When Trust Requires Obedience
Trusting God can be one of those "Christian-ese" phrases that is easier said than done. It can be a lot of lip service without the confidence and full understanding of the One we are encouraged to put our trust in: God Himself.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
The real truth about trusting God is that it requires us to obey and give something over to God that we sometimes don't want to. It may be our timelines, self-sufficiency, expectations, control, comfort, and, if we are really honest, our love of this world.
Maybe you are facing a situation or circumstance where you need to trust God. What is that for you?
Maybe you are like me, struggling some days to even desire to trust and obey God.
I have great news for you, friend!
Paul says, in Philippians 2:13, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
God does it all! The Holy Spirit gives us the will and power to trust and obey God as we surrender our circumstances and wait on His timeline.
Why is trusting God such a BIG deal?
God is worthy of our trust. Isaiah 14:24 tells us, "The LORD Almighty has sworn, 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’ Furthermore, His plans are perfect, holy, and righteous.”
We can learn to trust God as we see how He has proven Himself to be trustworthy in our lives and the lives of others. I Kings 8:56 says, "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel just as He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He gave through His servant Moses."
When our focus shifts from the unknowns in life to what God has already revealed through Scripture, it is easier to walk by faith and not by our own understanding or perception of things.
What we believe about God and His faithfulness determines how we will respond to those things outside of our control or things we have difficulty giving over to God.
We need to make trusting God a lifestyle where we live our faith through our love for God and obedience to His Word.
The fruit of a trusting faith is peace of mind, rest, and having confidence that God will take care of things as we lean on His understanding and the ways He is working all things together for our good and His greater Kingdom purposes.
My encouragement: take a few minutes and reflect on the good things you see God doing and the ways your faith is growing. Live today from a place of gratitude and watch how trust and obedience follow.