Sharing a post from one of my favorite blogs.. It encouraged me yesterday :)
Who Do You Trust?
We put our trust in experts all the time.
Most of us trust our doctors – we figure he or she is an expert, so when our doctor prescribes a medication we don’t challenge them. We figure the pharmacist is an expert, so we don’t ask if we can watch them put our medication together. We just take it home and take it. I trust my bank every time I deposit my paycheck. I get a piece of paper back saying how much I deposited. I don’t ask if I can watch them put the money in the vault.
Yet how hard it is to trust the Lord at times. We can worry and fret and try to figure things out on our own. We can easily become downcast when life gets hard. We can wonder if God really hears our prayers.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding. (PR 3:5)
The Christian life is a life of trusting in the Lord from beginning to end. To trust in the Lord means to believe his word and act on that belief. This is what FAITH is. Faith is trust. The bible says Everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved. This doesn’t mean we simply believe information about Jesus, that he lived and was crucified. It means we TRUST his promise to wash our sins away in his shed blood, give us eternal life and bring us to his Father. It means we believe that he is God and we trust him as God. We trust him to rule, care for and lead us. Jesus is THE ULTIMATE EXPERT. He created every molecule in the universe. He knows us inside and out. He knows exactly what we need. So we should put all our trust in him.
Faith takes action. A couple years ago I had to get a stent in my heart. So I went over to Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh and put my life in the hands of a surgeon I’d never met before. I didn’t simply believe he was an experienced expert who knew what he was doing. I entrusted my life to him (of course, ultimately I entrusted my life to Jesus) and took action. I drove to the hospital and laid down on the table. My trust in the doctor led me to take action. Faith leads to action – obedience to Jesus.
To trust in the Lord means to TRUST HIS WORD. In my early Christian days, we used to say, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” In a sense that’s true, but it’s not completely accurate. The truth is “God said it, that settles it.” God’s word is true whether I believe it or not. But my well-being depends on me believing it. So we should cultivate this conviction: “God said it, I believe it.”
And this is where we are tested from the day we’re born again till the day we close our eyes in this world and open them in heaven. The test is: “What did God say about this situation and will I believe it?” This is what Paul calls the “good fight of faith.” He said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). He had fought all his life to keep believing God’s word and trusting the Lord in all circumstances.
do not lean on your own understanding
Here’s the BIG QUESTION: Whose understanding will you lean on, the Lord’s or your own?
Our hearts are constantly interpreting. We constantly take in all that happens to us and interpret it. For example, I walk through the church lobby and say hi to someone, who walks right past me without so much as a nod of the head. I immediately begin to interpret the situation – wow, he must be mad at me. I can’t believe he just snubbed me. He’s so unfriendly. That’s my interpretation. But the truth of the situation is he just saw his child fall down behind me and he’s hurrying to help her.
We constantly interpret life. Hard times hit us and we think “God has abandoned me” or “God doesn’t love me” or “God is giving me too much to handle.” So here’s the question: Will you believe God’s word – will you trust in the Lord with all your heart, or will you lean on your own understanding? Will you trust your interpretation of life or God’s?
The BIG QUESTION is always How does GOD understand this situation verses how do I understand this situation? What is God’s interpretation? What does God’s word say about this? God says I am in control and I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will never turn away from doing good to you. I am causing this to work for your good.
Trust the Lord today. He’s the ultimate Expert. He knows exactly what you need. And he understands your life perfectly. Lean on God’s Word and his interpretation of events, not your own.
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