Learning to trust God |
In the Bible, the word of God, it tells us time after time that God wants us to trust him. What is trust to you? What does God say about trust? Has anyone told you how to trust God? Well let’s start and take a close look at what it means to trust God. Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. Why didn’t God say trust him with thine heart instead of all thine heart? Because if we don’t trust God with our whole heart what are we doing? What is the opposite of trust? That is doubt. So if we don’t trust God with all our heart then we doubt God. If we are trusting God, we believe that what he promises in his word, he is willing and also able to do. If we don’t trust God with our whole heart then we will not be able to receive the promises in our life. It also says that we are not to lean unto our own understanding. Now that doesn’t mean that we are not to think about the things that come up in life, it means that once we have taken all the action that we can, we then let go and let God. We don’t dwell on what the results will be or when they will happen, but trust God to meet that specific need. When we let go of a situation, having given it to God, we don’t keep taking it back. Let me use an example. I have a friend, John, and he fixes TV’s, VCRs, and other electronic equipment. As I am sitting at home my television starts having a problem, so I take it to John at work and ask him if he thinks he can fix it. He says yes he can but it will take a few days to do it. So I tell him to go ahead and fix it, but as I leave the repair shop I pick up the television and take it home with me. About a week later, I call John and ask if it is fixed. He said no, if you would have left the TV at the shop, I could have fixed it. Well it’s the same with God, if you want him to take care of something in your life. When you give it to him, let go and wait till you get the answer. When we try to figure things out ourselves, we stop God from helping us, we tie God’s hands. So don’t lean unto your own understanding. When you think of the situation, just thank God for the answer that is coming. We need to keep God first, then as you live life, he will help you choose the path to take. Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. The issues of life come from the heart. And God wants us to keep it with all diligence. All the decisions that we make come from the heart. I want to show you three ways in which we allow ourselves not to trust God. The first way that we do this is ourselves. Lets use an example of a friend and I; we are both looking for a new job. I know that this friend loves God very much so it is easy for me to trust God for him to get a job. Now when I look at myself. I look and say why would God help me. I am just a country boy from the hills of Pennsylvania. Am I trusting God? No! Because I am looking at the outward man, the man of body and soul and not at the Christ in me. A second way that we don’t trust God is that we allow others to tell us what we will think. Again lets use the example of a friend and I, we are looking for a job. As I go out looking, I meet others who are filling out job applications too. I meet one guy who has been looking for 6 weeks for a job and he has not found one. I look at that and I say to myself, if he hasn’t found a job in 6 weeks how am I going to find one. I am allowing others to influence my trust in God. The final way is that of the circumstances that surround us. The word of God shows us a great example of this. Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt and they are in the wilderness. God has taken care of their needs up to this point but they are still not happy. All that they can think about is all the things that were available to them in the land of Egypt. Numbers 11: 4-6 ( King James Version) And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. The people wanted meat to eat. They had forgotten that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt and parted the Red Sea. God has also supplied them with manna to eat. They had started looking to the past and not to God. Oh remember how we had all that food to eat. Wasn’t it wonderful? Now look at us, we are in the middle of the wilderness and all we have to eat is manna. They were not trusting God in their hearts. They were looking at the circumstances around them. Numbers 11: 10-13 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? And wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? Whence should I have flesh to give Unto all this people? For they weep unto me, saying, give us flesh, that we may eat. Moses started looking at the circumstances too. Look at all these people, I’m not their father. How am I going to give all these people meat to eat? He had gotten to the place where it was too much for him to handle alone. So he talked with God and his prayer was answered. Numbers 11:14-17 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone Sometimes when we are taking care of God’s people, we find that it can become overwhelming and he will help us by giving us someone to help with the circumstances. Moses found that taking care of this many people was too much for him to handle. So God gave him seventy men to help lead the children of Israel. We never have to carry our problems alone. We have others in the body of Christ who are there to help us with the situations that come up and help us get the answers. All we need to do is go to God, trust him and he will help us. Numbers 11: 18-23 And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt? And Moses said, the people among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? Thou shall see now whether my word Shall come to pass unto thee or not. Moses was still looking at the circumstances. There are six hundred thousand footmen and there are also their wives and children. How am I going to give them all meat? Do I have to go and kill all the herds that we have just to do this? Was Moses trusting God to supply the needs of the people? He was trusted God part way but not completely. He had forgotten all the things that God had done for the children of Israel. He was just looking at the situation and not fully trusting God. Then God said to Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? You don’t think I can do this! I, God almighty, I brought you out of Egypt and parted the Red sea and you still don’t think I can do this. All God wanted was for Moses to trust him with all his heart, to not allow him to look at himself, others or what was going on around him, but