Trusting in God not ourselves
We may not realise it but almost every day of our lives we trust someone or something. When we walk across a bridge we trust that the engineer has designed it properly and it won’t collapse as we walk across. When we drive through an intersection on a green light we trust that those crossing from the other direction will stop at the red light and will therefore not collide with you. When we put our money into a savings account at the bank we are trusting that they will look after our money.
There is also trust involved for those who choose to believe in and worship God. We may choose to attend a church service they do it because they trust in God. They could do other things on Sunday morning but they come to the service because they trust that what God says is true. They also come to the church service because of faith.
Trust and faith
Just think about it for a moment. Is faith and trust the same thing? Is there a difference between faith and trust? Just take a few seconds to think about it. Is there a difference between faith and trust?…..
There is not much of a difference as they have very similar ideas. But there is a difference. Faith is more related to hope and looking forward to the future. As Hebrews chapter 11 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for”. Therefore, faith looks forward to the future.
However, trust is related to today and the past. It is based on knowledge accumulated in the past. Or it could be based on a relationship seen in the past. In the past you have seen that something or someone is trustworthy. It is based on that track record that you have trust.
When you go through life you subconsciously consider the past in relation to this person and decide whether they are trustworthy or not trustworthy. If the person in the past was stable you will probably trust them. If something is unpredictable in the past then it may be untrustworthy. To trust therefore you need the history and evidence of it being reliable in the past. There has to be a confirmation of trustworthiness.
For example, if you take your car on a long road trip it is because you trust it. You drive it because you trusted that it would be reliable and would not break down. How did you get that trust? You got it because in the past it has a history of being reliable. It very rarely breaks down. That gave you confidence and trust.
That is trust. Looking at the history of something and deciding if it is stable and will continue to be stable.
Shepherding and trust
Shepherding is a good way to show the difference between faith and trust. Sheep have trust in the shepherd but they don’t have faith. Sheep don’t think about tomorrow and the green pastures they will be going to. They only think about right now and what they have to eat at that current moment. They trust in the shepherd at that current moment that he will lead them to where the grass is lush. They are only interested in today – they are not interested in next week. That is the difference between faith and trust.
Psalm 23 is a perfect example of this – when you read the words in relation to sheep it is all about the past and the present.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:1-4
When you consider these words, you can see that it is all about the past and the present. It is talking about trusting the shepherd. So hopefully you can see what it means to trust in God. Faith is also important but we are focused on trust in this article.
Losing control
So what does trusting mean for each one of us? It means that when we trust something we are giving away our control. If we trust a doctor we are giving away our control of our health to him. For example, think about a person who goes to hospital for surgery. They are put under a local or general anaesthetic so have little or no control. They completely trusted the doctor that when he uses those scalpels everything would turn out for the best. They trusted him. Why did they trust him? Perhaps they trusted him because of his historical track record. He seemed to have a good record with work he had done in the past with other patients. Trust is about looking at the past record.
What about God? Does God have history and trustworthiness? Is he reliable? Is he dependable? Most believers would say “yes” he is trustworthy. For me, personally, I would say the same thing – I trust God. But that raises another question for me – if that is the case, then why do I not trust God more than I do in my life? We are told in many places that he will look after us in times of trouble. He will be a refuge for the oppressed. He will deliver the needy. So the question is – why don’t I trust him more than I do? Perhaps you ask the same question of yourselves: “Why don’t I trust Him more in my day to day life?” The answer to that question comes down to just one word. “Control”.
We all like to think that WE have total control over our environment, our finances, our family and our careers. There is nothing wrong with having a certain degree of control over those things and actually you do need to control those to a certain extent. But the problem is when God is in the background of our lives and not at the front of our lives. He should be at the front when we are thinking about these things.
When God is in the background then our trust and control is in ourselves. We are putting trust in ourselves and making decisions based on what we think. We are deciding things based on our own ways and our own logic. To bring God to the forefront of our lives means effectively handing over control to God. It means trusting him to guide our lives.
Giving control to God
When we think about our own lives I am sure each one of us can think of times or periods in our lives where things were catastrophic – everything seemed out of control. You didn’t know what to do. Think back to those times. What did you do at those stressful terrible times where you have lost all control? ….Did you go to God in prayer? I think you probably would have.
