Grace Extended
Bible Study.... Trust
God’s love reaches out to you and when God’s love touches your need, we call it Grace.
"For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God ... "
(Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths."
(Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)
If you were asked — "Do you believe in the promises of God and that God can make a difference in your life and the circumstances you are facing today?" — how would you respond? Most of us would have to admit that it is easier to trust God on the sunny mountain top than it is in the deep dark valley. It takes a lot of faith to believe that God is working "all things for good" when you helplessly watch loved ones suffer or when your marriage is falling apart or you’re struggling to make ends meet. Yet, it is in the valley when faith in God is most crucial.
(References: Psalm 118:8; Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 17:7, 8; Romans 8:28)
Years ago, a young boy, as was his custom, came early to the small country schoolhouse to light the fire in the old-fashioned, pot-bellied stove. When his teacher and classmates arrived, they found the schoolhouse engulfed in flames. Heroically, they dragged the young man from the burning building and rushed him to a nearby hospital. The doctor, leaning over the semi-conscious child, told his anxious mother that he did not believe the child could survive and that, if by some miracle he did, he would never walk again. The little boy, hearing this, made up his mind that he would live and that he would walk again!
He never gave up. In time, he was able to leave his wheelchair, dragging his legs behind him, and to pull himself upright by holding onto the backyard fence. Clinging to that fence, he drug himself along day-after-day until he had worn a path all around the yard. All his hard work, determination, and faith paid off and he was finally able to stand up, then to walk – and then – to run!
This young man began walking to school and running for sheer joy. In college he made the track team. Later, in Madison Square Garden, this young man who was not expected to live and who could never hope to run – Dr. Glenn Cunningham – ran the world’s fastest mile.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart..."
Trust is fundamental to our relationship with God. In the New Testament, trust is synonymous with "belief" and "faith," and expresses reliance and complete confidence. Absolute trust gives one a feeling of well-being and security. Sadly, instead of trusting in God, we often place false confidence in riches, military power, or in our own goodness and intellect. When these fail, as they will, we are left disillusioned and cynical.
(References: Psalm 27:13; Psalm 32:10; Psalm 37:3; Psalm 118:8; Matthew 19:17)
Our text implies that to lean or not to lean upon God is our free choice. Before we can trust God, we must know God. "They that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee." God can be known. We come to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
(References: Psalm 9:10; Romans 1:20; 1 John 2:22, 23)
Jesus knew God the Father as none other in heaven or on earth. He trusted His Father entirely and loved Him completely. In death’s dark hours, Jesus obediently suffered the shame and humility of the cross because he had absolute trust and unwavering confidence in the omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere present) God, His Father.
(References: John 3:16; John 8::18, 19; John 10:30; John 16:28; Philippians 2:9-11)
"I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently will find Me." It is important to acknowledge the superior wisdom and ever-present help of the Father. By faith we acknowledge that God is aware of our circumstances and that He delights in giving good gifts to His children. A person truly seeking God’s favor will be blessed with divine peace — a calming of the spirit "that surpasses all understanding." It is a grace gift — an outpouring of God’s love to those who trust in Him.
(References: Psalm 37:4; Proverbs 8::17; John 14:27; John 16:33, Romans 5:1, 2; Philippians 4:7; Ephesians 2:14)
Failure to trust in God is an act of disobedience. Disobedience brings (1) God’s curse (divine judgment) and (2) the withdrawal of God’s blessing. Some spiritual manifestations of the curse are heaviness of heart, emptiness, loss of spiritual discernment [God’s silence], indifference to God’s Word and prayer, willful and unconfessed sin. Disobedience may be (though not always) manifested by physical illness and disease, mental illness, depression, worry and anxiety (ahead of time), and so forth.
(References: Proverbs 3:33; Jeremiah 17:5; Malachi 2:2; Galatians 5:19-23; Romans 1:21-32 )
