Who Do You Trust?

(Recommended Reading Isaiah 30 – All scripture quoted from NLT)

You may notice that for the 3rd week in a row the topics seem to be similar – parents, children and our Father God.  I am guessing that God was trying to get my attention about something with these ideas that worked their way into articles for this blog.  Maybe there is someone else out there that needed to see these words, learn these lessons and receive these assurances too?  

It is normal for children to trust their parents.  After all, they depend on them for basically everything for their existence – their nourishment, their shelter, their protection, etc.  Even as they grow into their teen years and grow more independent, they still rely on the adults in their lives for the basic necessities.  They trust that they will be provided for as needed.

Once adulthood arrives we tend to pretty much depend on ourselves – or at least we should.  Then as we take a job we trust our employer to provide us a salary and possibly those extra benefits to protect our health and future security with investments.  We trust our life partner to share responsibilities and to provide those things that complement us emotionally and physically.

As Christians we need to always keep in mind that our primary place to put our trust should be in our God.  He is a loving God – a faithful God – a trustworthy God.

But, as mere humans, we can be very headstrong at times – maybe even all the time.  It can be easy to forget that He is always there in that trusted position to help us with all our needs.  We forget to seek His guidance and then make decisions that can take us off the preferred path for our life.  This can lead us directly into difficulties that we could have avoided if only we would have sought out the direction to go from Him first.

The Israelites, His chosen people, would rebel against him time after time, regardless of the continual faithfulness and trustworthiness of all He did for them.  It had to grieve Him deeply.  

Just as we parents have to get to the point that we are hands-off with our children, even as we watch them make bad decisions that result in difficult consequences, so our heavenly Father has to do the same with us.  But we remain ready to welcome our children back, help them when necessary and love them through it all.  Our Father God does the same for us.    

In Psalm 30:1b God says “‘…they make plans that are contrary to mine.  You make alliances not directed by my Spirit.’”  

Isaiah 30:15-17 says: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength.  But you would have none of it.  You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.  They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’  But the only swiftness you are going to see is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!  One of them will chase a thousand of you.  Five of them will make all of you flee.  You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.’”     

So who desires that their life would be full of constantly running from your enemies – your fears?  Feeling like a tattered flag flapping in the wind?  There has to be something better!  And, there is – it is returning to the One that we can always fully trust.  

Then Isaiah 30:18 is full of hope and encouragement.  It says: “So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.  For the Lord is a faithful God.  Blessed are those who wait for his help.”

So…who do YOU trust?

Written by Karran Martin – September 4, 2020