trust in people will often be sprained, broken, or even totally shattered by their inconsistency, put-downs, or lies and deceit, unfaithfulness, and betrayal. I have personally found a little understanding of orthopedic medicine to be a helpful here, particularly an understanding of the types of bone fractures which may occur. God requires us to be merciful when we are wronged, and we should humbly seek forgiveness with true repentance when we wrong others. However, depending on the severity of the trial and numerous other individual factors, lost trust in a person may not ever be recovered, even when forgiveness is given. It is easy to see that trustworthiness is a priceless quality. And often, it is only after being deceived, lied to, and betrayed by others (particularly once-trusted, close friends and confidantes), will one fully come to lean upon and savor the Lord's amazing faithfulness, that quality of "no shadow of turning" with Him.

Trust is the bedrock of any relationship that achieves unity of heart, mind, and purpose and goes on to be fruitful for the kingdom of God. This is what God invites us into with Himself!  We take Him at His word and see that not one word of any of His promises to us will ever fail. We abide in Him and He in us. As we come to know Him more, increasingly unshakeable trust in His unchanging character grows. We trust in Him and we will not be moved by the circumstances of life.

As a child, my mother would often do her housework while singing little hymns. I thought her voice was beautiful so I paid attention and happened to learn many little choruses this way. One of my favorites was from an old hymn written by John H. Sammis in 1887, called Trust and Obey. The link will lead you to the instrumental version of the hymn, and to end I would also like to leave you with the full lyrics which accurately describe all the things I am personally learning right now about trusting in the Lord with all my heart...

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain