“I had fainted, unless I had believed to
see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait
on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I
say, on the LORD”
(Psalm 27:13-14 NIV).
As followers of Christ, we at times think
and feel we must speak for God. When
others question whether God is with them or knows of their difficulties … we
feel we must defend God. If someone longs
for a healing or a deliverance and God does not heal or deliver … we feel we
have to try in some way to speak about the timing of God’s work, the release of
the situation to God’s sovereignty and God’s care even in midst of their pain.
Trust is a small word with vast meanings. It is really a word that is easily spoken but elusive to live out in a complete way. Still it is the word that defines faith as we trust even as we seek understanding over and over again. Trusting in God is the only way into the promised land, the place where He delivers us and abides with us even as we seek understanding of Him.
In our own lives … we speak to ourselves trying
to negotiate the same territory, attempting somehow to persuade our hearts to
remain trusting while we struggle to understand. It is the reality of our faith in God that we
dwell in the territory of this tension between trusting and understanding. We walk by faith but our steps of trusting in
faith are tenuous at times even though we should be confident in our
faith. We need our faith to be mighty
and strong as we have a relationship with the Mighty God but we pull back
wandering around a bit, trying to understand.
We can blame much of this wandering, on our
leaning on our own understanding. It is our
trusting upon our own understanding that allows us to be anxious in this place
of unknowing. It is our lack of being
able to truly wait on God, on not letting God be God, on expecting God to
follow our plans or deliver in ways that make sense to our understanding that
keeps us here struggling and trying to speak about God.
We do not have to answer for God’s healing
or His presence in difficulties. We simply
need to trust Him. In the waiting, we prayerfully
trust in the promises of His Word and the abiding guidance of the Holy Spirit. .
Trust is a small word with vast meanings. It is really a word that is easily spoken but elusive to live out in a complete way. Still it is the word that defines faith as we trust even as we seek understanding over and over again. Trusting in God is the only way into the promised land, the place where He delivers us and abides with us even as we seek understanding of Him.
“So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:4-6 KJV).
Suggested Reading Proverbs 3 & Psalm 27
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