When it comes to trust, we all are selective in what we deem trustworthy. For example, most trust that the chair they are sitting in can support their weight. And yet, cathedraphobia is a phobia some experience related to chairs. As drivers, we have an unusual trust that other drivers are awake, alert, and able to maintain their vehicle within the law. Otherwise driving to Walmart would be chaotic to say the least. Much of society trust the medical community and their opinions of what protocol is necessary related to pandemics. Some even trust elected politicians with their commitments and promises. Most have experienced a violation of trust and have difficulty trusting anyone. I submit to you that God is trustworthy.
Trust Defined and Exemplified
Trust can be defined as a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/trust Psalm 31:19 describes how great is His goodness, “which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men.” Verse 1 and 6 speaks of how David put his trust in God, “let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness… I trust in the Lord.” David learned that nothing on this earth is as trustworthy as God. He is the very definition of trust.
David, moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote volumes of Psalms that have resonated with readers for millennia. The Psalms were inspired through life’s battles such as defeating Goliath, killing a lion and bear, hiding from a king he could have killed several times, and falling into grievous sin. God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness are the resounding theme of these biblical hymns. David isn’t unique in living through life’s battles. Everyone over the age of 20 (and many under 20) has experienced some sort of failure, sin, heart break, pain, breach of trust, or sickness. And, as a result, everyone has developed trust and a lack thereof.
Trust God With Cancer
Cancer is an insidious disease. Here I was, 35 years old and healthy (so I thought). I was in my prime and doing well in my new career field. The only problem was my shoulder would not stop hurting. As I began seeking help for my shoulder, the “renta-docs” simply gave me pain pills to cope with the pain. Not being a junkie, I declined and opted to find a real doctor. After running a series of blood tests, x-rays, CAT scans, and MRI’s, I learned that I had a softball sized tumor lodged between my heart and my lung. My world turned upside down with the doctor’s truthful verbiage, “you have a tumor.” It was cancer.
After processing this surreal reality for a couple of days, I went to my knees in prayer. “WHY ME?!” I asked. “What have I ever done to deserve this!?” “Put this on a child-molester, Lord! “All I have done is work my butt off for my family!!” His still, small voice replied, “who are you, someone special? It rains on the just and the unjust.” My tumultuous thoughts of being treated unjustly were settled with the reality that “stuff happens.” My present and future plans were disrupted by the unknown. I had absolutely no control over what happened next. All I could do was hope for the best and trust Him. How difficult is that! [Obviously I’m still here 18 years later. 😊]
Lying Violates Trust
Being lied to hurts. I remember when I learned that Santa wasn’t real; I felt betrayed. How could my parents facilitate a lie for that long, knowing full well I naively trusted their word? What else were they lying to me about? Easter? The Tooth Fairy? Jesus? God? It is no wonder that so many young people stray from the faith in their teen years. They have been lied to and deceived by the ones they trust the most. Why bother believing in anything that may hinder one’s ability to “express themselves” in a sinful manner? Many have been lied to by their spouse. If not lied to, they experienced betrayed trust (which is akin to lying). It’s deceit and it hurts.
Being cheated on hurts bad. While I have never experienced this in my marriage, I cannot imagine my spouse having intimate moments with another man. How could she share her emotions and oxytocin with another person? This feeling of closeness is reserved for married couples only. The secret and sacred portions of the body is meant only for your partner for life, not the neighbor. Nor is the body a trophy piece where one reveals intimate body parts to the world. This violates the trust of your current or future spouse. When you do that, you are cheating on your spouse. The attention that is reserved between you and your marriage partner is being farmed out to lustful and sinful people. The very act of violating this trust is sinful in and of itself.
Porn Violates Trust
I cannot complete this blog without mentioning how pornography violates a spouse’s trust. When you, sir, divert your thoughts and eyes from your wife to a whore, you lose all trust. Your actions reveal what is in your heart. You hide it so she doesn’t know about it because you know it is wrong. You know that you are having an affair in your heart with a very attractive person. The thing is, the person you are having an affair with is a fictional person with no thoughts, no personality, and no apparent flaws. No relationship and no love, only unbridled lust. This lust does not begin with a man looking at porn. It begins in the heart. A man can lust after a fully clothed woman when he has an unfaithful heart. [Spouse / victim: You cannot compete with this fictional whore so stop trying. The problem is your husband, not you.]
Trust God's Word
- Psalms 20:7 Some trust in horses, some in chariots, but I will remember the name of the Lord our God. God will never fail you.
- Revelations 19:11 [He] was called faithful and true
- Psalms 2:12 Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.
- Psalms 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord
- Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
- Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
- Matthew 12:21 and Romans 15:12 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust (quote from Isaiah 42)
His Word is trustworthy. As mentioned in https://answersingenesis.org/the-word-of-god/why-66-books/ , “The Bible is a unique volume. It is composed of 66 books by 40 different writers over 1,500 years. But what makes it unique is that it has one consistent storyline running all the way through, and it has just one ultimate author—God. The story is about God’s plan to rescue men and women from the devastating results of the Fall, a plan that was conceived in eternity, revealed through the prophets, and carried out by the Son of God, Jesus Christ.” When one puts in the time to research the historicity and veracity of the Bible, one cannot help but come away with a trust and confidence in the divine volume known as the Word of God.
Summary
Friend, put your faith and trust in Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is faithful and true. He won’t deceive you. He won’t lie to you. He won’t put more on you than you can handle. Per Jeremiah 29:11, he thinks of you. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you… thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” If you become unfaithful to God, he remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). He is there waiting on you to return to Him. He will not cheat on you. He will not disappear on you. If you feel he has disappeared, you are deceived. He did not go anywhere; you left Him. Your sins have blinded your sight, clogged your ears, and clouded your mind. He’s there waiting on you. Return to Him, Trust in God! If you feel there is no way out; that things are hopeless. Trust in God! He never fails!
