Trust in God

When did you know you were an independent person? When you got your driver’s license? Graduated high school? College? Got married? Started your career? It’s hard to know when the process actually began because there are many little steps that led to each (or most) of those achievements. The process of becoming more confident in life is quite complicated.

The actual driver’s license doesn’t mean you really know how to drive, any more than the diploma means you’ve learned what’s needed in your job. And having a marriage certificate doesn’t mean you understand what it means to pledge your heart to someone or that you’ve got it all figured out.

Somewhere in that process, there are natural moments of doubt, conflict, and then growth. These are points along the pathway that cause you to question whether or not you’re on the right path––career, spouse, even faith! Does that equate to sin?

Is it wrong to pause and reflect on your choices? Perhaps the sin comes in when I realize a flaw in my plan and choose not to do anything about it. James 4:17, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”

During Jesus’ ministry, He was under fire by the religious leaders. People who, we would assume, longed to know God and His will better. Yet, when His will was revealed, they refused to budge. In other words, they doubted the legitimacy of Jesus’ claim to be “one with the father” – (Read John 6). At one point He was asked in John 6:28, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe (trust) in the one He has sent.” To which they asked, “What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe (trust) You?”

People all throughout the Bible didn’t always understand what they were experiencing, which seriously threatened their trust in God! (Read Psalms 88 & 89 as an example). Even Job wanted a face-to-face counsel with God, Jacob wrestled God, and multiple people weren’t persuaded to fully trust God yet. In part, that’s the beauty of Scripture––we get a raw glimpse into the lives of people who chose to trust even in the uncertain spots, a decision that led to a more mature faith, but the complete abandonment of faith for others. Struggles happen!

Jesus demonstrated that He not only has power over illness, disease, hunger, even death, but He also demonstrated how He was acting out what had been prophesied about the Messiah. They could trust Him (believe in Him) to be the Messiah, the promised anointed king, or they could reject it. But that’s true for us today as well––we can choose to accept the words of God as the map that leads to our heavenly father, or we can reject them and head out to the pigpens (e.g. Luke 15:11-32).

The widow in Luke 21:1-4 trusted God with her livelihood. Her trust was her faith in God. That faith led her to give all. Those who wouldn’t be persuaded gave nothing except themselves over to their own jealousy. On this path of life there are many turns and twists that challenge our trust in God, but remember that God’s words and His actions were the proof that they needed to trust God… Are you persuaded?