to trust God fully and completely. Numbers 11:31,32 And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails; he that gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread then all abroad for themselves round about the camp. God took care of the children of Israel even when they doubted him. He gave them meat for a month. Moses learned to trust God with his whole heart. For God is the one that supplies our need when we believe and trust in him. II Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are just earthen vessels without God. We need to learn to trust God with all our heart. When we do then we have power to win in any situation that comes our way. Each one of us has to walk along what I call the road of life. From the time that we are born till the day we die, we walk down this road of life. Before we found God we walked along this road and so there were many difference paths that we could take. Some had signs on them, Come this way and you will find great riches or there is great happiness along this path. But most of the time as we walked along life’s road we were never sure which way to go. Then as so often happens, we get caught up in a situation that ends up turning into a burden, which we carry along through life. Some burdens were not that heavy but each one became a weight to slow us down. And soon in life we feel as though we have the whole world on our shoulders. Each burden in life had been small but when they were combined, their weight became almost too much to bare. Then one day we came to a crossroad in life and learned about God and his son, Jesus Christ. God stood there and told us of a road that he had built. He shared how his son had paid the price so that the road could be built. He shared how his son had suffered and died, then raised again to pay for that road. We had a choice to make at that point; we could go the way of the world or the way that God had set before us. If we choose this road he would walk beside us to help us on our travels, and take care of the needs in our lives. We could live life more than abundant, and there will be blessings like peace, joy, love, grace, and mercy. This road is available to us. All that we have to decide is to except Jesus Christ as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead. As we walk along the road of life, God has a guidebook that we can use when we get lost or strayed along the path. God gave us his word and when on the road of life we get lost, all we need to do is go to his word to show us the path that we need to follow and helps us get back to the path that God has made for us. We just need to trust God with our whole heart, and then we can walk upon the path that God has set before us. We can walk along life’s road knowing that we do not walk alone. That God will be there for us. Let me show you an example from the word of a man who trusted God with his whole heart and how God took care of him. That man was Daniel, and he loved God with all his heart. The princes and presidents of the kingdom didn’t like Daniel, and they wanted to catch him making a mistake so that they could accuse him, but they could not find anything wrong that he had done. So they went to the king and had him sign a decree that if anyone should ask a petition of any God or man other then the king they should be thrown in a den of lions. Daniel 6: 10-15 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, that Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree or statute which the king establisheth may be changed. They were real proud of themselves, they had found a way to get rid of Daniel by tricking the king to sign a paper forbidding anyone to pray or worship to their God. And the king was very upset with himself because he had signed the paper and he knew that Daniel would be thrown into the den of lions. He tried all day to find a way so that Daniel would not have to die. Daniel 6: 16-23 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments or musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. Daniel trusted God with his whole heart; there was not doubt in his mind. He trusted to the point that he saw the deliverance in his life. If he had had any doubt that God would have taken care of him, he would have died. He went to God three times a day in prayer. He talked to God and shared his life and heart. It wasn’t only when things were going bad and he needed help but he talked with him when things were good, because he trusted God completely and wanted to have a relationship with him. How can you know your earthly father if you don’t talk with him? You can’t, so it is the same with your heavenly father. You wouldn’t go into your father’s living room, spend the day with him and not talk while you are there. Philippians 4: 6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Don’t get anxious about the things in your life, just go to your heavenly father and talk with him. Go to him and share your heart, then take the time to get to know him. God wants to have a personal relationship with you. He just wants you to trust and talk with him. Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving Continue talking with God, he’s your father, not once every week or so but every day. If you want your needs met you need to go to him and share your heart and life with him. A short time ago my eight-year-old daughter came up to me and asked if she could sit on my lap. She climbed up and gave me a great big hug and kiss and as I was hugging her she said to me, dad, could I tell you something? I said yes. She said, dad, I love you and you’re the best dad in the whole world. I can tell you that it made me feel pretty good. But then she said something that made me very proud of her. She said, but dad, I hope you don’t mind, but I love God more, because he’s the best dad ever. That was a great blessing to me that my eight-year-old daughter would love God so much. When was the last time that you climbed up in your heavenly father’s arms and just told him that you loved him? You didn’t go there to tell him of a need in your life but to say, Dad, I didn’t come here to ask anything of you, I just wanted you to know that I love you. In our life we need to trust God with all our heart, and talk with him often. He has called us before the foundation of the world to be a part of his family. So take the time to get to know your heavenly father. He just wants you to love him as much as he loves you. He wants to take care of every need in your life and he wants you to be a part of his wonderful family. |