Sermon: Trust
Thesis: Everything in relationships rises and falls on trust! Do you believe that? Many authors and the Bible say it is a true statement! Trust is essential component to build and to experience if we desire to live “The Abundant life” in 2023 that Jesus spoke about.
Scriptures on Trust”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Psalm 9:10
10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 20:7
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 31:14
14 But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
Psalm 56:3
3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Introduction:
We have all heard the words “Just Trust Me!” Some people say these words expecting others to immediately respond, “Yes, I will trust you!” But if you are wise or discerning sirens, flashing lights, and other warning signs should be going off in your mind and spirit.” Trust is a big character issue and must be entered into wisely and with prayer.
Dr. Cloud says, “These words often fall short. They can disappoint, sometimes terribly. Neuroscience tells us there’s a good reason we should not “just trust” someone…the entire human nervous system and brain are wired to scan our environment and quickly assess each person with whom we interact.” (Page 1, Trust).
We as humans are intently designed on the inside to ask the question of others internally, “Can I trust you?”
Today in our country we have a major trust issue going on!
Quote: “Levels of trust in this country—in our institutions, in our politics, and in one another—are in precipitous decline. And when social trust collapses, nations fail.” (David Brooks)
Illustrations of Broken Trust: The trust graph from Pew Research
Trust in the government is at an all-time low in our country Pew Research says it’s at about 20%, which is the lowest in history since they started recording it.
When Eisenhower was president, the country had a 75% trust rate in the government and in its leadership the year was 1960 – but the trust graph has continued to decline since 1960! In 1970 the trust factor declined under Richard Nixon’s presidency; the main reason was the Watergate scandal. The trust graph after Nixons resignation plummeted and keep plummeting lower under the leadership of Ford and Carter. The Trust graph rebounded a little under Reagan and the Busch era. But plummeted again after Bill Clintons sexual failure in the White House. The trust graph did rebound again under George Busch Jr presidency but once again declined under presidents Obama, Trump. But today the graph has hit an all-time low and has finally bottomed out with President Biden – His trust rating is at 20%-25% average – Yes - in America we have a lack of trust in leadership and in governments leadership. This poll was conducted in 2022. Our country has a trust issue today and it is spilling into all sectors of our society!
People today distrust others, especially government leaders, news media, law enforcement, educational leaders, business leaders and really leaders in general. Some say we don’t have a leadership problem but more so a trust problem in America.
There are trust issues at every level of society today we see it with medias portrayal of the police, lawyers, judges, teachers, businesses, products, school administrators, local leaders, school boards, government leaders and yes - even the church leaders and pastors of today – but this lack of trust has also spilled into how we view God.
The problem - But trust is crucial to a person being able to live an abundant life – trust is essential, and the lack of trust is negatively impacting our society, schools, workplaces, culture and churches.
Dr. Cloud informs us that “We can become better and better at knowing who is trustworthy and who is not. And we can get better at deciding when and with whom we will put ourselves at risk.”
We have all suffered being victimized by a betrayal of another which will always impact our trust factor for others - according to Dr. Cloud’s research and life experience this is a normal reaction – because we have all been betrayed at some point and at some level in our lives! This normal crisis event of trust has more recently created a broken trust factor in many lives – it has not rebounded and is impacting many internally! Causing depression, addiction to increase, fear and even impacting many people in the neuroscience realm of the body, soul, and spirit. The truth is trust begets more trust – but betrayal causes us to withdrawal and to trust no-one not even God.
Some famous quotes about trust which reminds us of the fragility of trust: the following from LOLLY DASKAL, PRESIDENT AND CEO, LEAD FROM WITHIN https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/trust-me-these-30-quotes-about-trust-could-make-a-huge-difference.html#:~:text=Without%20trust%2C%20you%20have%20nothing,you%20can%20do%20great%20things.
“Without trust, you have nothing. With it, you can do great things.”
“Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time.”
“Trust is not a matter of technique, tricks, or tools but of character.”
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." --Warren Buffett
"We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk." --Thomas Moore
"The glue that holds all relationships together--including the relationship between the leader and the led--is trust, and trust is based on integrity." --Brian Tracy
"Trust is like blood pressure. It's silent, vital to good health, and if abused it can be deadly." --Frank Sonnenberg, author of Follow Your Conscience.
