Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
This simple verse describes our whole Christian life and our biggest challenge – are we going to trust in God with all our heart or lean on our own understanding? Will we trust in God and his word or trust our own evaluation of our circumstances?
The Bible makes it crystal clear that trusting in God is the key to peace and rest in this life.
For example:
- You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
- Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
When we trust in God we are not afraid. When we trust in God we find strength. We have a song to sing. When we trust in God, he rescues us not only spiritually but from troubles in this life.
So how do we trust in God? By meditating on the truth of God’s word, which tells us that our God is sovereign, wise, loving, faithful, and good.
If we regularly meditate on these truths, rather than leaning on our own understanding we will experience God’s peace and joy.
Trust In God Because He Is Sovereign
When we say that God is sovereign, it means that He is in complete control of all things and rules over all things. Everything that happens, from the frenetic movement of the smallest molecules to the massive planets orbiting the Sun to the tiniest details of our lives – it’s all under God’s good and sovereign control.
This is one of the primary reasons we can trust in God.
Ephesians 1:11 puts it this way:
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
God is sovereign over nature, kings, history, angels, and demons. And God has ordained everything that happens, past present and future. God is not responsible for sin and takes no pleasure in human suffering. But somehow even the sins of man and our sufferings are in his sovereign plan.
Isn’t that good news? We can fully trust in God because absolutely everything in the universe is under his sovereign, good, joyful rule.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
This takes faith – TRUST – to believe that God causes all things, even bad things, to work together for our good and that someday he will wipe away every tear from our eyes and we will see the weight of glory our suffering produced.
Trust In God Because He Is Loving
Not only is God sovereign, but he is infinitely wise and loving. Can you imagine a universe completely controlled by a God who is all-powerful, but not loving? Or all-powerful but not wise? But praise God, he is not only sovereign, but infinitely wise and loving.
We can trust in God because everything we experience must first pass through our loving God. Because God is love, everything he allows into our lives flows out of his love. Ponder that glorious truth for a moment.
If we experience blessing, it is because God loves us.
If we endure heartache and trial, it’s also because God loves us.
Charles Spurgeon puts it this way:
You believe in God for your soul. Believe in him about your property. Believe in God about your sick wife or your dying child. Believe in God about your losses and bad debts and declining business.
Trust In God Because He Is Wise
“With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding” (Job 12:13).
In his wisdom, God knows the absolute best thing to do in any situation. His plans and actions are perfect. No one could make a better universe than God.
Look at the human body – we are fearfully and wonderfully made. By the infinite wisdom of God we can see and hear and taste and smell and touch. And what in the world is human memory? How is it that I can remember melodies from commercials when I was 10 years old – “It’s so easy when you use Lestoil!” Human memory reflects the wisdom of God.
Look at all the laws of nature, the seasons, and weather, and the amazing variety of creatures God has made. He could have created one kind of butterfly or three kinds of birds. It is estimated that there are 20,000 species of butterflies in the world – 20,000! There are approximately 6000 species of amphibians, close to 10,000 species of birds, 30,000 kinds of fish, 5000 kinds of mammals and 8000 kinds of reptiles. And scientists estimate there are 950,000 species of insects!
When we TRUST that God is infinitely wise, it yields peace in our lives.
Trust In God Because He Is Loving
Paul prayed that the Ephesians would:
…have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph 3.18-19)
God’s love for us surpasses all human knowledge. God’s love is so vast he must reveal to us the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love, so we can comprehend it. Because of his infinite love, God uses his sovereign power and infinite wisdom to bless us. Everything he does for us he does in love. We can’t usually see that love when we’re going through hard times, but that’s why we need to trust God.
We may not always FEEL Christ’s love when things come crashing down around us. But our feelings are not necessarily the truth. The truth is God’s word that says his love for us in Christ can never be broken and nothing can separate us from that love.
Trust In God Because He Is Faithful
While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. (Joshua 5:10-12)
Israel had just crossed the Jordan and was camped on the edge of the promised land. For 40 years God had provided manna from heaven for them to eat. 40 years, day after day after day. They’d never lacked and never been hungry, not even for a single day.
Here on the edge of the promised land, they celebrate the Passover and the day after they eat of the produce of the land. (That must have tasted pretty good after 40 years of eating nothing but manna day after day). And what is amazing is that the very day after they eat of the produce of Canaan the manna ceases completely.
Just like God always provided for Israel, he will never fail to provide for his children.
We can trust in God that he will never fail to give us all that we truly need. We may only have enough for today, but he will surely supply all we need for tomorrow. He told us to ask our heavenly Father to provide our “daily” bread, not our monthly or yearly bread.
Jesus told us not to be anxious about tomorrow but to trust God for each day’s provision. God is going to provide for you today. He will give us the strength, wisdom, and guidance we need for today.
Will You Trust In God?
So how about you? What are you facing right now that you must trust God for? Health challenges? A family member or one of your children? Financial challenges? I can guarantee that ALL of us will face something this year we need to trust God for. Keep your eyes on Jesus. On the one who is sovereign, wise and loving. Ask him to help you, guide you, and strengthen you. And trust in him.
