I am in a situation at the moment where I really have to put my whole trust and faith in God. It is such a difficult task at times to remove the reliance off yourself (because we are all just so good at getting things right) and put your whole confidence in God. Even when we know that God has come through for us again and again, trusting fully in God can seem impossible. So here are four areas I remind myself of each day to help me put my trust in God.
1. God's timing is perfect:
God works outside of our time domain, but rest assured, He is never late or early, He is always on perfect time. Ecclesiastes states "God makes everything happen at the right time. Yet none of us can ever fully understand all he has done, and he puts questions in our minds about the past and the future" (3:11) (CEV). We do not need to understand God's timing but stand on the knowledge that God will get it right, right down to the second. God does not do this to annoy us or make us squirm; it is so when we look back, we can see that God had everything under control.
2. God's will is better than mine:
God plans for us are much grander than we could ever envision for ourselves. We always tend to think that we know the best way to approach our lives, that our will for our life is the will we should follow. But why try to try to go against what God has already set up for you; "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jer 29:11 NIV). What a relief. God has got everything already mapped out for us. I know for me that is a great encouragement because my mind is zooming this way and that when I try to come up with plans for my life.
3. God is Faithful
Isaiah states: "O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvellous things, things planned long ago" (25:1 NIV). God's word is filled with His faithfulness. He led Israel out of slavery, bought them back from exile, stayed true to his covenants with Abraham and David, and sent the Messiah, among many other things. God is faithful, He always comes through. Even when we seem to be facing impossible odds or God's plan seems...crazy, His word never fails. God is faithful quite simply because He loves us.
4. God Loves
God is Love, and love never fails. I could never explain the absolute degree of God's love towards us, that is what makes it all the more marvellous. Paraphrasing Matthew 7:11, if we, who are sinful, love our families and friends so much that we would hate to see them fail or fall, how MUCH MORE does God not want to see us fall. His gifts are far superior to anything on this earth and his love endures forever. God wants us to know how much He loves us so he calls us to; "Cast the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully". 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP). Praise God for His love for us, a love that is unfailing.
So in conclusion, yes, it can be one of the hardest things to put your trust in somebody else, but rest assured, when that somebody else is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the all-knowing, all powerful, only living, perfect loving God, you will be fine. Trust in God with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5), He hold time in his hand, His will is perfect, He is faithful and He loves you.
Tim McDonald lives and works in Mackay Queensland with a family of four children. He leads YAC (Young Adults Cell) group and is the drummer in his church's youthful band.
Tim McDonald's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/tim-mcdonald.html