Trust = Do What is Asked

Trust = Do What is Asked

Yet in spite of this word you did not believe (trust, rely on, and remain steadfast to) the Lord your God, Deuteronomy 1:32 (AMP)

Likewise when the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you, then you rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God, and you did not believe Him or trust and rely on Him or obey His voice. Deuteronomy 9:23 (AMP)

Trust is followed by obedience. Distrust is followed by disobedience. That's an easy concept to understand. Trust = do what is asked. Distrust = rebel, and do it on your own. 

Easy to understand. However, sadly, it can be hard to actually apply. The Israelites had seen time and time again God's miraculous care and provision, yet they still did not trust Him. Why the distrust? Because they figured that their circumstances were bigger and more difficult than God could even handle. They forgot WHO God was! 

Trust is not based on just what someone does, it's based on WHO they are. It's sad when I choose to look at my circumstances and tell God, "Sorry, but You can't handle this. This situation is just too difficult for You. Therefore, I'm not going to trust you to take care of it, I'll figure out a way for me to handle it—myself." 

The MOMENT I change my trust from GOD to MYSELF—I'm in BIG TROUBLE! The Israelites had seen miracle after miracle, yet they continued to forget WHO God was! Each time a problem arose, their first reaction was to complain and worry and fret. They should have instead, stopped and REMEMBERED what God did when they faced the last problem. Short-sighted for sure. 

If I trust God, then I'll obey Him and respect Him—no matter the circumstance, no matter the difficulty, and no matter the surmounting task at hand. If I make the decision to distrust God and do it on my own—then I have to live with those consequences. And those consequences will be that of my own choosing—often void of God's blessings. 

How do I make sure that I'm not short-sighted and that I continue to trust God and not be overwhelmed by my circumstances? It all begins with a heart permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God! For when I respect and honor God, I'll trust Him! My trust needs to be placed in God—not myself. And that respect and trust in God will then lead to obedience and doing His will. 

Teachable with Follow Through

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 27. Here is what I learned.

Teach me your way, O Lord. Lead me on a level path because I have enemies who spy on me. Psalm 27:11 (GW)

Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you’re on. Psalm 27:11 (MSG)

Lord, teach me your ways, and guide me ·to do what is right [on a straight/right path] because ·I have [of my] enemies. Psalm 27:11 (EXB)

"Teach me thy way, O Lord." He does not pray to be indulged with his own way, but to be informed as to the path in which the righteous Jehovah would have him walk. This prayer evinces an humble sense of personal ignorance, great teachableness of spirit, and cheerful obedience of heart.

"Lead me in a plain path." Help is here sought as well as direction; we not only need a map of the way, but a guide to assist us in the journey. The Treasury of David

Teachable. If I ask God to teach me, I need to be teachable. That means that I need to be open to what God wants to teach me, and I need to be wiling to learn. No preconceived ideas. No “I know it all” attitude. No ignoring the lessons. And most of all, no “I’ve learned that before”! Because if God is teaching me... again, I must not have really learned it the first time. 

Then once I learn what God is teaching, I need to follow through. I need to learn the path God wants me to walk, and once I learn it, I must be willing to walk it. Knowing the way and not following through, won’t get me very far. 

How often have I known what God wants me to do... and I remain standing still. If I’m not walking the path God has prepared, I’m not only guilty of disobedience, but I’ll miss out on the blessings God has along the path.

Teachable with follow through—only both those actions will create a positive day!