Of Things Unseen - Part 3

Trusting God and His Motives

You don't have to be sick to understand this idea - the idea of trusting God and His motives is a universal battle every believer faces almost on a daily basis.  Whether it's an illness, financial problems, abuse, drug addictions, parenting, marital problems, work issues, or any other problem life brings your way, we are faced with a choice:  to trust God or not to trust Him.

Trust is not an easy thing.  We live in a world where our leaders are corrupt, greedy, and lie.  We have more children with parents who abandoned them or abused them.  Doing what's best for yourself is our society's mantra.  Adultery is so common now it's almost an accepted practice.  With all of the things in our world that let us down - no wonder it takes daily discipline to stop and remember that God is trustworthy.

In the end, faith comes down to one big question - Do you trust God is who He says He is in His word?  It's an all or nothing deal - though.  You can't have your cake and eat it, too.  You either believe His word is that - HIS word or you don't.  The second you start rationalizing any part of scripture to fit your own ideas about God - that's the second you've begun to stop trusting Him.  So, can the God of the bible be trustworthy?  Is all that the bible says about Him true?  If we can't trust what it says about creation, how can we trust what it says about salvation?

God is either all knowing, all good (holy), just, righteous, merciful, etc or He isn't.  He can't, however, be God and yet with faults at the same time.  Just not possible.  So, He's either worthy of all we have and then some, or He's not worth a penny.  There is no in between.  Is there a God which gives life purpose and hope for something more or isn't there?  In each daily circumstance, we are continually being asked that question...God asks, "Do you trust me?"  When your life goes sideways or is flipped upside down - our first question is often "Why is this happening?"  The answer(s) we come to when facing this question reflect whether we trust God or we don't.

My last post ended with Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  To know this and yet to trust it are two different things.  But, I didn't really understand that until I got sick.  I mentioned in a previous post about how I paused when asked if I believed God has even my illness under His control.  In that instant, I had a choice to make.  It's a choice I have to continue to make every time I have a really bad day or start to wonder how much longer this will go on.  So, even though I knew in my head God was in control of all things, I had to choose to trust it in that moment.  But another thing I've learned from the Beth Moore Daniel study is that faith and obedience - to trust God - don't happen on accident.  Daniel and his buddies (SAM - see part 2) didn't do what was right on spur of the moment.  They had been devoted to God in their lives on a regular basis.  They had practice.  They studied God's word and knew it and were able to draw strength from it when faced with choices that came their way.


To know God is in control is to have wisdom.  To trust God is in control is to put that wisdom in your heart (Ps 119:11) i.e. to have faith.  Trusting God in the midst of raw emotion is not easy.  It doesn't come naturally but is something we must do on purpose (out of obedience).  So each of us are left with a choice...to believe God is all the things He says He is or to not.  I don't know about you but for me, I have to believe that there is more to this life than what is visible.  Knowing that there is a point or reason for what I'm going through - that somehow God will cause this to be for my good and that all He says will come to pass - gives me HOPE and STRENGTH to endure this trial.  You, too, can have that peace if you'll only choose to let God into your life and trust Him with your heart.