Striving to Trust

There are quite a few verses in the Bible that talk about trusting in the Lord. When the circumstances of life are going as planned, it doesn’t feel too difficult to trust. But when the circumstances are difficult or are wildly different than expected, trust feels a bit different and maybe even impossible.

It is moments like these that the devil likes to use to shake our trust in our Heavenly Father, the one who provides for all our needs. The devil will happily try to convince us that the power of Christ in us is not enough to overcome whatever it is that we are facing. He will tell us that we can trust ourselves better than anyone else. Why is it so easy for us to accept these lies provided by our enemy?

We are naturally bent toward trusting ourselves. We like to grasp on to any area we think we have some level of control over. So when the devil so nicely provides a narrative that lines up with what we lean towards, it is easier for us to accept it as believable. Our lack of trust points to a lack of belief in the goodness of God. We don’t trust that He truly holds what is best for us.

I want to lean into why it matters where we place our trust. Trusting God is essential because it is through trusting Him we receive peace, joy, and strength to endure whatever life may hold. When we trust ourselves more than we trust God, we choose what we see as the safer and less vulnerable option. But what the devil doesn’t tell us is that when we trust in ourselves we carry the full weight of the burden alone. We alone need to face our circumstances because we are unwilling to release them to God.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. -Isaiah 26:3-4

These verses are so encouraging for those who struggle to trust God. God promises that perfect peace is available. Not only is it available to us, but we can also be kept there. In Hebrew, the term is actually shalom shalom which means perfect peace. Repetition in Hebrew shows intensity, hence perfect peace. Those whose minds are steadfast, or as other translations say, stayed or settled on God, are kept in perfect peace. There is something so comforting to know that perfect peace follows the trust we place in God. The source of perfect peace is God alone. It is another reminder that it matters what our thoughts are and where our focus is placed. 

Trusting God is not a once and done deal. It is a daily, sometimes hourly choice. It means consciously placing my circumstances into God’s hands, releasing the grip on how we think things need to turn out. It requires vigilance because we so often like to take back from God what we have previously surrendered. Only in trusting God do we receive true freedom. Real trust happens when we stop trying to force our circumstances to be what we long for them to become and lean into God, trusting He knows what is best. 

When the circumstances of life are different than expected, it is then we need to remember that we have a choice. We can choose to carry these burdens on alone and feel their heavyweight. Or we can bring them to the Father, and rest in the peace He gives when we do so. The choice is ours alone.