Choosing to Trust

It must have been an ordinary day like any other. He had gotten up to work and take care of his daily routine as if everything was normal. During his time with the Lord however, his life was about to be thrown into a whirlwind. God was going to ask something of him he could have never anticipated. This man had struggled with faith before but God had proved faithful even when he was faithless, and now God had given him one more opportunity to choose to trust.

Abraham is noted in Hebrews 11 as a man of faith, in fact in the “hall of faith” as many like to deem it, he one of the first names mentioned. Although his life was marked with adversity and times of disobedience as a whole this man lived a life that was radically different from those who were not God’s kids, and a mark of that was his faith exhibited through trust. In Genesis 22 we read the Sunday school story of Abraham and Isaac. I remember reading it often when I was a little girl and never understanding why Abraham went along and did what God commanded. As I got older I began to realize just what a test and what amount of faith had to be exhibited because of it, and then I began to realize more than ever why His name belonged in that list. Let’s take a look at the story…

“Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about. Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.” (Genesis 22:3-8)

Although this passage speaks to much more than the faith exhibited let’s focus only on that for the sake of our chapter. As Abraham willingly took his most prized possession to be slaughtered he was already trusting God. He explains to the servants that “we” will return…believing that God Himself will provide another means, and provide He did. Talk about trust despite the circumstance! Did Abraham have the reasons why God was asking Him to be willing to give up his most prized earthly possession? No. Did Abraham know for sure that God would spare the child’s life? No. Did Abraham have from an earthly perspective every right to worry, fear, fret, doubt and question? Yes. But he CHOSE not to. Abraham chose to trust the faithful God who had proved himself time and time again throughout his life. When God provided a child to Sarah after many years of waiting He saw a testimony of God’s faithfulness. He had known what had happened with Noah and how God had proved faithful. Abraham had the ability in this situation to react in one of two ways. He could choose to rely on his own strength and not trust because of the confusion that he faced but instead he reacted righteously and chose to trust.

From the moment a child is born there is an innate trust that comes to the one who had that child. Each baby can identify their mother’s voice, their mother’s touch, and everything about her. There is a bond that seems unbreakable…ask any mother and they can explain. There is an assurance this child has that he or she is hers and has nothing to fear. Much like a child has this relationship with a mother, we too as daughter’s of the King have this relationship with our heavenly Father. From the moment of salvation, when we repented and put our faith in Him, we have this innate trust that seems all too unreal…in fact those who are not one of His may often even raise question and concern in this area. I remember talking with someone once soon after a trial in my life and they couldn’t understand how I could lift my head up high with a smile on my face…I couldn’t explain that innate peace that I felt within my soul but I could explain where it came from and that without Him I wouldn’t be able to even take my next breath.

Trust is not something that comes naturally to humanity when things don’t go our way. Fear, worry, anxiety, and doubt are common emotions and feelings that seem to drown our hearts often. We can all look back on situations in our lives when we have wanted so badly to trust in the Lord and that promises like Romans 8:28 (He works all things together for good for those who love Him) but just couldn’t do it. We have all had days when we have cried out to the lord and pleaded for His help much like David did throughout the Psalms and much like David wondered why we haven’t heard an answer yet.

One of the greatest books I have ever read was by a biblical counselor named Jerry Bridges. The book, Trusting God (which I highly recommend), is one that taught me something that I had never understood. I always thought that trust was something that should come naturally to the Christian, that there shouldn’t be any effort that should have to be put forth but rather that somehow I would just trust as an effect of my salvation. Then I read this quote, “Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us”. I remember reading that and realizing that the reason that I often didn’t trust the good God I served was because I wasn’t choosing to, in fact often times I was choosing rather to trust my own emotions and feelings rather than what I knew to be true (that God was in control and working actively in my life).

What did choosing to trust even look like? How did I do that in a tangible way? Philippians 4:8 became a life verse and ever-present reminder to “Think Truth”. The moment I discovered that I had to put the work in this whole trusting thing I began posting these words everywhere and the encouragement I began to find and the peace I begin to have was overwhelming. Bad circumstance after heartbreak occurred and despite the momentary sorrow I may have experienced I was somehow able to fight through by His strength and remember who He was, remember His faithfulness always in my life and all throughout history, and choose to trust even when I didn’t want to. The reward was a treasure only He could provide…unexplainable peace. Philippians 4:6-8 explains that when we come to God in prayer and petition that He provides us with a peace that transcends all understanding and that is the truth!

So what are some practical ways we can choose to trust God despite our circumstances, our emotions and our hurt? Here are some ideas:
1. Spend time reading the story of Rahab in Joshua 2 or David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 and reflect upon the trust that these children of God exhibited.
2. Spend time studying the story of Job and how he responded wrongly and rightly and God’s response to him.
3. Memorize verses that will remind you of His faithfulness (some examples: Proverbs 3:5-7, Romans 8:28, Philippians 4:8)
4. With each stray thought and each time you are tempted to put your trust in something other than Him, fall to your knees and thank Him for the salvation you have been given and be reminded of how much He has given you.

Trust will never come natural but as we become more like Him it will become easier to rely on Him for all we need no matter what the circumstance. May we always remember that He is in control and may we choose to trust!