Yesterday I asked what five verses have in common. Chuck’s response is rich. It is not surprising. During my time with the Lord on the morning that I put those passages together, I had spent some time praising God for the love of the Word that He has given me. He prompted me to list the men who had contributed to that love. Chuck was prominent and early on that list.
Yes, the central issue is trusting God as Chuck observed. There were at least three observations as I worked through the passages that struck me. First is the reason that trusting God is attractive, He does not change. In Isaiah 26:3 – 4, He is described as an everlasting rock. We are urged to trust in him forever. The context of our lives is continual change. Nothing is static; everything is in flux. The sheer volume of the rate of change is impossible to track. Regardless of what you choose whether government, economics, morality, science, religion, whatever, nothing is constant but change.
God does not. Neither does Christ, Hebrews 13:8.
The next thing I noticed was some of the parallel words and phrases, cultivate (Psalm 37:3) commit (Psalm 37:5), with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5), acknowledge (Proverbs 3:6). The picture emerging was one of a sustained practice of trust. Trust is not presented as a quick fix. Not something we pull out of the tool bag when things are difficult. It is a sustained life choice. It is the bedrock of our lives.
Third, as I worked through this it was crystal clear, to me at least, that without God’s intervention in my life I simply would not trust Him. He chose to reveal Himself through His Word. He chose to send His Son. His Son chose to die for me and give me life, Romans 6:8 and Colossians 3:1 - 4. He sent His Spirit to indwell and empower me. Without that – no trust.
It is because of who He is, what He has done, and His work in my life I am able to trust.
God does not. Neither does Christ, Hebrews 13:8.
The next thing I noticed was some of the parallel words and phrases, cultivate (Psalm 37:3) commit (Psalm 37:5), with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5), acknowledge (Proverbs 3:6). The picture emerging was one of a sustained practice of trust. Trust is not presented as a quick fix. Not something we pull out of the tool bag when things are difficult. It is a sustained life choice. It is the bedrock of our lives.
Third, as I worked through this it was crystal clear, to me at least, that without God’s intervention in my life I simply would not trust Him. He chose to reveal Himself through His Word. He chose to send His Son. His Son chose to die for me and give me life, Romans 6:8 and Colossians 3:1 - 4. He sent His Spirit to indwell and empower me. Without that – no trust.
It is because of who He is, what He has done, and His work in my life I am able to trust.
Terrific reflections! I especially appreciate the observation that trusting God is a sustained practice. It takes time to develop, like any discipline - and it is a discipline. God allows (or maybe life just presents) opportunities to grow our trust; the challenges become greater as life goes on.
ReplyDeleteAs I write this, I think I just put it backwards. Because we live in a fallen, broken and rebellious word the whole system "is rigged" against us. Jesus clearly predicted it and so does our experience tell us that we walk upstream in this world. God faithfully protects us from more than we can take, and His grace is always sufficient (regardless of how I often "feel" about it). But He also faithfully allows the challenges and difficulties to increase to strengthen our faith (trust) "muscles."
My current experience is that when the big crises come, it reveals significant cracks in my foundation. I see ever more clearly that without His enabling grace I would not trust Him at all. Only He is faithful.