You may have lost a loved one in your family. What is the first thing you do? Most believers would go to God in prayer. And that is a good thing and the right thing to do. But the question is – shouldn’t we do that more often, not just in the times when we are struggling and have seemingly lost control of some aspect of our life. We need to go to God a lot more often than we do. We need to go to Him in the good times not just the bad times.
What is the logic behind this trust in God? Why does God want us to go to Him and give control to Him? The reason is that He wants us to understand that our natural way of thinking is actually out of control. We may think we have control with our own thinking but we don’t have much control at all.
In God’s kindness he has given us His Word, the Bible, which offers controlling influences to bring stability to our lives. It also regulates our thinking on a day to day basis – in other words, what we are thinking right now. He does this so that we understand that God’s real intent is to make us think and act like Him.
This is not just about being a “good” person. There are a lot of people in the world around us who are good and caring people but they don’t think about God. What God wants is for us to go beyond being a good person to actually thinking like Him. I should point out that what we are talking about here goes beyond the present problems that we face. This is more about our eternal wellbeing.
Trust in God
This brings us back to Trust. To trust is to let go of many aspects of our life and let God back in. If we do this then it can be a huge relief to us. It can be a huge weight off our mind. It can be therapeutic to us. God is in control for eternal purposes and not just this current life.
To trust in God does not mean that things will go in the way which we would like. If we think about our lives I am sure there are things which have not happened or have not gone the way we would have preferred. But from God’s perspective he has eternity in mind and not just these few years which we call life.
Have a look at these words in Psalm 9 verses 9 to 10:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
What does that mean? What does it mean to know God’s name? It doesn’t mean to know him by His name. It means that people know His character. In his name is bound up his plan and purpose and his character. It is referring to those who try to express His character in their life. , Psalm 9 makes it clear that we need both knowledge, (that is, expressed here as knowing his Name) and also trust. As it says in that quote: “….put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” It is only when we acknowledge that we are not in control, that we will find the idea that God is in control quite freeing and liberating for us.
An example of trust in God – King Hezekiah
Let’s now look at an example of trust in the Bible, so we can get a better grasp of what it means to trust in God. There was a king known for his trust and he was rewarded for that trust. The King was Hezekiah.
The following are three verses recorded in 2 Kings chapter 18:
Verse 1: In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.
We are told in verse one that Hezekiah began to reign.
Verse 3: And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
Verse 3 says that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
Verse 5: He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.
In verse 5 we are told that Hezekiah trusted in God and after him there was none like him. Also, we are told there were none like him before his reign. So this trust that Hezekiah had was quite unique in all of Israel’s history. It was special. Why was it special? What had he done that earned him this expression of pleasure from God? Verse six of 2 Kings chapter 18 gives us the answer.
For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses.
This verse tells us why his trust was so special. We are told that he kept the commandments given to Moses. Verse seven gives the result of this trust:
And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.
God was with him and he prospered wherever he went. He refused to serve the king of Assyria because that king was evil in the sight of God. Hezekiah would have realised that the Assyrian king was immensely powerful and had a huge army but he still refused to serve him. Hezekiah only acknowledged the higher authority. He only acknowledged God.
This was the King of Assyria’s response through his counsellor Rabshakeh in 2 Kings chapter 18 and verse 19.
And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?
Rabshakeh was asking what confidence do you have in the God that you trust? Who do you trust that you would dare rebel against me the king of Assyria? He is trying to undermine Hezekiah’s trust. Then Rabshakeh went in front of the crowds of people and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah:
Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 2 Kings 18:30
He is saying to the people to not trust in Hezekiah when he says that God will deliver them. Rabshakeh is telling them to not only don’t trust in Hezekiah but also don’t trust his God. He is saying that they should put their trust in the king of Assyria. When it comes to trusting someone, what a huge contrast it is between God and Assyria.
Trust in God versus trust in the world around us
When we look at God we can see that solid trustworthiness. God has been there forever. He was here long before we existed, He is here now and He is there forever. For us living in the 21st century, God’s message is much more trustworthy than the mixed messages we get from this world around us. For example, think of this world’s advertising and what we are told to put our trust in.
The question for each one of us is – are we willing to not put our trust in this world around us like Hezekiah did not put his trust in Assyria. The world is slowly falling into a more sinful state – are we willing to go against that downward motion and lift ourselves up to God. To, in effect, go against the movement of the majority of the people of this world. Are we willing to go upstream when everyone is going downstream.
