There is so much material being written about Faith. The Bible itself spends a great deal of time talking about Faith. A basic definition of Faith is the belief in things not seen. But that is not what we are going to need today and, in the days, coming if we are going to overcome the tribulations of the saints. Overcoming is the goal. What is needed to overcome the schemes of the rebellion in our lives is TRUST.
I have recently in my own personal journey been faced with the truth I have all the faith of one who has seen and experienced for myself. I was carried to the depths and breadths of all 3 creations in a grand tour so I would never doubt they are real. There is another step past faith that is even more important for us now. We who are true sons have seen and experienced Creator God, the ONE for ourselves. The issue before us is can we trust this ONE that what I need will always be there. Jesus is GREAT when he shows up. But what about when it seems like he does not. There are sooo many examples in the Bible where apparently a person or a situation was left dangling. Saul, for instance, offered unholy sacrifice because Samuel showed up a week later than he said. This is a simple example, but I find in my own life that a week, 7 days, often faces me between where I am and the expected answer or supply arrives. If I can just hold on for a week then my supply will be renewed or my answer will come. But what happens if after hanging on for that week the supply (a paycheck) does not come? We can know and never question the reality of Creator God, The One and Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, and The One Called Holy, our comforter so faith they exist is not the issue.
CAN WE TRUST THEM?
TRUST
SURE JESUS OWNS THE CATTLE ON A THOUSAND HILLS. WILL I GET MINE? WILL HE SHOW UP WHEN I NEED HIM MOST?
We are tested in our faith often times by being put into a dire situation so The Lord God can watch and see what we do. Will we forsake Creator God, the ONE and go worship a lesser god or start serving Satan and the rebellion? These situations where it feels like Creator God abandoned us is when the ability to trust is vulnerable to be destroyed. We are to trust Jesus like human children trust their parents to feed and clothe them. We are to trust in many instances without question. The idea that I have heard is something like “Ok. if it did not come or it did not happen then it must be better for me that it did not or God would have done it for me.” These pat answers and platitudes fall apart when faced with an overwhelming reality in our personal lives.
The big questions around trust for me are can I trust God to make sure nothing bad happens to me? No. He watched as they hung Jesus on a tree and turned his back on him. Can I trust God to keep me healthy? No. We are in a fallen creation where sin and decay and death abound. There is no guarantee it will not happen to us. In fact, it is appointed to us all once to die. Can I trust God to feed me? The Bible has those lovely verses about how the lily of the field and the birds of the air neither toil or spin and they are fed and clothed. How much more value are you than they? No we cannot trust God to make clothes magically appear or food to instantly fill our stomachs. Can we trust God to pay the bills. NO.
A breach of trust is most often the reason people fall away and decide God is not real. Something they needed very badly, like healing for a child, did not happen so the child died. People can decide there is a supreme being but feel like it is not benevolent or of LOVE and has nothing to do with me.
So looking at end times and the tribulation of the saints that is upon us, just what do we do with trust? What box can we put our trust in so that it does not knock us out and cause us to commit apostacy?
The best thing I can offer that works for me is trust in the promises.
THE BIGGEST PROMISE THAT I CLING TO IN MY LIFE IS FROM CREATOR GOD, THE ONE “IF ANYONE ASSAILS YOU FIERCLY. IT IS NOT FROM ME.”
IF ANYONE ASSAILS YOU FIERCELY, IT IS NOT FROM ME.
That is something I can put my complete trust into. There is a second promise that goes along with this.
MY PLANS FOR YOU ARE GOOD TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.
With this promise from God we can trust if something was not good for us to build our future it did not come from him. God gets blamed for a lot of things he did not do or sanction. When we are overwhelmed we can fall back on these two promised and TRUST THEY ARE TRUE FOR ME TOO.
Build your faith. Put on the whole armor of God for the days battle. But guard and protect your trust like you guard your heart. Trust can be fragile and vulnerable.
Leave a Reply