We must learn to trust God for everything. It is easy to say I trust God! It may actually be another thing to really trust Him.
Trusting God must be in all the situations in life. When we have enough and more food, clothes, houses and other physical things, we can say I trust God. Look what he has given me! Would we trust him if we were hungry, cold and homeless? I am wondering when we have plenty if we are trusting God or if we are trusting in things.
Eve did not trust God. He had commanded them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. He told them they would die. Yet, Eve trusted the devil and herself and not God. So she ate of the fruit and gave it to Adam and he ate it also (Genesis 3).
Abraham trusted God about the journey. He left his home, family and friends. He followed God’s instructions and went to a strange land. He trusted God concerning Isaac’s birth. When Isaac was a young man, God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22). He trusted God would raise Isaac from the dead, because God had promised through Isaac would be his descendants.
Paul trusted God. I will give two examples from his life. Paul was put into prison in Jerusalem. While in prison he had a vision. God told him he would be a witness for him in Rome also (Acts 23:11).
“But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
The second example is in Acts 27. Paul was a prisoner on the way to Rome. A terrible storm had come upon the sea. They had not seen the stars or the sun for two weeks. Paul had a vision and God assured him all would be safe (Acts 27:23-25).
“For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.”
You understand the trust he had in God. We know that God had the power to stop the storm, but did not do that (Mark 4:39). Yes, the storm was still bad. It was so bad that the ship was destroyed that day. When morning came, Paul was so trusting of God that he began to eat and told all the others to eat. Paul was able to say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Do you trust God? How are things in your life? Is everything going good? Do you still trust God? Are things going bad? Do you still trust God? Deuteronomy 8:11-12 says “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest--when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them.”
Many times when the Jews were greatly blessed, they forgot God. We are warned about doing that. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
Trusting God is necessary to live a Christian life. We must believe him through his word. He is always there for his own. As David points out in Psalms 23, God takes care of his in all situations. Trust him each day with all you have. He is the only one who can care for you in this life and the life to come.
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Vernon Curry has preached at the Highland Drive Church of Christ in Poplar Bluff for about 16 years.