Those who identify themselves as Christians no doubt would readily say that they trust in God. The American pledge of allegiance says, “In God we trust”. But I wonder how much most of us truly trust Him. I think more often than not, we hope that He is in control and that He will take care of us, but do we live our lives in a way that demonstrates our reliance on Him? If you’re like me, it seems we spend most of our time trying to control the circumstances around us and calling out to God when things start to get a little too deep. The truth is we are in over our heads every day that we live. We are out of control in a half-mad world, and we desperately need Him every moment of our lives.
The Bible has much to say about trusting God. In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart and He will show us the things He would have us to do. We all need some direction in our life, and trusting in God is the best way to obtain it. Psalm 115 tells us to trust in the Lord because He is our help and our shield. Trusting in Christ will afford you His assistance in times of trial and need. He will defend you and protect you from the attacks of sin. Isaiah 40:31 states that trusting in God allows us to renew our strength. Trusting in God therefore provides direction, protection and strength.
God’s direction
We try to find our own way in life and always wind up lost and discouraged. As soon as we take our eyes off of Jesus we no longer know where we are going. Trusting in ourselves leads to depression and anxiety. If you want to relieve stress in your life, trust God to direct your path. You’ll never make it on your own, and He stands ready to lead you in the direction He created for you to walk.
God’s protection
Let’s face it; even the strongest person can be defeated. Our reliance on ourselves for our own security is seriously misguided. We live in an evil and fallen world, and we face known and unknown dangers every day. Reckless drivers, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and random acts of selfishness and violence surround us at all times. Satan’s goal is to destroy you. Without God’s help, we would surely be gone by tomorrow.
God’s strength
We all get tired; we all get weak. But we serve a God who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). We don’t possess the wherewithal to endure everything life throws our way. In the grand scheme of things, we are powerless and weak. Where does our help come from but from the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2)? We are nothing without God’s strength. We are weak, but He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Trust in God
Do you really trust in God? Do you devote each day to Christ and allow Him to lead you? We need to trust Him with our entire heart, soul and mind. We need to trust that He will give us direction, that He will watch over us and that He will give us the strength to persevere through life. He is our rock and our salvation. He is worthy of our love and our trust. Don’t be foolish and think you can handle whatever comes your way; you will lose. Lay down your pride, surrender everything to Jesus; put all your trust in God.
Question: In what areas of life do you struggle with trusting God?