January 23, 2019
Can I Trust God?
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him — (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Friend to Friend
I hopped up on the counter at the soda fountain and placed my five-year-old feet on the spinning stool in front of me. Dad sipped on a Coke and talked to the lady behind the counter with the red-and-white-striped apron tied around her waist.
“This is my little girl,” Daddy said with a smile. “She’s a little monkey.”
“Why, Allan, she’s just as cute as she can be.”
For a moment, I thought I was.
I stood in the front yard waiting for the screaming to stop before I went back inside. Dad was drunk again, and Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs. Why couldn’t he see how afraid I was? Why did he drink? Why did Mom yell? Why did they hit each other? After 17 years of these volcanic outbursts, you’d think I’d be used to it. But they always took me by surprise.
The next day came with many tears and promises. “I’ll never do it again,” Dad said. “I am so sorry.”
But there was always a next time. I couldn’t trust him.
When I became a Christian, I understood God’s amazing love for me. But I wondered, could I trust Him? Could I trust God with my hopes and fears, days and years? When you understand the depth of His love, the answer is always yes. Perfect love drives away all fear, kicks it out the door, gives it the boot (1 John 4:18). I love how another translation says 1 John 4:18:
There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection] (AMPC).
I could relate to the rejected Jesus and easily accept the indescribable gift He gave. I marveled at God’s love. I truly did. But when it came time to trust my heavenly Father with my hopes and dreams? That was a different story. For the longest time, when conflicts arose, I became that teenage girl looking in the crowd for a daddy who wasn’t there. Could I trust this heavenly Father? I wasn’t so sure.
But one day God spoke to my heart in a poignant way. Take your father’s face off Mine, He seemed to say. I am not like your earthly father. I am your heavenly Father.
God is always good.
God always tells the truth.
God wants what’s best for you.
You can trust Him.
It’s easy to trust God when life is good. But when a child rebels, the bank account dwindles, or the biopsy comes back saying the tumor is malignant, we wonder. Is God really good? We know in our heads that He is, but the heart struggles to believe. The Enemy peddles the lie that God is not good—that He’s holding out on us. That’s what He told Eve. God is holding out on you. You can’t trust Him. You will not die.
Then disappointment hits and the devil says, “Told you so.”
Life is filled with disappointments. And it’s during those times of disappointment that the Enemy sows seeds of distrust with thoughts of mistrust. Disappointment and discouragement become the breeding ground for Satan’s lies to take root.
During all the years I struggled with infertility, the Enemy continually taunted me with lies. God doesn’t love you, he whispered.If He loved you He would give you a child. You can’t trust Him with your heart. You can’t trust Him with your deepest longings.
When we lost our second child due to a miscarriage, the Enemy pestered me with more lies. How could God let this happen? How could He break your heart like this? How could a loving God allow such pain?
Have you ever felt that way? I think most of us have heard those lies at one time or another. But the truth is, if God says no in one area of our lives, it’s because He has a greater yes in another.
Can you imagine how the disciples must have felt as the stone rolled in front of Jesus’s tomb? How could this happen? Where is God? We thought He was going to restore Israel? But three days later, when Jesus rose from the grave and appeared to them in all His glory, they knew the answer. God had a greater plan. And God has a plan for you.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, I am so glad I can trust You with my hopes, my dreams, my fears, and my years. I know that You have a good plan for me. Even when I am disappointed and heartbroken, help me to trust that Your ways are perfect.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Ponder these verses:
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB)
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10 NIV)
What are you trusting God for today?
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