Trusting: January 10, 2014

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 10, 2014

TRUSTING

DEFINITION:

Reliance; to place one’s confidence in; believing; to hope.

SCRIPTURE:

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Psalm 37:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Trusting God means that we need to look beyond what we can see to what God sees. At some point in our life, and often many times, we will face what we feel are mammoth trials and difficulties. This is why we must know how to respond to every threat we face by grabbing hold of the kind of victorious trust that looks beyond what we can see to what God sees.

One of the best examples given to us in the Old Testament is David when he met Goliath. David had his ups and downs but the secret of his success was his ability to trust God and to obey Him. Had David looked just at the challenge facing him (Goliath), he would have turned around and run away as did the rest of the Israelites. But through his faith in God and his total trust of God David saw what his countryman did not see. He saw what God saw --- victory.

In times of great pressure, God stretches our faith and deepens our trust and dependence on Him. Without a strong, abiding faith, we can quickly yield to temptation and fear, especially when the trial or difficulty is intense or prolonged. We become fearful to wait on the Lord to respond.

God loves you, and when you place your trust in Him, He will help you to triumph. You may go through times of failure. Life may not always turn out the way you had planned but ultimately, God will be glorified and you will be blessed.

Every challenge we face in life gives God an opportunity to show His faithfulness and love. We can learn from David several principles that can help us to trust completely in our Lord.

David recalled past victories before he proceeded to meet Goliath. He remembered how God delivered him from the paw of the lion and the grasp of the bear. David rejected the discouraging words that came his way from the Children of Israel. We must not succumb to discouraging words from others around us but put our trust in the Lord.

As David stood with the giant Goliath towering over him, Saul and the Israelites saw Goliath as an invincible foe. David saw Goliath as God saw Goliath, a mortal man.

David recognized the true nature of the battle he was facing. He responded that the battle was the Lord’s. David responded to the challenge he faced with a positive confession. He firmly responded to the Children of Israel that he could not lose because God was with him.

So great was David’s trust in God that he gave God the glory for the victory before the battle had begun. David was so positive in God that he declared to Goliath, “This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you down and cut off your head.” I Samuel 17:46.

David did not need a spear or a javelin to defeat Goliath. He only needed his faith and a homemade sling shot. When you put your trust in the Lord, you tap into an irresistible force that no one and nothing else can successfully oppose.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 15:9.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

PRAYER:

Help me today to put my trust completely in You. May I learn how to trust the Lord as David did. Help me to lead others, including my family, into a closer relationship with You so that they will put their trust in You.