"God, Can I really trust you? "Yes, the preacher told me you are good "all the time" and I have read it time and again in your Word that "you love me unconditionally and that you would never leave me". But when I look back at the summary of my experiences, there have been many low moments in my life when you seemed far from me and I felt all alone.
These were times that my prayers seemed to hit the roof and bounced back at me. Times I waited desperately for you to show up and I did not see you. God, can I really trust you with my life? Can I depend upon your promises to be fulfilled all the time? God, I’m not saying you are not trustworthy it's just that I’m sometimes overwhelmed by my experiences and the difficulty in understanding you and how you act. I’d love to walk with you Lord, please help me?"
If you have had one of those conversations, you are not alone. One of the toughest questions most people have about God is the question of TRUST. The ways of God are too deep for the human mind to comprehend. God himself said so: “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Isaiah 55:8-9 MSG
Well, I’m smart enough to know that just because something is deep and difficult for me to understand does not mean it is not true. Our challenge, therefore, is not that God's ways are not true or that God cannot be trusted to fulfil his promises. Our challenge, really, is that GOD'S WAYS ARE BEYOND US. We tend to be more comfortable with what we can see, reason and figure out. Therefore, our first step toward building TRUST in God is to understand that we do not have to understand it all to believe it.
But there is good news: God is willing to reveal his ways to us. God's ways can be known, at least in parts and in phases. "He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel" (Psalm 103:7. MSG). Our business is to focus on the "revealed things" in other to have a better perspective of "hidden things". “God, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It’s up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation” (Deuteronomy 29:29 MSG). For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20 NLT).
How do we begin to trust God?
Start with what you have seen and can see.
This is the basic level of faith or experiential faith. No one doubts what they can see. The basic things of everyday life such as the sky, moon, trees, breeze, ocean, birds and mountains not only testify of the existence of God. The indisputable regularity of night and day and the stability of the sky over the earth testifies of God’s integrity and faithfulness. (Rom 1:20). The reports of those who trusted God and were not disappointed are proofs of God's faithfulness. Accept these as the expressions of God's love to humanity and thank him for them daily. For now, learn to be satisfied with the things you can see and leave the things that you cannot see or understand. If you cannot believe what you have seen how would you believe things you have not seen?
God will reveal more to those who have learned to admit that they can't figure it all out and are willing to believe God on the basis of the works of God they have seen and heard.
Things will never make sense until we start believing that all of God's word is true (Psalm 119:160) even when we do not understand what's going on. God is not opposed to us having an honest conversation about our doubts and fears with him. He knows that we need to understand. When we are really confused or afraid, we can tell him. All God desires is a heart that is confident in him as the father of truth. Without faith (or confident heart) it is impossible to please God. A double-minded person is unstable in his ways and will not receive anything from God. Believe that and you will see.
Let's take it from here next time! Have a blessed week!
#trustingGod