This world offers its pleasures and happiness but they are short term – here today, gone tomorrow. Consider this old 1934 Buick car in the photo. It is a rusting piece of contorted metal with parts of it falling off or twisted around. The roof seems to be sagging on one side. It is a very sad looking car. I am sure back in 1934 the Buick motor vehicle gave the owner much excitement when he drove the shiny new car out of the showroom and down the road. People admiring this brand new automobile cruising regally down the road. The owner would have had much pleasure for the next few years from this shiny new car. But now look at one of these 1934 Buicks. I think you get the picture. This represents the world we live in. Its pleasures are only for a short time.
Two options
We have two options and they can be seen in Jeremiah chapter seventeen. These are two options we have in life:
Option one is found in verses five and six:
Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
This is the first option we have. Trust in man and that includes trusting in our self. It is where we make decisions on our own without involving God. If we do that we will find ourselves like a shrub in a desert. It will be in a place of uninhabited salt land. We will be there on our own. It doesn’t sound very attractive does it?
Option two is found in verses seven and eight:
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
If a man or woman places his trust in God then he is blessed. He shall be like a tree planted near water. When heat comes it does not fear as its roots are in the stream running past. It does not worry about drought which may come into its life as its roots are firmly drinking from that running water. It does not cease to bear fruit. Those last few words are very important. God is looking for fruit from that tree. He wants the believer to work for him and please him.
Jeremiah is saying to us that to trust and rely on God is like being planted beside a river. Even though there might be things happening in your life on the outside which challenge you, deep down your roots are drinking from God. He is the water of life. That water will give strength to you and get you to the other side of any challenges you may face. The message is simple – Trust in God not in man or yourself. It’s not really a big thing God is asking, is it? And it is all for our eternal good.
Sound advice from Psalm 37
Psalm 27 and sound advice for each one of us.
Verses 1 and 2:
Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Don’t worry about the workers of iniquity that may be in your life. As the Psalmist says they will soon fade like the grass and wither way. They rise and then fall away. A good example of that is Israel and Assyria which we considered this morning. Israel still exists to this day, but Assyria has not existed for some 2,600 years. It is a distant memory. Nineveh is just a pile of broken rocks in the desert. But the Jews and Israel is still going strong to this very day.
Verses three to six:
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
There are those important words again. Trust in the Lord. If you do that you will be fed. He will give you the desires of your heart. Delight yourself in God. The words couldn’t be any clearer. Commit your way to the Lord; ….trust in him, ….and he will act. This should be our daily motto. Trust in God not in man. Trust not in ourselves but rather bring God into your decision making.
It also says in those verse that God will bring forth your righteousness as the light. The light is God. All righteous comes from God. That is why we should trust in God.
Verse 34:
Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land;…..
Wait on God and keep his way. Waiting means having trust in God. That person who has trust and waits will inherit the land.
Verse 40:
The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
The verse says that the Lord will deliver them. Why? They will be delivered because they trust in him.,,,,,because they take refuge in Him.
Psalm 37 is one of those Psalms we should read regularly to remind ourselves to not put trust in ourselves but rather in God. It reminds us that God should not be in the background when we decide things, he should be there at the front helping us to decide what is the best course of action.
The good shepherd
This is what is recorded in John chapter 10 and verse 14 and 15:
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
There is a relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. This relationship has developed trust between them. They trust each other.
The two conditions of trust are here in these verses – protection and guidance from the shepherd. We trust that Jesus will protect us and guide us.
To know the voice of the shepherd – the voice has to be familiar. We become familiar with God’s voice by doing the Bible readings. That is the only way it can be done.
Later on in John chapter 10 at verses 28 to 30 it says this:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
The result of that trust between shepherd and sheep is that Jesus will give eternal life. No man can pluck them from the Father’s hand. God will look after each one of us.
We should be fully encouraged as we are getting ever closer to the greatest event in history and that is the Kingdom of God. We need to fully trust in God now…Today. God has shown over and over that he is trustworthy.
The question for each one of us is – Will we be happy and willing to hear God’s voice and follow Him? If we are happy to hear the shepherds voice then as it says in Psalm 9
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:9-10
