Time to Trust

 When I awake early in the morning I often ask Siri on my iPhone “what time is it? “This morning, before I could even formulate those words, the phrase time to trust clearly came into my mind. Instantly I wondered if this could be my blog topic for the day. I was curious about the phrase and wondered if it may have been used by others. A Google search revealed that indeed it has been used often. A time to trust included information and highlights in the financial markets, self motivation articles and advertisements for watches and other devices. I want to approach this from the biblical foundation and perspective.

I intend to address:

The true meaning of trust.

In whom shall we place our trust 

When must we trust.

Benefits of placing our trust in the Lord

How do we learn to trust?

What does it mean to trust?

Synonyms for trust include: assurance, confidence reliance, belief and expectation.

Even in the natural realm it is not necessary to understand some thing in order to trust or have confidence that it will work. I don’t understand electricity at all but I believe confidently that if I flip the switch it will activate the current and the light will go on. I use a mechanical device to assist me with transfers. It is completely beyond my understanding to know how it was installed or why the system works to lift me from my wheelchair to my bed. Nonetheless, I rely on it daily in order to function well. I can rely on the light switch to bring white into the darkness because I believe that the electrician who installed all the wiring had the skills necessary to make it work. I can be assured that my ceiling track lift will bring me safely to where I need to be because I have confidence in the one who invented the design and the contractor who secured it into place. That doesn’t mean that there is never a power failure or that my equipment doesn’t malfunction at times. It’s not 100% infallible because it was designed by imperfect human beings. Even with occasional shortcomings, the vast majority of time I am quite confident that things will go as expected.

Who deserves our ultimate trust?

God never fails. He has all power ability and authority over all things. God‘s wisdom is beyond our limited human capacity, yet we can and must trust Him to work all things out for good as He intends. Genuine trust is not placed in the circumstance but rather in the only one who has complete control over everything. Nothing is impossible with God!

“…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mark 19:26

‘“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you“ Jeremiah 32:17

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Job 42:2

When shall we trust?

I believe the short answer is that we should always trust.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Psalm 62:8

There are specific times when trusting can be more difficult and we will need to be intentional about putting our trust in God.

In times of fear.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 56:3-4

He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7

When we face opposition

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Psalm 31:14-15

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. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Psalm 37

Why is it important to trust God?

There are many benefits to trusting God. He brings blessing and goodness to those who do so.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. Jeremiah 17:7

I will mention only a few of the specific benefits to trusting God.

Peace.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah 26:3

Strength.

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:1

Guidance.

Trust in the lord with all your heart.. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5–6

How can we learn to trust?

There are probably numerous ways to learn to trust God but five particular ideas come to mind. Worship Humility Experience Resist and take Refuge Encouragement in the Word.

• Worship.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7t

• Humility

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Psalm 25:9

• Experience (remembering God‘s faithfulness)

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭2‬ ‭and the entire Psalm.

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2–3

• Resist the enemy and take refuge

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:1-2

• Encouragement in the word

In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:4

I arranged these strategies to strengthen our trust - Worship Humility Experience Resist & Refuge Encouragement - so that the first letters of those words form the acronym WHERE. When we find her trust faltering we can ask the question where is my focus, where is my trust?

The Bible has so many verses that inspire us to trust God here is a link to a list of them:

https://www.openbible.info/topics/trust

Here are a few worship songs:

It is ALWAYS TIME TO TRUST!