Skip to main content

Trusting God



One of the most wonderful things about God is His patience with us. Very often we want instant answers to our prayers, but we forget that God is doing something amazing behind the scenes during the time of apparent silence. We forget that the Master Sculptor is removing all that mars the image of His Son in us. We have been predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Romans 8:29.

The question is not only can we trust Him, but do we trust Him?

Firstly, can we trust Him?

Can we trust the One who spoke this phenomenal universe into being? Can we trust the One who is holding it all together? Can we trust the One who formed man and breathed into him the breath of life? The Psalmist stated we are 'fearfully and wonderfully made' and this is confirmed as science continues to reveal how complex the human body is. Even atheist scientists are conceding more and more that these complexities point to an Intelligent Designer. Just this week, I read that scientists are becoming increasingly confident that there is life after death due to results of clinical death experiments. A statement from another scientific article states: Cognitive scientists are becoming increasingly aware that a metaphysical outlook may be so deeply ingrained in human thought processes that it cannot be expunged. Read article hereOf course, the believer does not need to wait for scientific proof before embarking on the remarkable journey of a life with God, but it is interesting that science is challenging atheistic claims. As a believer, I am satisfied that I can trust such a One. But do I trust Him?


This verse in Proverbs 3 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding) does not suggest abandoning our reason and throwing careful planning to the wind. If we have committed our lives into the hands of the Almighty, then we are to trust His leading, even when it doesn't appear to make sense. It is my experience that we often only realize with hindsight the purpose of a particular trial or temptation. We have many areas of weakness which need strengthening, and it is in those times we learn to recognize the fiery darts of the enemy and how to defend ourselves skillfully. When we truly want to do God's will, we will have much opposition, but this is to be expected. Sometimes the opposition can come from other believers; we need to be building one another up, not tearing one another down! Sometimes our own families, who may not be believers, do not understand God's leading in our lives. Be patient dear believers!

Am I prepared to trust God and say, 'Your will be done?' This does not guarantee a smooth road, but we can be certain of His help and presence on the way. We will have times like Peter when he stepped out of the boat, looked at the choppy waves around him and started to sink in fear, but the Lord's strong hand rescued him. Perhaps the experience of Elijah will be ours; after his great victory on Mount Caramel, he fled in fear and asked the Lord to take his life because he had 'had enough'. However, in those moments of despair, God sent an angel with food to strengthen him physically and then spoke to him with a still small voice, reassuring him he had reserved 7000 faithful believers in Israel. The apostle Paul found himself in many perilous situations, but he could testify to Timothy, 'God stood with me and gave me strength.' The Bible is full of broken, human stories made miraculous through the Divine touch of mercy and grace. Do we trust our God? May we trust Him more! As Paul wrote: being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

God bless you!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Mystery that is Macedonia

When I first came to Macedonia on a visit in 2001, I found this little country so intriguing and breathtakingly beautiful that I happily accepted the invitation to return for a longer period. That ‘longer period’ has now extended itself to several years during which I have had many enriching, memorable experiences. I thought it might be interesting to jot down a few observations about the difference in culture. I appeal to my Macedonian readers not to misunderstand my intentions. What I have observed are customs and habits which are as normal to you as breathing and sleeping, but to someone from an entirely different culture, they are both interesting and noteworthy. It is always thrilling for me to explore how various nations function and it is nothing short of a privilege to experience a foreign culture first-hand. Hospitality Macedonians are a friendly, hospitable people. I do not know how many times they have almost literally killed me with kindness. Indeed, I have often...

Is Belief In God Blind Faith?

Stephen Hawking famously said: There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark. Comparing the human brain to a computer, he firmly declared his atheistic stance. Dr John Lennox’s reply to this statement turned it on its head: Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the light! Who has the correct perception? Are we just living in a sphere of darkness without God or can we find evidence for God’s light and creatorial power? Evidence for God’s existence The order and design of creation. This is the most compelling sign in my opinion. I cannot look at the beauty and detail of creation without marvelling at the Creator. In the 1980s theoretical biologist, Dr Hans Meinhardt, began to wonder how the beautiful patterns of shells formed. As he researched, he discovered that the rules which govern the formation of the patterns in nature such as leaf arrangements, sand dunes and snowflakes, were the s...

A Christmas Memory

As I settle in my seat on the balcony of this historical German church, I can hardly contain my excitement. A feeling of jubilant anticipation pervades the air as people find their seats and the orchestra warms up. The  Thomanerchor  (St. Thomas Choir) *  files into lines at the front of the church and a reverent hush finally settles over the audience. The timpani drums roll, the notes from the flutes and oboes flutter delicately to the church rafters, and the trumpets sound joyfully: Jauchzet, frohlocket! Auf, preiset die Tage …   (Shout for joy, exult, rise up, praise the day) resounds the choir. Transported by the heavenly tones, I close my eyes. In my mind, it is the 25th of December, 1734. Cantor Johann Sebastian Bach is leading the elite male choir on this chilly, Christmas morning. For the first time, the magnificent tones of the  Christmas Oratorio  are reverberating in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn ...