Early in my faith walk I was swimming in hubris and self-directed captaincy that commandeered my trust and ran away from God. But I still wanted HIS PROMISES to become manifest in my life. All of them. Promises for protection, forgiveness, help, and wisdom to name but a few. I thought a quick prayer here and there would activate those promises and their many cousins, even though I was trusting ME for everything.
Just writing these words now produces a head-to-toe wince. But they are the fabric of my faith mosaic, built over time by God and burnished by the Holy Spirit. And they set up one of the most important points in exploring GOD’S PROMISES for Christians:
Yes, God wants us to know, understand, and activate his PROMISES so we EXPERIENCE the full-dimension of what it means to be a child of God. But he built us to TRUST HIM for everything.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Over time God broke my grip on control and showed me that a believer’s power is finite and must always be subordinate to him. In everything he gives us—our gifts, experiences, intelligence, and strengths…and so much more—he wants our trust to be 100% TRUST in him.
That puts us at the base of God’s trust mountain, facing a steep slog. But we must make that climb because God wants us to demonstrate our trust in him on the journey of life that he promised would be difficult:
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
This has nothing to do with UNDERSTANDING because we will never fully understand God’s plan and ways. It’s all and always about TRUSTING him as a ramp to OBEYING him and, then, GLORIFYING him.
The less understanding we have and the more uncertainty we carry, the more God is glorified because we TRUSTED him despite those conditions.
I ask God to help me monitor—over and over again–my level of TRUST in him so I never put myself in control of anything…and give him the glory for everything.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you trusting God’s PROMISES today? Ask yourself that question twice.
