Which came first—the chicken or the egg??? For the next two days this week we’ll talk about faith and trust. Which comes first or do they go together? I’m going to let you decide. Many people use these two words interchangeably and in some cases that is perfectly fine, but in other scenarios, there is a slight difference in meaning. Here we go…
Defining faith. Faith has an object. Faith is based on convictions for which we may not necessarily have proof. A friend who lives hundreds of miles away calls you and tells you a story about an experience he had. Will you believe him? If he is a trustworthy person and you have no reason to doubt that his story is true, you will most likely not even think about whether to believe him or not. You have faith that even though you weren’t there that what he said is true.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for
and assurance about what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1, NIV
An old standby illustration for faith is sitting in a chair by faith that it is going to hold you up. But you also have to act on that faith by sitting in the chair and trusting that you won’t fall to the ground when you sit down.
Defining trust. Trust is the object in which confidence is placed. The dictionary defines trust as firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Who or what are you trusting in?
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
But we will remember and trust
in the name of the Lord our God.”
Psalm 20:7, AMP
When you go out to purchase a new vehicle, do you just look at one, admire its color or shape, and give a thumbs up for the gas mileage? Then go in and sign the paperwork? Whoa! Not me! I sit in the car, get in and out a few times to see how easy it is to access, check out the features, and most importantly turn the ignition and take it for a test drive. Just as I don’t take face value but test out my tentative purchase, in this verse above I believe that the Psalmist is saying that while some people think their chariots and horses are going to help them win the battles, he and his men remembered what God had done for them in the past and would trust God to win their battles for them.
Preface. We cannot trust someone we don’t know. Trust needs to be backed by proof. Blindly trusting strangers is never a good idea. Trusting people does not come naturally to me. I am always hesitant and stay my distance until I get to know someone. Our relationship with Jesus starts out the same way. We need to learn about Him, get to know Him better, and as time goes on we trust Him more and more. The best part is He never changes. He’s not like cranky Uncle Joe one day and like caring Mr. Smith the next. He’s the same today (eternity present) as He was yesterday (eternity past) and will be tomorrow (eternity future).
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever.”
Hebrews 13:8, KJV
In a day of changing values, broken promises, and lost laws, it is comforting to know that we can have faith in and trust Someone who never changes.
Proof. When someone has come through for us in the past, we trust them to do so again in the future. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with customer service in different businesses. When they’ve helped me before, I tend to trust them to help me again, but if it was a frustrating, time-consuming effort, and the outcome was not as I’d hoped, I tend to not trust them again. Jesus knew there would be people who would not have faith in Him and would not trust Him even after His death and resurrection. So He appeared to people after His death as proof that He was alive and that everything He said was true.
“To these He also presented Himself
alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days and
speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
Acts 1:3, NASB
I have this little quirk, if you will. If anyone says something can’t be done, I immediately think to myself, I’ll show you. I’ll prove it can be done. I am a bit of a problem solver and like to dig in and find a way to solve a problem. Some of that comes from my younger years being told a certain thing couldn’t be done but I knew different and found a way. Faith and trust are like that. Like the saying The proof is in the pudding, but you have to taste it and experience it.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, show me the way of faith and help me trust You for everything in life. Thank You that You are my one “true north”, unchangeable, and forever the same.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
- Easter – resurrection and salvation