"It takes two to do the trust tango--the one who risks (the trustor) and the one who is trustworthy (the trustee); each must play their role. --Charles H. Green, The Trusted Advisor
"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.' They don't think 'I.' They think 'we'; they think 'team.' They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit.... This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done." --Peter Drucker, author of Managing for the Future
"Trust is built when someone is vulnerable and not taken advantage of." --Bob Vanourek, author of Triple Crown Leadership
"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." --Ernest Hemingway
"If you don't have trust inside your company (institution), then you can't transfer it to your customers." --Roger Staubach
According to Dr. Clouds research we were wired to trust - but many have a broken trust receptor – which is hindering their life and their perception of life.
So, for us to live “The abundant life” as Jesus described will require our trust to be redeveloped - we must learn how to trust others again- Why? Because when we don’t trust we lose out on the human experience of the good life which God designed us to have, and in turn we also lose out in our relationship with God and with others.
CHC believes we are to “Connect with God and connect with each other” and at the center of connection is the mind set and action of “trust.”
Many authors and speakers today are reporting that relationships – the personal ones will rise and fall on the trust factor! Question: Do you believe this is true?
Today we are facing a trust problem in our nation and world! Covid, lies, misinformation, government failures, bank failures, school failures have spawned this epidemic as well as many leaders who have failed in their leadership roles.
But trust must be fixed, must be intentionally re-developed, intentionally pursued after, and reignited in our spirit, soul and bodies! But trust must become a point of focus among all of us.
Dr. Cloud states, “To trust is human…when we can’t trust, we lose a lot of the human experience (of life)” (page 24).
T.S. – My goal over the month of May is to speak and teach on Trust and I am praying also praying that if you have lost your trust factor especially with the Lord that it is reignited as He personally connects with you through His Word and Spirit.
The number one question people ask about you is: “Can I trust you?” (David Horsager – Trust Leader page iix).
We had a speaker at our FCA Convention who was unlike many of the others who's subject and focus was on “Trust.”
David Horsager is a motivational speaker and founder of www.TrustEdge.com. David is a born again Christian and international consultant for many of the major companies of today and even countries. He has become very busy in the last few years helping companies and (nations) re-build trust in their products, their work environments, their cultures and in their leadership.
David did his doctorate thesis on the subject of “Trust.”
His introduction to his seminar, website and research is as follows:
“Trust is woven into every detail of life. In every conversation we have, every online order we place, every news article we read, trust is being built or diminished. From cryptocurrencies and current events to healthcare and hiring decisions, trust matters now more than ever. While some still focus efforts on leadership, sales, marketing, diversity, and innovation, the most effective leaders are now seeing the reality that trust is the core issue and the only way to genuinely influence everything from productivity and retention to performance and culture. From the boardroom to the living room, it’s time to discover the startling impact of trust. This cross-generational, global study explores the human experience of trust. The data uncovers what people really think about trust—how it can be built, how it can be lost, and how we buy, sell, work, and interact as a result of it. The findings from this research provide missing, valuable insights and a fresh perspective that will equip leaders in every sector of business to start building and sustaining trust in every area of life.”
He made the point in his message to us Pastors – Everything rises and falls in a church on trust! – trust impacts churches more than you may think or be willing to admit. Trust will make or break your ministry.
Trust is essential and if you don’t have it then what you have in its place – is fear – fear is the counterpart of trust!
We see fear crippling people’s lives and fear isolating people from one another today.
The Bible reminds us of this truth about fear:
John 14:27: Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Quote David: “Fear does not solve itself; the solution is for each of us to become trusted and trustworthy leaders Organizations don’t build trust, people do.”
The truth is if we as Christian leaders are trustworthy then Christians will be more trusting of the Lord – but so will others in the world because they are searching for who they can trust and are frantically looking for this quality of character – the truth is God is trustworthy and will show people this through His faithfulness but followers of Jesus are observed to see if they are trustworthy - but sadly over the years many failed Christian organization, churches, Christian leaders, have broken the trust factor with others – this in turn has impacted peoples view of God- yes Christian leaders deceptions, sins and moral failures have impacted the trust factor toward the Lord.
Question to ask yourself today – it’s time for self-evaluation – would you follow you? Seriously - Would you? Be honest with yourself here!
The biggest issue in the church and in this nation is the subject of trust! Who is trustworthy and who is not?
Question: Who today is willing to rebuild trust – focus on trust and change people’s perceptions of others?
David states, “In the midst of the challenges, I see a huge
opportunity. We have witnessed trust make a dent in corruption and division across several African countries, creating increased hope, collaboration, and efficiency. Trust is creating transformation (today). During the pandemic and beyond, many great leaders are stepping up to build trust.
Will you choose to start the process of rebuilding trust back into the fabric of this nation so we too can see transformation in our families, schools, organizations, churches, government, businesses and our own personal lives?
Is this something worth focusing on?
