Trust in the Lord in good times and bad

Trust. This is one simple word with a profound meaning. The word trust in Webster’s dictionary means “assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something.” Another definition is “to entrust confidence in another.”

Psalm 56:3 reads, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” This psalm written by David, King of Israel, is an earnest and humble prayer by a man in desperate need.

Before and even after becoming king, David was under tremendous turmoil, fleeing for his life while being pursued by those who sought to kill him. Every place he turned, there was a battle rising against him. This battle came from those he trusted and those he loved. It came from those who recognized his reputation as a “giant killer” and from the enemies of Israel. It arose out of jealousy and a need to retain control and possession of a title, as was the case with his relationship with King Saul. Have you ever been in that place? Yes, there was trouble and strife that came against him, but David remained a man after God’s own heart. Through the circumstances, he learned to trust the Lord with his life, literally.

If we take the time to examine our lives, most of us have probably experienced the battles of life. Some of us have been betrayed, taken advantage of and misused. We may have been wrongly accused or even cheated by those we trusted most. Those battles and others can take a tremendous toll on us, physically, emotionally and mentally.

Believe it or not, it does affect our spiritual life as well. I cannot even tell you the number of times I have heard the statement, “Why did God let this happen to me?” Rather than recognizing that God is with us in the midst of the struggle, our initial reaction is to place blame.

The Lord loves us and is our great advocate with the Father, in every trial.

Most times a lack of trust experienced transfers from our personal life into our spiritual life and we struggle to trust the Lord. It can become a place of defeat for us. This attitude can rob our faith, and our peace of mind.

In this time, with the battles facing our families, children and our communities, we cannot do anything but trust the Lord.

Regardless of our finite view of the situations, we must press on to know that God loves us and will be with us, always and in everything. He is the only one who is able to carry us through these troubled times. No matter what the circumstances are that we face today, we can trust Jesus. He is the one who is an ever-present help in times of trouble. The Lord says, “Call unto me in a time of trouble and I will answer you.” He will respond to cries for help from a heart in need.

Psalm 46:1 reads, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.” See him, and his mighty intervention in your life from where you stand today.

Psalm 56:3 has the phrase, “When I am afraid.” Fear is a tremendous enemy when we are in a battle. All of the “what ifs” of life that attack our minds. What if I lose my job? What if the test comes back positive? What if my marriage fails?

Isaiah 43:5 reads, “Do not fear, for I am with you.” It is by faith that we must bow our knees to the Lord, acknowledging that we do not have all the answers. Fear enters in when all of our confidence lies in our own ability. The battles of life can cause us to lose control over circumstances.

Our answer is trust in Jesus. Our answer is a humble and contrite heart before the Lord, and our answer is prayer. Our confidence can rest in him, and his word. He has promised that he would never leave us or forsake us.

The Bible is the infallible written word of God, settled forever in heaven. In fact, the Bible tells us that God has placed his word above his name. His holy Word is his bond with us. Keeping our eyes on the Lord, entrusting our lives to him, and taking him at his word will provide the strength needed to pass through these crucial times.

Finally, “I will put my trust in you.” It is reaching this place of surrender to the Lord. It is a decision to once again trust. Is God a man that he should lie? No. He is and always will be faithful. Let’s make a declaration of faith to him today.

Declaring that we will “trust you Lord” in the good times and in the bad times. We will declare the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, trusting him with all we are, all we have, who we love and in doing so, he will prove himself faithful to his people. My prayer for Youngstown is “Let God’s people arise and declare their trust is in the Lord.”

X Patty Scahill of Austintown, who is a conference speaker, author and hospice chaplain, attends Christian Life Church in Canfield.