Trusting God
GOD
Trust. What is trust? What does it mean personally to trust? Merriam Webster's defines trust as a noun initially, and yes grammatically that is correct:
1
a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed
2
a : dependence on something future or contingent : hope b : reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : credit <bought furniture on trust>
3
a : a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another b : a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition
4
archaic : trustworthiness
5
a (1) : a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2) : something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another b : responsible charge or office c : care, custody <the child committed to her trust>
— in trust
: in the care or possession of a trustee. In some way, that applies to our topic today, yet it is trust in its application form that we are shooting for. Jesus is the interwoven theme, manifestation, embodiment, and Person of the Bible. The Bible is Jesus, Jesus is the Bible.
Throughout the Old Testament, in the books of Moses, the Judges, the prophets, the Psalms, and Proverbs there are hundreds of references, and stories of the application of trust, and the NEED and REQUIREMENT of trust. Had Adam and Eve trusted the Lord and His commands with all their heart, and leaned not on their own understanding, the forbidden fruit would not have been partaken of by those two. We move a few chapters later in Genesis, and God calls on a man named Noah to trust Him. He asks Noah to build an ark, in the desert where it was dry, barren, and in an age where a drop of rain had never fallen upon Earth. Over a hundred years of trusting God, building an ark as he was most certainly called crazy, yet he trusted God. It ended up to his salvation.
Abraham was called to leave EVERYTHING, EVERYONE, his home and left to a land he knew not. He began a walk, although with many mistakes, he walked with and for God. He trusted God would make him a father of many people, and nations would be blessed for Christ would be half descendant of Abraham and Sarah. Joseph a great grandson of Abraham would walk in trust with God, and Jacob would need his trust (faith) in God to endure the life he faced. Betrayed, sold to slavery, falsely accused, arrested, yet he never waivered, he trusted God. 430 years later, just like God foretold Abraham, Israel in bondage, God raises up a man named Moses, and oh Moses endured a walk that was defined by a dependency of trust in God as he carried on God's will, but Moses trusted. David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Gideon, Samuel, Rahab, Ruth, Naomi, Hannah, Amos, Ezekiel, and Daniel all had to trust God.
The fact that these few stories, people, are mentioned and named throughout the entire Old Testament, is the preparing for the coming of Jesus. Jesus only ask trust (Biblical Trust) complete dependence upon Christ alone, so you can be saved. That my friend is the essence of why we must needs trust God. Solomon perhaps summed it up best in this verse: "Trust in the Lord with ALL THINE HEART, LEAN NOT ON THY OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT THY PATHS." Proverbs 3:5-6 It is the essence, the base line for what is spoken in John 3 to Nicodemus. Think about it friend, keep the that verse in mind as you read John 3
"9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:9-18
Throughout the Old Testament, in the books of Moses, the Judges, the prophets, the Psalms, and Proverbs there are hundreds of references, and stories of the application of trust, and the NEED and REQUIREMENT of trust. Had Adam and Eve trusted the Lord and His commands with all their heart, and leaned not on their own understanding, the forbidden fruit would not have been partaken of by those two. We move a few chapters later in Genesis, and God calls on a man named Noah to trust Him. He asks Noah to build an ark, in the desert where it was dry, barren, and in an age where a drop of rain had never fallen upon Earth. Over a hundred years of trusting God, building an ark as he was most certainly called crazy, yet he trusted God. It ended up to his salvation.
The fact that these few stories, people, are mentioned and named throughout the entire Old Testament, is the preparing for the coming of Jesus. Jesus only ask trust (Biblical Trust) complete dependence upon Christ alone, so you can be saved. That my friend is the essence of why we must needs trust God. Solomon perhaps summed it up best in this verse: "Trust in the Lord with ALL THINE HEART, LEAN NOT ON THY OWN UNDERSTANDING; IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT THY PATHS." Proverbs 3:5-6 It is the essence, the base line for what is spoken in John 3 to Nicodemus. Think about it friend, keep the that verse in mind as you read John 3
"9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:9-18
Where is your trust? Wait...Who has your trust?
Love in Christ, Jason
Love in Christ, Jason
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