Jesus has proven over and over in Scripture – and throughout history that He is trustworthy!
Let me say again Jesus has proven that He is trustworthy and “trust me” Jesus has been faithful to me – I know sirens are going off in some of your heads.
David Horsager said this should happen when someone says, “trust me.”
But my own personal experience has taught me to trust Jesus – I have been a Born-Again Christian for 44 years and have been in the ministry for 42 years – Jesus has always proved trustworthy!
Jesus is always faithful – trustworthy – but people even Christians are flawed – we have all sinned and fallen short the Bible tells us – just read the Bible and you see the Bible being honest even the heroes of the faith had sin issues, problems, failures and the like.
In Christianity over the centuries and even over the last 43 years of my life I have seen - Case after case of ministers falling into sin, friends by the way! I have seen Christian leaders and ministers breaking trust of the ones they lead. I have seen Christian organizations such as PTL, several TV Ministries, even the famed Willow Creek Ministry, Mars Hills Ministry and 1,000 of others have fallen through the issues of trust and in the process, it has broken 2people’s trust in others.
I have seen carnal Christians, unfaithful leaders, get caught up in lies and more lies – sin and more sin – all these failures have created a trust problem in our nation with Christianity and with churches.
But as the Bible shows we humans are flawed and we son – we make mistakes but despite our character flaws God is always and will be always trustworthy.
Would you agree with me: Trust is a big problem today? But what are you and I going to do about it?
Many people don’t trust banks, car salesmen, (pastors by the way in a national poll a few years back ranked as trustworthy as a car salesman - can you believe that statistic - it sounds like a big problem?) Government leaders, police, teachers, reporters, news networks and the list go on.
But trust can be rebuilt through predictability – honesty – morality – commitment – self-denial – personal connections – God connections.
Trust is defined by the “Trust Edge leadership group” as: a competent belief in a person, a product or even an organization.
America’s biggest problem today is a lack of trust in our leaders- our government-our products-our organizations and it is costing us in America a significant amount of expense – in the forms of money, peace of mind, security, stability, an ability to work together, it is unleashing in some peoples view a coming civil war.
So, there must be a commitment to rebuild trust.
David Horsager in his book “Trusted Leader” has a graph that shows as trust increases so does many other factors in life:
As trust increases: output -morale-retention-productivity-innovation-loyalty and revenue increase!
As trust decreases - costs (go up), problems, suspicion, attrition, time to marketplace and stress all increase but as trust increases all these things decrease.
See his diagram from the seminar!
Trust is essential for everyone in this life, and it must be pursued.
We could explore the question: “Where does trust begin in a relationship – or in any type of relationship?”
What would you say births trust in a relationship?
According to Dr. Cloud – “Trust is birthed and comes alive by people listening to other people, so you understand where they are coming from and in this process of listening people feel you get to know who they are!”
Trust comes from getting to know people – it starts with their names!
Highlight name tags!
Dr. Cloud shares the following information from his book “Trust.”
As a real FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss, puts it: “As I’ve worked with executive and students to develop these skills, I always try to reinforce the message that being right isn’t the key to a successful negotiation - having the right mindset is.” The mindset to which Voss refers is one of deep empathy-listening to understand the other person and having that person understand that you understand. When someone feels that you understand them, something magical happens. The brain begins to change, to move from its neutral or guarded state, or an “against you” state, to an open state. Their brain opens to being open to you, and trust takes its first step. This is physical and chemical, as well as psychological and spiritual” (Page 42-43).
Can I remind you why you can trust the Lord?
As a believer in Jesus - I am told the Lord knows my name – yes, our names are written into the Lamb’s Book of Life!
Got questions notes, “This Book of Life is also mentioned in Revelation 3:5; 20:12; and Philippians 4:3. The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it contains the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27).”
Think about this truth for a moment “The Creator of the Universe knows your name!”
Let me add another truth of much the Lord knows about you personally – see Luke 12:7 “God knows how many hairs you have on your head. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many small birds.” Jesus said this by the way.
Here is a truth GOD knows us!
Jesus reminds us of this truth to teach us why we should place our trust in Him.
Dr. Cloud’s point in this section of his book is that when someone shows that they understand us and seeks to know us – personally – trust is born and as this is nurtured it takes the first step in a relationship built on trust.
The Bible informs me that God sent Jesus in the flesh so that we would experience Love in the flesh, and it reveals to us that the Lord knows us inside and out and desires a sincere relationship with us – this relationship is based and rooted in Love.
Psalm 139:13-16 ESV: For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV:” Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”
If God dwells in us as a believer than does He not know all about us?
