Advent - "T" - "Trust"

December 19, 2011

“Keep and protect me, O God, for in you I have found refuge, and in you do I put my trust and hide myself. You will show me the path of life; inYour presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:1 & 11)

In all of my days I have never known a time in which it was harder to trust in nearly anything or anyone. The banks, trust companies, and Wall Street are fragile and vulnerable. The Word tells us not to trust in “riches,” Proverb 11:28 says, “He who leans on, trusts in and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the uncompromising wise man shall flourish.” “Will you set your eyes upon wealth, when suddenly it is gone? For riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Proverbs 23:5).

Several years ago a friend recommended a new investment company in which he had invested a lot of his money – and he had a lot to invest. We have never had a lot of money but Wendell needed to make a decision about some investment that we were considering moving to something that had more promising growth opportunities. It was a lot of money to us poor "school people," so Wendell decided to trust his friend and transferred the majority of the money from our more secure investment into the DOT.COM market. The investment did very well until (you guessed it) the NASDAQ companies’ stocks plunged and we lost all of the growth from our savings that we had put into that account. As in this Proverb, our “riches took wings.” This experience certainly reinforced what we already knew – not to trust in earthly riches. Thankfully we were not trusting in that money to sustain us, and God was merciful to teach us that it is only In Him we can trust. Hopefully, we have also learned that true riches are, “The reward of humility, and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Proverb 22:4).

Webster tells us that trust is: “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” In life we will find the only true One who is completely trustworthy is Jesus – Jesus never fails. You would like to think you could trust preachers, teachers, friends and family. But all of us can vouch for the fact that, although some have gained great status and admiration, some of these people will fall, some to great depths, and will greatly disappoint us. We must keep our focus on Jesus and completely trust only in Him.

There is not a more perfect picture of trust than that of a baby. A baby is completely helpless and has to trust his caregiver for supplying every one of his needs. Jesus, in His humanity, was no different as a baby. His was a perfect picture of how the Father wants us to trust Him. A baby doesn’t fret because he is worried that his needs won’t be met, but there is a resting and he has perfect peace in this kind of trust. This is how we should relax in the Father’s arms, knowing He is not going to drop us and will meet our every need. What a beautiful picture – Matthew six paints this same kind of picture – “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added to you.” This is the same picture of Jesus as a man – trusting the Father completely. Thoro Harris puts it this way, “Every need His hand supplying – every good in Him I see. On His strength divine relying – He is all in all to me. ”

After Mary had her conversation with the Angel of the Lord in Luke 1, and after her initial fear, confusion and questioning, she chose to trust and submit to the Object of her trust. She spoke of that trust in the 38th verse of Luke one, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said.” God is always there in the midst of our fears, confusion and questioning. Like Mary, that is when He wants us to trust in Him and to submit to the Object of our trust, and obey whatever He asks us to do.

Trusting Jesus
Edgar Page Stites

Simply trusting every day, Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus – that is all.

Singing if my way is clear Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger, for Him call, Trusting Jesus – that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly, Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall, trusting Jesus – that is all.