Trust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je3lmscEkBc

Arrows (I Will be with You) ~ Bethel Music, We the Kingdom

 

Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!

~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

 

What do you trust?

Most of us trust many things without even realizing it: our furniture to hold up when we sit or lay down, our electricity and water to turn on, the sun to rise and set, our money to be in the bank, etc. What happens when that trust is betrayed? How do we respond when circumstances are drastically changed, and we don’t even know what we can trust?

 

Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust.” The word, “trust” means, “refuge, security, confidence,” (H4009 - Miḇṭāḥ - Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon (Kjv), n.d.). We find a sense of security in a great number of things, very few being a complete trust in the Lord. But the things in which we take refuge and comfort—like our seat at church, the dollar amount in the bank, our address, our relationships, or even the condition of our Bibles [mine’s currently falling apart]—are all fleeting and eventually give out, get used up, or fade away into a distant memory. The only true thing we can trust is Jesus’ love and faithfulness toward us.

 

When I looked up verses on the Lord being my trust, several verses included statements about the Lord being my refuge, strength, and shield. When we make something fleeting the source of our trust, we are binding ourselves to it. When it disappears, so does our sense of security. However, because the Lord is unchanging and unending, so is the seat of our trust and security when we center our lives around Him and make His words—His promises—the core of our security. Then, nothing will stop, shake, or move us!

 

Lately, I’ve been studying Peter and his faith before and after jumping out of the boat to walk towards Jesus. When I make the Lord my trust, as Peter did, then I can walk by faith—even walk on water—because then I won’t even see the water.

I will only see Jesus, my trust.

©Heather Potts 2023

Trust pt 2

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! ~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

REST is the result of a decision to believe God ~ Alex Anderson, Pastor and author. The emphasis isn’t believing in God, but believing Him, taking Him at His Word, and trusting it.

Numerous sermons have been given on being Mary (sitting at Jesus’ feet), and not Martha (working at His feet). We all long to be Mary, free to sit and rest in the blessing of His teaching, but too often we find ourselves working, instead. I will confess, as of late, I haven’t been doing such a good job of resting, or trusting. Instead, I’ve been struggling, striving, and stressing. When God told me to go back to work, the first thing I did was to pull out our budget and figure out how much I needed to earn. If I don’t have to pay for childcare, I only need X amount. But if I do, then I need to make Y amount. Understanding the budget is great, but it shifted the focus from God—how He was going to provide—and put all the emphasis on me—how was I going to do it.

Trust: to have confidence in another; to be secure, to fear nothing for yourself. Rest: to give permission for one to cease from labor in order to recover and collect her strength; to refresh. Jesus calls to us in our Martha-mentality and says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV). Rest. Trust. Sitting. Freedom. Is it really that easy? YES! We can be Mary, even in Martha seasons. We can choose to shift the emphasis and focus from ourselves and put it back on Jesus, allowing Him to teach us.

Father, forgive me for working, for thinking I had to do it all, when You called me to trust and rest in You. Holy Spirit, remind me to rest, because it’s when I’m attentive to Jesus’ words and teachings that I’ll know what He wants me to do and how He wants me to do it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2017