Jeremiah 1:5 ESV: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Revelation 21:1-27 ESV: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ...
I have come to discover that the person I can trust the most in life is The Lord!
T.S. – We need to rebuild trust back into our nation and society and we do this by connecting with God and with others personally. We must be intentional about doing this or risk the collapse of the abundant life spoken of by Jesus.
Trust fuels the abundant life where a lack of trust robs one of the abundant life!
Dr. Cloud speaks in his book “Trust” on the 5 key factors which move us forward in trust or factors which pull us away from rebuilding trust in our life.
You can trust someone when you feel your needs are understood, felt, and cared about.
The problem in our society today is many are rooted in the self-centered mindset, these individuals look to themselves first and foremost, instead of looking at the needs of others they focus on “Me, Myself and I.”
They want their needs met above other’s needs – their needs or wants are more important!
They have their own personal agenda, and they really care less about other people’s agendas or personal dreams and goals. They are only focused on their self-centered objectives.
They can even have destructive behavior driven by their ego, pride, flesh or other character issues which create destruction instead of life.
David Horsager states in his book “Trust Leader” the following about trust: “Every single action you take either increases trust or decreases trust.”
So, you need to evaluate your everyday life to see what you are creating?
The Bible states in Galatians 6:8: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Jesus said, “Luke 9:23: “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me!”
To rebuild trust means we must all die to self-centered mindsets.
The Bible tells me God cares about me which is essential to know if I desire to really trust Him:
For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13
God doesn’t simply send an angel to hold your right hand. The God of heaven and earth personally holds your right hand. This is a figurative expression of his closeness to us and his personal care for us.
https://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/356135-15-powerful-verses-about-gods-deep-personal-care-for-you.html
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23.1-3
This chapter in the Psalms came alive to me the day I got my cancer diagnosis – it spoke comfort to me, and I knew God knew what I was going through, and He sent a dove to let me know he had my back – He would be with me!
God – Jesus does care about me personally! He cares about you personally too and understands your pain, your hurt, your desires, and your needs.
You can trust someone when you feel their motives are for you, not just for themselves.
Cloud states, “A relationship you can trust is one that has your back” (page 36).
People we can trust look out for our hearts and lives. They want us to succeed in life.
The Bible tells me that God is for me not against me – He has my back, and he is rooting for me.
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
The Lord is your biggest cheerleader, and he is for you – He desires to see you fulfill the dreams and visions he has placed in your heart.
You can trust someone when you feel they have the ability or capacity to guard and deliver results for what you have entrusted to them.
When we trust someone, we believe the person has the ability to deliver on their promises that they make to us!
Trust grows when that person fulfills each promise.
The sad fact is - A person can be understanding but never follow through on delivering on their promises. This in turn makes them untrustworthy.
They continually break their word.
The Bible tells me that God keeps His promises, and this character trait should help us trust Him more:
Numbers 23:19 ESV: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Hebrews 13:5 ESV: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Just read the Life stories of Joseph, Daniel, David and many others!
God has always kept His promises and His word.
You can trust someone who has the character or personal makeup needed for what you entrust them with.
Cloud states, “Character begins with the foundations traits such as honesty, faithfulness, and integrity. Without these qualities there can be no trust” (Page 37).
Would you agree with his view?
Character is always a major factor in whether a person is trustworthy or not.
The Bible tells me, and from my own experience confirms, that God’s character and personal makeup is someone I can totally trust!
The truth is God is faithful:
Many places in Scripture extol the faithfulness of God.
Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” So, what is faithfulness?
The Hebrew word translated “faithfulness” means “steadfastness, firmness, fidelity.” The opposite of being faithful is to be ever-changing or wishy-washy.
Psalm 119:89–90 says, “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations.” Here faithfulness is equated with God’s Word. God speaks never-ending truth. If God spoke something a thousand years ago, it still stands. He is faithful to His Word, because His Word is an expression of His character. The promises He made still hold true because He does not change (Malachi 3:6).
From https://www.gotquestions.org/faithfulness-of-God.html
There are three ways we can get to know Him: studying His Word, reviewing His working in our own lives, and learning to follow His voice.
Got questions notes: “When we study God’s Word, a pattern emerges. We learn that God never changes and never lies (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29). We learn through Scripture that God has never failed in the past (Isaiah 51:6). He was always true to His Word as He worked in the lives of the ancient Israelites. When He said He would do something, He did it (Numbers 11:23; Matthew 24:35).”
I have learned through my life that He is faithful, giving testimonies of God’s faithfulness speak to the hearts of others and helps them trust God more.
