“Trust God”
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
OPENING: - Today I want to deal with a simple topic but in its simplicity is truly complex. That is simply Trust God. So often people will try to encourage you when you are dealing with something by saying just Trust God. Although trusting God is essential of saving faith and even though we trust God for peace, strength, contentment, guidance and so much more there are times in this life that we must ask ourselves how do I Trust God when I am dealing with this that I am dealing with.
Trusting God is one of those essential truths we think we really understand until we are called upon to do it and then we realize there is more to trusting God than just saying Trust God.
Trusting God is vital to our Christian walk, yet it is not always easy to trust God when we live in a world that questions and denies Him at every turn. However, we must trust God knowing that He will do exceeding abundantly above all that we may ask or think.
It is my desire today to encourage you and open up your understanding to what it means to Trust God.
DEFINITION: - Trust – the word translated trust means “a bold, confident, sure security or action based on that security”. Trust is not the same as faith, which is a gift of God Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. The definition of faith is Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith”. A measure of faith is a specific quantity of faith that God gives to each believer according to His will and purpose, the measure of faith enables us the believer to understand the greatness and love of God.
Trust is what we do because of the faith we have been given. Trust is believing in the promises of God during circumstances in life even when the evidence is not there. Trust in God is more than a concept, it’s an action and a faith-filled journey that brings us closer to God. It is a deep-seated belief in His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and love, understanding that His plans for us surpass our very comprehension. Trust is not passive but involves actively seeking His will, obeying His commands, and surrendering our control to Him.
Trust is characterized by obedience, surrender, and a sense of peace derived from knowing that God is in control.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”
That scripture of faith has challenged people down through the centuries, it has been told to people when they are facing trials and tribulations in their life and has become the standard of measuring a person’s faithful commitment to God. So often people are told to have the faith of Job or Job it out when facing issues in their lives. The name it claim it Word of Faith healers will often say if someone isn’t healed is because they didn’t have enough faith which is not even Biblical.
Back to Job, let me say I do not believe that Job just all of the sudden woke up one day and had great unwavering faith, but his trust in God was a process that grew until it reached the point where he was able to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him”.
There is a saying that goes “By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are led from strength to strength, from faith to faith, and from glory to glory”. Our trust in God grows from one level to the next as we experience the awesomeness of God at different points in our lives. Romans 1:17 says, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:…” So our trust grows as we grow in our faith and relationship with God.
We are not privy to the life of Job before we read about his story when Satan said in Job 1:9-11 “Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face”, but I would venture to say that Job grew in trusting God until he got to the point in his trust in God that even Satan noticed. In Acts 19:14-15 we find “And there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priest, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know and Paul I know; but who are ye”? I believe because of the character and faith of Jesus and Paul that the evil spirit knew them and because Job’s faith was so strong now Satan noticed Job. There were other people around that he could have tempted like Job’s 3 friends, but Job got his attention and I believe because his faith had grown that Satan noticed him.
Understand that faith / trust is what distinguishes those that are in Christ from those that are in the flesh Romans 5:12-6:14. The flesh is that faith that is still striving to go from faith to faith, we trust God, we have faith that He can and He will but we still try to put our hands on it, we still try to work it out only to find that we mess it up. It is not that we don’t have faith but like Paul said I count not myself to have apprehended but I press toward the mark. Those that have apprehended are the ones in Christ that are able to say Thou He slay me yet will I trust him. This has no ramifications on your salvation, it simply says you have not matured to the point yet. To be truthful most people haven’t.
The Bible Commands that we trust God.
There are 191 times of different variations in the Bible we are commanded to Trust God. A few commands we find in Psalm 4:5 “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord”. Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”. John 14:1-6 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”.
Don’t Trust
Man: - Jeremiah 17:5 says, “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord”.
Riches: - Proverbs 11:28 says, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch”.
Your Understanding: - Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”.
Your heart: - Proverbs 28:26 says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered”.
Don’t trust Beauty – Ezekiel 16:15 “But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was”.
Ourselves – Luke 18:9 says, “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others”.
Mighty men – Hosea 10:13 says, “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men”.
False gods – Isaiah 42:17 says, “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods”.
Reasons to Trust God.
We must Trust God because He cannot lie. God’s word is true, and He always keeps His word. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good”. Titus 1:2 says, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began”. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us”. Because His words are true, we must trust Him.
We must Trust God because He is Holy. Isaiah 6:3 says, “And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory”. Revelation 4:8 says, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come”. God’s holiness is what separates Him from all other beings. His holiness is more than just His perfection or sinless purity; it is the essence of who and what He is – God.
Understand in Scripture when there is a repetition like Verly verly it is to draw your attention to a certain quality or phrase in that scripture. When it is mentioned three times it not only gets your attention but draws our eye to God’s perfection and the fulness of Him. In Hebrew, repetition expresses superlative – meaning of the highest quality or degree. If something is really big, you say it is “big, big,” or if a lake is very deep, you say it is “deep, deep.” “Holy, holy, holy” is the only superlative - the highest quality or degree in the Bible with a threefold repetition. Holy, holy, holy, expresses with force, the passion, and the truth of the supreme holiness of God.
We trust God because of His Faithfulness. The Greek word translated as “faithful” is pistos, which also conveys the concept of being trustworthy. When the Bible declares that God is faithful, it signifies His trustworthiness. When God makes a promise, it is unwavering. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself”. Not because we are so good or have done anything so great, but because He cannot deny Himself – He is faithful.
We trust God because He is the only Wise. He knows what is best for us and knows us better than we know ourselves. God is omniscient He knows all, there is nothing that He does not know or that can ever surprise Him. So often we think we have it all figured out and know what is best only to realize we don’t know it at all and make a mess out of the situation. Romans 16:27 says, “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen”. 1 Timothy 1:17 says, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen”. He knows us better than we know ourselves – Luke 12:7 says, “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows”. Psalm 139:3 says, “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways”.
CLOSING: - Trusting God will produce blessing in your life.
It will bring you peace that passeth all understanding Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.
Trusting God will give you strength. Isaiah 41:10 says, “ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”.
Trusting God will give you direction. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”.
Trusting God will give you Hope. Romans 15:13 says, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”.
One of the most profound blessings of trusting God is the undeniable growth we experience in our spiritual journey. As we trust God more, we become more attuned to His presence in our lives, we grow in wisdom and understanding, and we learn to live out His values more Ephesians 4:15 says, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
