Trust - Part 5

Previously, Dropped in My Spirit briefly examined what God's word teaches us about the concept of Trust from the perspectives of His providence, scriptures on the subject and bible stories. Scriptural References (NIV) – Trust, posted on April 19, 2021, was offered as an introduction to the biblical implications of Trust. In this final installment, Trust – Part 5, we will explore the evolution and promise of Trust as we conclude this discussion.

It is my prayer that in some way you have been encouraged, enlightened and/or enriched by this series on Trust. Perhaps this reading has inspired a personal reflection into issues around Trust that you have developed over the years. I invite you to look deeper into those reflections from both an individual and a spiritual perspective.

In the meantime, if you would pass Dropped in My Spirit on to those in your circle of family, friends, acquaintances, etc. that you feel might benefit from it, that would be appreciated. As always, feel free to add your comments, points of view, experiences, etc. in the “Comments” section below. If you have not done so already, please subscribe to Dropped in My Spirit. Have a fabulously blessed day!

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Exploration

The thing that (quietly) dropped in my spirit is that trust is a never-ending exploration. I mentioned quietly since this piece of the message about trust was sitting on the periphery. After some contemplation, it occurred to me that the concept of an ongoing exploration is an element of trust that we might not have considered. For some, it might not be obvious that trust is something that develops over time and continues to evolve each time we decide to trust, or not. Learning to trust, developing trust, and even adjusting our expectations about our inclination to trust is an ongoing process. The color, hues and nuances are constantly shifting as we all continue to evolve. This requires making necessary adjustments by reevaluating relationships and establishing boundaries while maintaining our own standards, morality, and sanity. At the same time, we must keep our options open about the way we impose our perceived notions on others. Should someone ultimately prove to be untrustworthy, we might have a tough decision to make about the relationship. We can decide to pursue a resolution or opt out of reconciliation if the relationship does not have any positive value.

Habits and proclivities being what they are, I would suggest that in the natural sense we have the capacity to trust God about as much as we trust ourselves or others. If the concept of trust has been “colored” by negative experiences early in life – including misuse, abuse, neglect, oppression – trusting God wholly and completely could be an issue too. Most times, before anything changes within this type of mindset, healing must take place. Before healing comes realization, which might be the biggest hurdle of all. We can trust that God does not expect our trust in Him to be perfect. Even trust whispered and prayed with doubt is acceptable to Him. Our trust does not have to be perfect for He is the perfecter of our faith, and faith starts with trust. Just get started – the Holy Spirit will work with you.

Broken trust can leave us feeling defeated. With resilience, reliance on the Spirit’s inexhaustible resources and some work, we do not have to accept that broken trust inevitably will leave us broken. Remember that fish flopping around on dry land mentioned in Part 1 of this series? That was me on more than one occasion. I was crushed, sometimes even into submission, in very different circumstances – both personal and professional and others in between. Being crushed in this way has forced me to creatively use everything that I have, including the Holy Spirit, to get back in there. This is not something that we can do on our own power, by leaning on our own understanding. It takes that which is not within us to truly persevere. We can do this!

Promise

Trust opens the door, ushering in and giving the heart permission to have faith. That seed of faith ultimately reveals joy, hope, love and all kinds of things for which there is no law against as Paul wrote in Galatians 5. Let us move forward with trusting God to deliver the promises that He made to those who not only believe in Him but believe Him that He will fulfill His promises. His word promises us contentment and peace. We can only realize these promises if we go to Him with our cares and troubles. We should trust God before, during and after whatever challenges we face, large and small. He should be consulted before we begin anything, and at each step along the way. When it is all said and done and the dust settles, we should go before God to express our appreciation for His guidance. Release those things that you might have planned, hoped for or prayed for that did not come to pass. Trust that there is a purpose for everything that happens. Know that everything works according to His will. As we all are at some point, you might have been disappointed by God’s will. If God allowed it, trust Him that He will use it for your good. If things did not turn out exactly as you might have hoped, trust that it was not the best plan for our lives. Even when we are disappointed in the outcome of our most fervent prayers, we can commune with God. We can ask Him to reveal what lessons we might learn from the experience.

Have you every trusted God, completely trusted Him, and were disappointed that He did not lead you in the right direction? Have you ever surrendered your will, completely placed your faith and trust in Him only to find that God led you down a rabbit hole? Just like He came through for you before, you can trust and expect Him to faithfully deliver you again and again. When we surrender our will and humbly seek God in prayer and supplication, when we present ourselves before Him and He delivers on His promises, it gives Him an opportunity to let us see that only He is God. Trust that God has already determined how every situation will be resolved and move away from a spirit of resentment, fear, disappointment, and regret. Replace distrust with gratitude, love, joy, peace and trust Him.

Invitation

I invite you to add your comments, personal experiences, favorite scripture, etc. around trust. Refer to the questions posed at the beginning of this post that might have provoked a response, or thoughts that might have crossed you mind while reading through this message. With respect to your own personal experiences, feel free to include positive as well as negative experiences that you might be comfortable sharing in this forum. Many thanks to you in advance for your responses.

Prayer

Gracious Lord in heaven, we thank you for your patience with us. Thank you for offering us the spirit of perfect, complete trust. Thank you, Lord, for the peace of your changeless presence as you direct our lives according to your will. Give us the wisdom to always trust you, always depend on and appreciate your guidance, and through faith, to know that only you can mold and shape us into our destiny. Lord, help us appreciate that trusting you means releasing all control to your authority. May we remember today and always that we remain most effective when we, the created, stay connected with you, the Creator. With this connection, our options and possibilities are enhanced. Our job is to have faith, be obedient to your will and your word and place our trust in you. Amen.

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Next: Moving right along, I am preparing the next series on a different subject matter for your reading pleasure in the very near future. I prayerfully Trust that you will join me!