May 20, 2021
Trust – even if what you are going through is hard. Even if you don’t understand why, TRUST. When it doesn’t look like what you thought it would, TRUST. Trust GOD. This is not a blind faith, though it may sound that way. True Faith is not blind at all – it sees the whole picture. True faith and trust remember the past and considers the source.
It has been said that Faith is not just saying “I know that chair will hold me” but actually sitting in the chair. Faith is action. This is true, however I would like to tweak the picture a bit, to make it more accurate I believe. That picture shows faith in the chair, yes. It shows that you looked at the chair, determined that the chair would hold you and then showed that belief to be true faith by sitting in it. All well and good, but I ask you to think a little deeper.
Picture this
My dad is a custom woodworker, and has been my whole life. He creates some amazing, beautiful pieces of furniture that are truly works of art. Some of them look extremely fragile and only good for decoration, but in reality, they are very functional. His attention to detail is so great that there are things you will never see when the product is finished that are imperative to make it sturdy and functional. If my dad were to design and make a chair that looked like the legs were so thin or at such an angle that I could not see how it would hold me, I would still sit in that chair. Why? because I know my dad, I know his designs work, and I know he loves me and would never tell me that it will hold me if he wasn’t sure it would.
Trust and faith are more like that, even when we don’t understand how in the world this situation could be good. Even if we don’t see how it’s going to work, we know who designed it, we know the God who is in control. The God who loves us perfectly. I am not trusting in this shaky looking chair of a world; I am trusting in the one who designed it. I am trusting in the master woodworker who says, come, sit here. I know He will ultimately give me what is best for me, that he will work all things for good.
In the Bible
Romans 9 speaks to this so clearly. It sheds light on some hard-to-understand truths about our God, but reminds us that He is sovereign. It reminds us that he is God and we are not. We must have Faith in the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the face of the fiery furnace, they declared “We know our God can save us, but even if He doesn’t, we will not bow to any other”. Trust in the God who hardened Pharaoh's heart so that his people would see the power and glory of God and know who to trust.
So, our faith and trust are not in what we see, They are not even in what we understand. Nor is our faith in what we can do. We CANNOT earn our way to God. There is nothing that is of this world that we should put our trust in. Not even ourselves!
Romans 9:30-33
…Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who TRUSTS in him will never be disgraced.”
Trust – Even if…
Even if the chair looks unstable. Even if your husband is not in recovery. Even if your kids have lost their way. Even if you are in the midst of major health issues. Even if your marriage didn’t make it. Even if everything looks like it’s falling apart. TRUST the one who created you – the potter to your clay, the chisel to your log. Have faith in the Good Good Father who loves you with unstoppable love.
Need guidance?
Does this speak to you, but you just aren’t sure what to do with it yet? Would you like to have someone walk alongside you in your learning to trust? I am here to help. I am not a therapist or licensed counselor, but I have walked this path. I have learned the hard way that trusting God is hard, but so worth it. I have been a prison wife, am a survivor of Betrayal Trauma, and have seen the love of God through it all. I am currently doing live stream sessions reading a book by Dr. Sheri Keffer with a great group of women. We would love for you to join us on the Faith Mama’s Tribe App if you are a trauma survivor. (This book deals specifically with Sexual Betrayal Trauma, but we will be continuing into other books as well when this one is finished.)
I am also getting ready to launch a group mentoring program to help women just like you. Click here to schedule your 30 min. free conversation to get more information and see if this is a fit for you!