TRUST

 Trust is not an easy thing really.  It seems most of us trust what we think we can control.  There are probably a few people in our lives that we truly feel we could trust no matter the circumstances; a parent, a child, a friend, a pastor…..our pharmacist!  One recent poll of the 100 most trusted professions listed the Pharmacist as THE #1 most trusted profession over Pastor #26 which is below Mechanic #24 and just above Lawyer at #29.  Of course my profession, Realtor, comes in at #36, just above Car Salesman, Telemarketer and Politician.  Ouch, that hurts!

How many of us REALLY trust God?  He’s our heavenly Father.  Some have had great examples of a trustworthy father and others not so much.  If not, perhaps that’s a stumbling block when it comes to wholeheartedly trusting God.   Growing up, my dad wasn’t always the best example of trustworthiness, so I find trusting men isn’t always easy for me.  But God is so good and today my dad has a beautiful, loving relationship with our heavenly Father.  However, he too had stumbling blocks from his childhood to overcome, so our trustworthy God put a loving church family late in Daddy’s life story to love him in the perfect way so that he could understand, believe, and trust in the Lord’s love for him.  It was life changing…for both of us!

How many of us truly trust the Lord for all things all the time??

Look at Abraham in the Old Testament who scripture says, “trusted God to make him the father of many nation”s.

The text says in Romans 4:19-21:

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet with respect to the promise of God he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God promised, He was able to perform.

 I love that he “contemplated his own body”!  I don’t doubt that at 100  he “contemplated” his body’s ability to be a dad to a newborn, but with respect to the promise of God HE DID NOT WAVER.  He trusted that God could and would do what He promised.   I can only imagine how much stronger his faith grew when Sarah’s old, dead womb produced a beautiful, perfect, healthy baby boy with strong lungs proclaiming the glory and trustworthiness of a God who keeps His promises!!

Then there’s the story of Moses in which the two Hebrew midwives, Shiprah and Puah were commanded by Pharoah to kill all newborn males, but the text says in Exodus 1:17:

“they feared God and did not do as the King commanded so God was good to the midwives and because they feared God He established households for them and the people multiplied and became very mighty.”

The midwives, Shiprah and Puah, after acting in faith were given households established by God!  I wonder why the Lord gave us the names of the two midwives in this story?  Maybe it’s because their trust in God is remarkable.  They chose to trust Him, and can you imagine how their faith must have been strengthened when instead of being punished or killed by Pharoah for disobeying a royal command they were divinely protected?

Do we trust God like that?  I can’t tell you the last time that stepping out and trusting God could have resulted in my being killed or imprisoned…..because it never has.

Do I even trust that my children will get the right teacher or will get on the right soccer team or do I try to pull the strings myself?

Do I trust that the Lord is my Provision or do I fret over my retirement account and reduce my tithe?

Do I trust the Lord to put me in the right small group at Bible study so that I open my eyes and my heart to the blessings He has in store for me, or do I just think I’ll stay home where I’m more comfortable?

Maybe I’m only speaking for myself and no one else has these thoughts, but if I’m not alone perhaps we can use them as holy opportunities/teachable moments.  Like Abraham, let’s look at ourselves, our flesh, and recognize that in our flesh we are weak.  Then also, like Abraham, let us “not waver in unbelief” but grow strong in faith.

Father God will NEVER leave us or forsake us.  He says so.  He’s never let us down and He never will.  He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8)  We can trust Him.

Even our U.S. coins say it:  “In God We Trust”  So, how about this?  Every time we see a penny, whether in the extra penny dish at the cash register or on the ground in the parking lot, let’s take one second to pause and thank our glorious Heavenly Father for being trustworthy.  After all, He put that penny in just that spot as a timely reminder that He is our God and Father in whom we can trust!

Picking up pennies,

Sandy