How good is your trust in the Lord? We can know whether or not we are wholly trusting in Him. Often believers say they trust in Him, but do not do it fittingly. Trusting in the Lord is not a statement. It is an event. It is an event in which the Lord also judges and justifies us. There are times when trusting in Him seems an endless process. We must even bear men perceiving us as ridiculous and foolish for striving in the Lord. Our endurance is tested, but we become quite distinct from others. We cannot forego our trust in Him, if we knew Him in an intimate and perfect way and as He is. The chief purpose of trusting in Him is to experience His presence and works toward us. It is for this reason we sometimes spend a good amount of time waiting on Him. By trusting in Him we acquire perfect qualities. They are boldness in the face of fear, strong faith, unwavering obedience and living by His promises. They turn us into a quiet and yet, strong people. Hence, the Scripture says, “Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever” (Ps. 125:1).
Mount Zion is a reference to Jerusalem on which the Lord kept His protective hand at all times. It was His dwelling place. The comparison made by David is quite comprehensible. When we trust in Him, we will not be captured, overpowered, destroyed or led astray by anyone or thing. There is power released with it. We feel it by the God that dwells in us; and we are certain He brings our trust to a worthy conclusion. It is this power that enables us to resist every evil that comes before us. It helps us choose God above all else. It helps us identify sin even before it identifies us. It produces thoughts in us that give glory to God and joy to us. It directs us to avoid the dangers present ahead of us. It makes us recognize the children of God. Because it is a gift of endurance, it makes us wise for God and knowledgeable of things around us. Thus, trusting in Him has also become the source of blessings and rewards.
Nevertheless, there is a typical aspect of trusting in the Lord. It is that we do whatever He appoints us without constraints. Sometimes it is difficult to see why He leads us to certain works and ways. They do not seem profitable or worth the task. But, trusting in Him allows us to accept His way. And though there is hardship, mystery and a degree of danger to it, we trust in Him owing to His all-knowing nature. The prophet Ezekiel was one man who had to go out of his way to perform His will. And the reason he was able to do it was he trusted in Him. The Lord said, “As for you, son of man, they will put ropes on you and bind you with them so that you cannot go out among them” (Ezek. 3:25). It was a gruesome task appointed to him for a tangible outcome, and he was ready to trust in Him. All his days he stood as Mount Zion.
We know we cannot escape the intricacies of believing God and Christ. There will be hardships, in some cases unbearable ones. There will be hurdles, fears, worries, anger, lack and times we do not know what to do. The only answer to all these is trusting in the Lord. There is nothing better to do than to handover everything into His will and control. The world in a similar situation works differently. It continues to make ways and pursues an alternate life to find relief all of which end in more turmoil and disappointment. But to us the outcome will be satisfying and refreshing. For it is the Lord God who works for us; His power keeps us and we finally overcome. There will be joyous result. And, though we worry of the time spent trusting in Him for a breakthrough and the end does not seem near, there will still be a joyous result. For while we were yet to trust in Him, He has reserved for us ample time to rejoice in it. And this is the confidence brimming in us. “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken” (Mark 12:27).
We have been transformed in Jesus to live forever. So, our trust in Him will not fail. The only thing we must do is weigh the degree of our trust in Him. Pursuing these virtues enable us to exceedingly increase our trust in Him.
1. Understanding the Father’s desire for us. Jesus said, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). We are meant to bear much fruit. Unless the branches abide in the Vine, they cannot bear fruit. It is our dependence on Him to supply us that makes us bear much fruit.
2. Leaving every outcome to the Lord. It is not what we can do, or how much or when we do them that matters. It is not our assessment of a situation or an issue that brings forth a perfect consequence. It is the provision of the Lord. Whatever the Lord has appointed to us, it is the best for our best. Most importantly, we cannot know exactly how the future unfolds, but the Lord does. What might seem urgent and necessary is not necessarily good for us. Our mind can only envision the short term needs and fixes, but God sees better and differently. No matter can come to an end with our effort or consent. “For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” (1 Cor. 7:16). We see the analogy.
3. Staying a captive of Christ. We must always push ourselves to be under the authority of Jesus – to listen to Him, to do that which He wants and to accept everything that comes our way as coming with His full knowledge. If Paul had not considered himself to be His prisoner, he would never have tasted the substance of victory. He forced himself to become His slave, one who is not penchant to his opinion or choice other than the master’s. For he knew the joy he would obtain from the Master, who is just, loving and full of mercy. So, he quite boldly called himself “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Phile. 1:1).
4. Being wary of the workings of the flesh. The best way for it is to be reticent to the ways of the world. We ought to be careful not to deviate for something that is seemingly true and harmless. Just as it is elsewhere said that all good things come from the Father, God will provide us with good things as we trust in Him. When we receive them, we will know them by the power in us. There will not be guilt in them. On the contrary, if we are deliberately pursuing what are falsely called the good things, we bring agony upon ourselves, let alone the loss of precious time. For those who have done in this manner have received their due. “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah” (Jude 1:11).