Trusting God
“God . . . is the blessed controller of all things, the king over all kings and the master of all masters.” - 1 Timothy 6:15
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to trust God. I mean, really and truly trust Him. Not simply believe in Him, but trust Him.
Here’s what I know: Many of us do all that we can to NOT think about pain and suffering in our lives. It isn’t pleasant after all. Distraction or denial seem like better options, at least on the surface.
But the reality is that pain and suffering and illness and cancer and ____________ are part of the fallen, broken world that we live in. As much as I wish otherwise, there is no escaping them. The only unknown, the only mystery to us, is when exactly each of us will experience these adversities.
The big question then is this: Where will you and I go when pain and suffering come? It is an important question. One I encourage you to think deeply on. This is a question that we must prepare ourselves to answer before adversity comes. “Before” is crucial. Before your head is spinning and you find yourself just trying to breathe.
While the world offers many options of things to run to in these times, nothing the world offers, works. Not really. Not ultimately. Nothing the world offers can bring the comfort, peace, healing, hope, and even joy we so desperately (and I mean desperately) need in these darkest and scariest moments and seasons of life.
So, where must we run? For real?
We must run to our Maker. To our Creator. To our Savior. To the Lord our God....Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
He is the One. He is it.
Nothing and no one else will do.
I say this not simply because it is the “right” Bible answer. I say it because it is the truth. It is the truth I have been living minute by minute, moment by moment, the past two weeks of my son’s illness.
The Lord is the only One who can give us all that we need, and more, when we are in the pit of pain and suffering. He is the One.
How I desire for you to know the Lord in this way, friends. I really do. I can only imagine the fear and despair I would be experiencing if I did not know God. It makes me sick to think about.
But what exactly must we know about God in these times? What must we know about His character?
In particular, the Scriptures teach us three essential truths about God that we must believe and cling to before, during, and after suffering comes—three truths we must hold firmly to in both our heads and our hearts if we are to be men and women who truly trust Him.
They are these:
1) God is completely sovereign.
2) God is infinite in wisdom.
3) God is perfect in love.
As Jerry Bridges writes, someone has expressed these three truths as they relate to us in this way: “God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.”
As I sit here with Eli, I praise God for who He is. That as the Bible clearly teaches from beginning to end, the Lord is indeed completely sovereign, infinite in wisdom, and perfect in love.
Our God is worthy of all my trust.
He is worthy of all our trust.
We will continue to keep you updated on Eli here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/prayersforeli
