Trust - Daily Devotional March 16th, 2010

Bible Reading - Exodus 27, John 6, Proverbs 3, Galatians 2

Trust

Every relationship in life that is successful is built on one thing, trust. The definition of trust is, "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing". Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths". Trust is the center piece of this scripture and it is the basis of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here is the thing with trust. It usually has to be earned, it can be broken and it also does grow. One of the things that amazes me most about people is what they put their trust in because trust is a calculated risk. You might begin to have feelings for someone but in order to have that relationship go to the next level you must open up but by opening up you are running the risk of having someone take advantage of you. The problem is that a lot of people get enamored by someone and run into a relationship without doing any risk management; what kind of a person are they, who are their friends, what are their other relationships like. These are all pretty good things to know and will help either build trust or keep you safe from having your trust ruined. Unfortunately, when trust has been broken it begins to reflect on every other relationship.

Let us use a chair for example. Every time we sit in a chair we are putting our trust in it's ability to support us so that we do not fall to the ground looking silly. This trust was built on several different things. It was built on the fact that we saw other people sitting on chairs when we were younger, the fact that our moms and dads would put us in a chair and the fact that now at an older age we have sat in enough chairs to trust that whenever we sit in it, it will support us. I have trust in chairs! That trust was broken once however and for the next several weeks before I would sit in a chair I would check it out to see if it would support me. I was at the offices and we had these ugly brown metal folding chairs and unbeknown to me the little rubber stopper that held the chair in the right position had come off. Although the chair looked like every other chair the minute the pressure of my body hit the seat the chair collapsed to the ground. I am happy to say that my trust has once again been restored and I sit in chairs just fine.

I have sat, I currently sit and I will continue to sit because the chair has proven faithful once again. When the writer of Proverbs 3 tells us to trust in the Lord with everything we have he is basing his trust off of not only his experience but off of all of those that had gone before him and had done the same thing and had never been disappointed. When he says trust in the Lord, he is saying, look you have nothing to worry about at all for the God of heaven and earth has got your back on every situation and will not let you make a bad decision but instead will keep you from them. He will lead you and guide you in all truth and unlike the chair He will never collapse or let you down.

Today you and I can not only have our trust built by what we personally have experienced with God but we can read through the Bible and see all the wonderful things He as done and have our trust built. That is why the Bible says in Romans 10:17, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God". The more of the Word we read the more we see how amazing He is and the more we can trust Him with everything we are and everything we have.

What areas are you holding back today and not trusting Him in. Put your trust in God today and He will protect you from wrong and bad decisions.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Exodus 28, John 7, Proverbs 4, Galatians 3

Dream Big
Ben