As we learn to hear the voice of God over all the other voices – trust becomes easier! Got question notes: Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). We who belong to Jesus need to cultivate the ability to hear Him. He speaks primarily through His Word, but He can also speak through other people, through circumstances, and through the inner confirmation of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16).
Trust fuels the abundant life while distrust robs people of the abundant life!
We need to learn who to trust!
You can trust someone who has a track record of performing in the ways you need them to perform.
Cloud states, “Track records build maps (of trust)” (page 37).
Predictability will always build trust!
The Bible and once again my own ministry experience and life experience show me God’s track record of predictability in my life:
He has created a map for me I can trust!
He keeps His word
He meets my needs
He restores my soul
He does it over and over!
The following is from https://hisdearlyloveddaughter.com/attributes-of-god-is-trustworthy/
3 Attributes that Speak to God’s Character and Prove God is Trustworthy:
God is True – There is Nothing False, Manipulative, or Deceptive About Him
God is Holy – He Has No Part in Sin
God is Immutable – He Does Not Change
3 More Attributes of God that Show His Greatness and Goodness
God is Omniscient – He Has All Wisdom and Knows Everything
God is Just – Everything He Does is Right
God is Sovereign – He Works Everything Together for His Good Plan – and for the good of all!
T.S. – As we have looked at Dr. clouds 5 factors that build trust, we see what we have to do to be trustworthy, but we also explored how The Lord does these 5 things and should compel us to trust Him. We need to connect with the Lord and see that He is trustworthy.
Trust and God – it’s an essential character trait to have with God if we desire to pursue the Abundant life Jesus spoke about.
Question: How can we trust in a God who allows us to experience so much pain? This seems to be the biggest hinderance to some trusting God.
The following from: https://www.trinityhinsdale.com/can-we-trust-a-god-who-allows-suffering/
We find these very questions in the Bible. In the ancient book of Job, we are told of a devout, righteous man named Job who loses his fortune, his health, and his children, all in a very short time. His suffering is unimaginable. His friends, appalled by what they are seeing, seek to resolve the tension by blaming Job (“You clearly did something wrong to bring this about”) or by trivializing the tragedy (“It’s not that bad). They seek to deny the evilness of evil.
Job knows they’re wrong. Yet Job also is convinced that God is real. And so, he is left with an agonizing “Why?” It is unendurable to him. He pleads with God, demanding from God an explanation.
At the end of the book, God appears to Job and responds to Job’s cries. Yet he offers Job the answer to a different question than what Job asked. Not “Why?” but “Who?” God offers no explanations for his actions. Rather, as he draws near in love, he makes himself known to Job. He reveals to Job his transcendent greatness, the vast gap between his inexpressibly creative wisdom and Job’s capacity to understand. In essence God is saying to Job, “You cannot understand all that I do. You must simply come to know who I am, to know that I am trustworthy, and rest in that.” In the end, for Job, having now beheld the face of God, that is enough.
The songs of God’s people that we find in the Psalms are shot through with the same agony and suffering that we find in Job. “Why?” they ask. “How long must we suffer like this?” The conclusion to Job prepares us for how God will also address those aching tears. Not with “why” but “who.”
The story of Daniel 6:23: The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Romans 15:13: 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I will be addressing this subject in more detail in my next sermon!
We all have trust issues with others or even God, but can I challenge you with a thought today – Can God trust you?
Video Illustration: Can God trust you? Play clip!
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
Everything in relationships rises and falls on trust! Do you believe that? Many authors and the Bible say it is a true statement! Trust is essential component to build and to experience if we desire to live “The Abundant life” in 2023 that Jesus spoke about.
We have all heard the words “Just Trust Me!” Some people say these words expecting others to immediately respond, “Yes, I will trust you!” But if you are wise or discerning sirens, flashing lights, and other warning signs should be going off in your mind and spirit.” Trust is a big character issue and must be entered into wisely and with prayer.
Why we need to know this truth?
Many authors, speakers today are reporting that relationships – the personal ones will rise and fall on the trust factor! Today we are facing a trust problem in our nation and world! Covid has spawned this epidemic as well as many leaders who have failed in their leadership roles.
What do I need to do to fix the trust factor?
But trust must be fixed, re-developed, intentionally pursued after, and reignited in our spirit, soul and bodies!
Dr. Cloud states, “To trust is human…when we can’t trust, we lose a lot of the human experience (of life)” (page 24).
We also need to trust the most trustworthy individual of all time “Jesus!” He is trustworthy, just reach out to Him and you will discover that He is trustworthy, and He can and will bring transformation to the hearts that trust in Him.
Revelation 12:5
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
