Philip S. Delaney put the notion of trust beyond an unwillingness to adopt new ideas when he said, “Many blunder in business through inability or an unwillingness to adopt new ideas. I have seen many a success turn to failure also, because the thought which should be trained on big things is cluttered up with the burdensome detail of little things.” However, the Bible has many verses about trust, including those that encourage trust in God and caution against placing trust in others.
One such verse in the Book of Proverbs advises, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist and philosopher, asserted that “wise men put their trust in ideas and not in circumstances.”
Whenever you face life’s trials, you need to remember that God is trustworthy. Last week I wrote about the Biblical character Joseph. Joseph understood that he could not afford to give in to self-pity because of his circumstances. Drawing from his personal experiences, Joseph firmly believed in God’s trustworthiness and knew that God would enable him to overcome his problems.
Perhaps you are going through a trial now or you are the victim of a bad situation you didn’t cause. I recommend reflecting on Joseph’s reaction when he was in a similar position. The first thing he didn’t do was succumb to self-pity. He didn’t blame others for his demise. Often when we experience a serious problem we start blaming ourselves and putting ourselves down. Joseph didn’t do that. He understood that the crisis he was in wasn’t of his own making, and he tried to look at it realistically.
When life’s storms arise, face them head-on and trust in God. Many times, when we feel discouraged, we are tempted to go it alone. Please don’t make that mistake. Put your trust in God to bring you through your circumstances. When we are downcast and despondent, we are unreliable, and our focus becomes blurred. In such moments, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced perspective and exercise sound judgment. So, put your trust in God, be blessed and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
