Readings for today: Acts 13-14, Psalms 125
What does it mean to trust in the Lord? This phrase appears all over the Scriptures and especially throughout the Book of Psalms. It is a critical aspect of the life of faith. Properly understood, it shapes one’s thoughts, actions, and even affections. When we trust in the Lord, we are placing our entire lives in His hands. We are allowing His will and His way and most of all, His love to guide and direct our steps. We do not trust in our own understanding. We do not rely on our own strength. We do not try to love others in the transactional way the world seems to promote. No, we follow the example of Jesus who models what it means to trust in God. He loved unconditionally. He served sacrificially. He humbled Himself and emptied Himself of all His power and glory, privilege and position. He did not consider His equality with God something to be held onto or to take pride in but instead offered Himself to die in the worst and most shameful way imaginable.
Lately, it seems like I’m having lots of conversations with different people from different walks of life about what it means for each of them to trust the Lord. Trusting the Lord through grief. Trusting the Lord in conflict. Trusting the Lord in the fight against addiction. Trusting the Lord when things don’t go your way. Trusting the Lord when life seems to pile on. Trusting the Lord for direction for the future. Trusting the Lord in relationships. Trusting the Lord with money. Trusting the Lord in the process of forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration. It’s not easy. It cuts against the grain of our own experience. It often forces us to go against our own desires, attitudes, thoughts, and ideas. It even sometimes requires us to give up all we hold dear so we might privilege that which God holds dear. But the reward is worth it. When we trust in the Lord, He becomes the stronghold of our life. He becomes a sanctuary for all our hopes and dreams. He becomes a safe place of refuge where we can run when we are anxious and afraid.
“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever. The mountains surround Jerusalem and the Lord surrounds his people, both now and forever.” (Psalms 125:1-2 CSB)
Readings for tomorrow: Acts 15-16, Psalms 126