Trust

For many, that is a hard word to hear, say, or even write because as we get older, we lose it along the way. We lose trust in people, in policies, in government, in churches, and in pastors. We lose our ability to trust the opinions of others, and often, we even lose trust in ourselves.  

Everyone knows the feeling of losing trust in something that felt solid and unwavering. I have lost trust in others for various reasons and at various times, but I have also failed people myself and perhaps for a time, they have lost their trust in me. It’s a universal experience, so what do we do? Are we left scrambling moment to moment, day by day, to figure out how to truly trust again? 

As I was driving one day, I was thinking about how much trust I put in everybody around me, even when they were perfect strangers: the driver of the car in front of me, the one in the car behind me, the other one in the other lane. The simple, everyday act of getting behind the wheel and driving to a restaurant requires putting my full faith and trust in those with whom I share the road. When I reach my destination, I put my trust in the chefs, assuming they have prepared the food properly so I don’t get sick. I go to the grocery store and trust that all the freezers are working and there’s no contamination or expired foods. 

These small acts of trust are all universal, and they are subconscious. Everywhere we go, we trust something or someone without even thinking about it, and it actually puts us in a state of humble dependence.  Perhaps we forget to trust our heavenly Father like this. In Psalm 139:5, we are reminded, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” He is going before us; his hand is upon us! Later in verses 22-23, we read. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!^[ And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Are we asking God to search us and know our hearts? Are we fully trusting God?

That is what I had to do with both of the devotionals, trust God and depend on him for the right words to unfold. In the introduction to the first book, I talk about my mother and her faith’s role in her life. I wanted to honour her and her story because it is so much a part of mine. It was a joy to lean back into those childhood memories and spend time with my parents to learn more about them. Incorporating those stories into my devotionals was the easy part. I had to trust God with all the unknowns for the rest of it.

Part of being in the world means losing trust in the people and in the systems which have sustained us in the past. This is normal and natural. Everyone will let you down at some point, and you will let others down because that is a symptom of being human. We are all impossibly flawed. What I do know is that there is only one person I can truly trust every day, all day, for the rest of my life and into eternity: that’s Jesus. I’ve been exploring this verse lately because it keeps me grounded and reminds me exactly who establishes my steps! 

 

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. 

Proverbs 16:9 

 

How have you learned to trust God with your steps?

Such perfect timing with the newest single from Pat Barret. This song has been a blessing to me just over the past few days!