Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Environment and Requirement of Trust

S - Psalm 55:16-19a, 22-23 (NLT): "But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. 17 Morning, noon, and night I plead aloud in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. 18 He rescues me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, even though many still oppose me. 19 God, who is king forever, will hear me and will humble them. Interlude … 22 Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. 23 But you, O God, will send the wicked down to the pit of destruction. Murderers and liars will die young, but I am trusting you to save me."

O - Safety, provision, rescue, relief are not dependent on an absence of hostile forces nor a season of overwhelming abundance … they are dependent upon God … the Living God for whom nothing is impossible, too difficult or too wonderful. He brings water from rocks, rains bread from heaven, feeds multitudes from a single lunch and prepares a party in the presence of our enemies. Trust is all about his person not our current understanding of the plan. Trust must be engaged before the final results are known because trust cannot be "backfilled" once the tension, threat and challenge have ended. The cessation of hostilities or a change of season will bring us a sense of relief but not grow us in faith nor in the fierce personal loyalty he both deserves and requires. David said 'the time I am afraid I will trust in him.' Trust will not grow without a known threat and an unknown conclusion. If we will not learn to trust under threat and difficulty we will not trust under blessing and safety. Since trust is all about his person the importance of prayer is magnified. Prayer brings us uniquely near his person … calling on him in our distress is less about negotiating a desired outcome and way more about experiencing his person and gaining the needed confidence according to his love. We should ask, but our asking is only the symptom of our hearts desire and decision to put our trust in the Living God.

A - Trust is an essential element in all relationships. Its absence will ultimately disable and destroy any relationship. The Lord trusts me with so much … and insists that I trust him with all. My assignment today and every day is to live out loud the trust, the fierce personal loyalty he deserves and requires. The one who trusts in him cannot be put to shame and will not be shaken. As the days go forward and we draw closer to the release of a new wineskin, of mulberry trees in the ocean and of that which is too wonderful to me - I get live out this trust so that when the season has completely turned I will be as he would find me … in vibrant faith and unflickering trust in the Living God.

P - Living God,
Too wonderful for me, too awesome for me, too brilliant for me … thank you for loving me/us because you do. Thank you for allowing us the privilege of ongoing relationship; for dignifying my life with the capacity to choose. Thank you that you are not only worthy of praise but of complete trust and wholehearted devotion. Lord, I trust you and as I pray for the calm seas, the firm steps, the fulfillment of what you have placed in my heart and the continued trajectory of my life as you've been leading, I am acutely aware of my capacity to fear, to fail, to be shackled by doubt and unbelief. Lord, I ask you to fill me/us with your resurrection life - for your life to come into me and out of me. I am asking you to fill my eyes, ears, mind, heart, mouth, hands and feet with faith so I may please you … bring you glory and make you glad. Lord, thank you for being the warrior God … the God who fights for his people. Thank you great King for being tender toward me and ruthless toward my enemy. Lord, the time I am afraid I will trust in you!

Steve

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