Weekly Devotion - "Trust in The Lord" - June 13, 2011

from Lenae, GEMS Training Manger

TRUST IN THE LORD

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

One of the sermon illustrations about trust that I learned early on was a picture of a young child at the edge of a swimming pool. His father is in the pool with outstretched arms coaxing his child to jump in. “Trust me,” the father says. “I’ll catch you!” Some children jump in immediately without fear. Some are a bit hesitant, but do so. Others walk away and refuse to try. Although the children’s reaction to the situation is varied, the father’s promise remains the same. If they jump he will catch them. Guaranteed. You can trust the father.

My husband Mike and our oldest daughter Elizabeth were both born with a “tease” gene. They are forever teasing one another and anyone else who crosses their path. One summer when Elizabeth was a teen and they were both fully dressed, they went to the end of the dock to check out the water. Mike pretended to push Elizabeth into the water. She screamed and teased right back, “You’d never do it!” That’s all the encouragement Mike needed and he pushed her into the lake. The shock on her face was a KODAK moment.

Sometimes life feels more like Mike pushing Elizabeth into the lake than it does jumping into a tender father’s arms into the pool. Hard stuff happens that we can’t stop or understand . . .

• The family business fails.
• The doctor confirms that the cancer has returned.
• A husband walks out on his family.
• There’s been a fatal accident.
• A young mom suffers from depression and anxiety.

We hear about or experience the news firsthand and through tears cry out, “God! Where are You in this story?” It hurts. It doesn’t look like there’s a happy ending. We look for an escape route from the pain, a quick fix, something – anything – so life can return to what it used to be.

And in all of this, God is reaching out His hands to us in the storm. “Trust me,” the Father says. “I’ll catch you!” Some of His children move confidently into the heartache with trust. Some have doubts, but do so. Others walk away and reject the path that He promises to make straight.  Although His children’s reaction to the situation is varied, the Father’s promise remains the same. If we trust Him, He will catch us. He’ll not only catch us, He’ll tend to our needs like a shepherd, He’ll gather us into His arms like a lamb, and carry us close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). Guaranteed. You can trust the Father.

Wisdom Step: What heartache do you need to trust the Father in today? Will you do so?

I can only lie still in God’s arms. I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible; I cannot even pray. I can only lie still in God’s arms like a little child, and trust.

Hudson Taylor, during his final days