Trust is such a difficult and wonderful word all at the same time depending on which situation or person that we are thinking about.  All of us have been hurt at times when trusting in the wrong things.  That pain is difficult to work through, but must be done as we grow in our spiritual walk and in learning to trust in the right things.  While working through some of these issues, I am being continually brought back to one truth:  trust in God at all times.

There are many definitions for trust, but I’m talking about one from Webster’s that says it is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something, one in which confidence is placed.”  When I have thought of this definition in the past, my first thoughts are often directed to self or others.  My ultimate trust is in God and I have no doubt of that, but often I allow the baggage of my past, my relationships, and my flesh to cloud that initial thought when I hear the word trust.  I want my assured reliance and confidence to be in my Lord at all times and in all things.  I am trying to replace those first flashes of painful trust that I associate with the past with the deep knowledge of glorious Trust that I believe in for my present and future.  Most likely, I will continue to struggle with hurt from distrust, doubt, and deception. Though I can’t forget, I can choose to forgive.  That forgiveness brings freedom to release the hurt and replace it with a solid trust in my Father.

I have found great comfort when I read and reflect on the following verses.  Psalm 62:8 has been jumping out at me in recent weeks and I hope that it can encourage some of your too.

Psalm 62

1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

In verse 5, the author reminds himself that he should “wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”  Waiting.  Yuck!  Waiting silently?  Double yuck!  This is often one of the most difficult things that God requires of us, but so many of the stories in the Bible tell stories of the saints waiting – David, Moses, and others.  Their lives were full of waiting on God’s timing. That waiting is what produced the deep rooted trust that they had in their Master and King. Waiting often brings that trust that I desire, so I must resolve to wait silently for my Savior.  In those lessons of difficult waiting, we are promised deliverance and good care from the Lord.

Lamentations 3:24-26 I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.  It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.

As time passes by, I can see the Lord moving and working.  Only the tip of the iceberg of His magnificent plan can been seen, but it’s enough to believe that He knows what He is doing.  See how that trust digs in and builds a solid foundation – one that can’t be shaken.  Faith can only be built upon that foundation of trust.  He is more than able to guide, provide, strengthen, and protect us.  In moments of doubt and despair, we should remember the verses and promises in His Word and believe in them.  I am learning to trust Him at all times and I encourage you to try to do the same.