Have you ever struggled with trusting God? Have you ever thought: “I know He’s provided in the past, but I don’t know if He will THIS time!”
I admit, I fall short in this area of trusting God to meet my needs. And all too often, I take this lack of trust too lightly. I am satisfied with the status quo, content to live in the shadows of doubt, questioning whether my needs will truly be met on a daily basis.
But, O, how my Father longs to give me more! His desire is that I be drawn deeper into the knowledge of His sufficiency, basking in His wealth and grace and the security that it brings to my needy heart.
My lack of trust is not only keeping me from enjoying a full life, but also from truly knowing, praising, and rejoicing in my God.
I know we’ve probably never met, but if I may, I’d like to pull up a chair with you, friend, and make a confession. A deep, gut-wrenching confession.
In the middle of some of my darkest days, and even in the middle of some of the mundane ones, I’ve wrestled with doubt and forgotten God’s faithfulness.
The stories I’ve recounted in my mind are woven somehow into tales with vivid chapters titled: “The Juncture Where God Abandoned Us” or “The Point in the Story Where God Left Me Hanging.”
So why, you may wonder, would I seemingly validate these erroneous thoughts by writing them down? My purpose is twofold.
First, to agree with God (and admit to myself!) about how ludicrous these thoughts when held up to the Truth of Scripture and God’s actual track record in my life.
Second, to let anyone else who has had similar thoughts know that they are not alone!
The prayer of my heart is that I would learn to cry with David: “To know You is to trust You, Lord!”
May I learn to rest in the fact that He NEVER forsakes His own. He is ever worthy of my trust and my praise.
Our key verse is from Psalm 9, one of the many Psalms of David. He begins this Psalm with four “I will” statements. I thought this was interesting as I studied this Psalm, especially as I reflected on my own struggles with trusting God. It’s easy to lose sight of the gift of free will that God gives us, and to label ourselves as simply victims of our circumstances. Using Psalm 9:1 as a guide, what are some steps you can take this week to praise God, no matter how difficult or mundane your current circumstances?
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.
I will tell of how I was discouraged about a certain facet of my ministry, and within 24 hours of saying to my husband “I think I’ll give up,” God graciously prompted five friends to send emails or texts to me, sharing how much this part of ministry had encouraged them.
I will tell of how I had to go in for a surgery follow up and was nervous about the outcome but prayed that God would give me peace about the outcome. My sons and husband prayed for me too, and even though I got the news I was dreading (I need another surgery), God had prepared me to trust Him to take care of me and provide no matter what news I heard. Praise Him for answering and for growing my faith!
I will sing praises to your name, I will be glad and rejoice in you, for you are good!
I will tell of how my sons are growing in their relationship with the Lord, after years of praying for them, and knowing that its not because of my faithfulness as a mom, but only because of the goodness of God pursuing their hearts and using me in my weakness. I will rejoice in you!