Learning to Trust God
Bismarck Campus Pastor | Marc Eidahl
Learning to Trust God
Have you found yourself wondering why it’s sometimes so hard to trust God and have faith? After all, God is all powerful and all knowing. He paid a huge price for our salvation and performed unthinkable miracles on behalf of His people throughout Scripture. Seems like trusting the One who saves and can part the waters of the sea should be like a no brainer. But it’s not that simple, is it? We wrestle with faith, and we wonder if we can really trust God to take care of us. Why does something that seems like it should be so easy, feel so difficult? In this blog I hope to help answer that question. But I want to also provide you great encouragement! Trusting God may be a challenge at times, but God provides the perfect ways to help us build our trust in Him!
NOTE: (For the sake of length of this blog, unless otherwise necessary I will only give Scripture references that you can look up later instead of typing out whole Scriptures)
The Fall of Man
Adam and Eve’s sin came about as a result of the serpent suggesting to them that God may be holding out on them. In Genesis 3:4-5, the serpent tells Eve, “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Can you see the serpent’s suggestion? He’s basically saying “God is holding out on you. There are great things you’re missing all because He doesn’t want you to have them.”
Adam and Eve give into temptation and eat of the forbidden fruit. As a result, man experiences 3 areas of separation never before experienced:
To solve the separation problem Adam and Eve now face, along with the terrible feelings they now have such as shame, guilt, anxiety and fear, man resorts to two basic ways of coping with themselves and life:
A) They cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) – This is our attempt to cover our shame, guilt, anxiety and fear by methods and means outside of God. We try to store up earthly treasure, get involved in religious activity, do good deeds for others, etc. Anything to make ourselves feel good and ignore the shame we feel inside.
B) They ran and hid from God (Genesis 3:8) – This our attempt to run away from God’s holiness. Adam and Eve couldn’t bear to be around a holy God when all they felt was shame and guilt. So they ran and hid from the only One who could bring them life.
How often we are tempted to do both of these things!
Jesus
God sent Jesus to be the answer for the massive problem described above. Jesus restores us to a right relationship with God the Father! Here are some important truths to understand about Jesus that will help you grow in trusting God:
A) Jesus was born as a human being. He was fully human and yet fully God at the same time. (John 1:14)
B) Jesus was still God but surrendered all of His divine privileges. This means Jesus ministered as a human – which means everything He did was by faith just like us. (Philippians 2:6-11)
C) Jesus was tempted in every way we are yet without sin. Felt all the emotions we feel. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
D) Jesus essentially modeled what it would have been like for Adam and Eve prior to sin. He modeled
what it would look like to co-labor with God in faith and unhindered connection.
E) Jesus restores us back to the spiritual power and authority pre-fall of man – He is called the LAST ADAM.
The fist Adam fell, the last Adam restored. (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 & Romans 5:18-19)
F) Jesus teaches us that nothing is impossible with God to those who believe (Matthew 17:20)
If we receive the free gift of eternal life in Christ, we become a new creation. We become connected to the Father the same way Jesus was and the same way Adam and Eve were before they fell. Think about that!
You
So what about us? If we’ve accepted the free gift of eternal life God offers by surrendering our lives to Jesus why are things still so difficult in life? There are several reasons that you and I face adversity and are still learning to trust God through it.
A) Though Jesus has been given all authority by God the Father, there are still things on the earth that have not been fully brought under His rule yet. (Ephesians 1:19-23 & 1 Corinthians 15:24-27)
B) Scripture tells us to “work out” our salvation with fear and trembling. Though we are saved when we make Jesus the Lord of our life, we are still learning to walk in the fullness of the salvation He purchased for us. (Philippians 2:12)
C) Once we understand there is more of God’s promises to possess in our lives – and there’s A LOT more – we need to take steps of faith to see them fulfilled.
Jesus knew we would not be able to succeed in walking with Him and learning to trust Him without a lot of help. Our flesh is weak! We so easily become attached to and distracted by the sin cursed world. So Jesus sent us the greatest gift of all to help us – the Holy Spirit!
The Holy Spirit
Why do we need the Holy Spirit? Why is He so vitally important to our future? Here are a few reasons Scripture gives us:
A) Jesus – He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:12-14)
B) He is your Teacher and Comforter. (John 14:26)
C) He will give you POWER to be witnesses. (Acts 1:8)
D) He will give you a prayer language that will strengthen the inner man. (Mark 16:17 & Acts 2:1-12)
E) He will give life to your mortal body. (Romans 8:11)
To summarize, because of the fall and the resulting curse, we became disconnected from the life of God. We became very connected with the cursed world around us. So we process life and think in terms of curse, disappointment, fear, and lack. But Jesus paid a massive price on the cross to redeem and restore us to right standing with God. But you and I being made more like Jesus day by day as we choose to be stretched and challenged to think like Adam and Eve would have thought before they sinned. Jesus has sent us the Holy Spirit to help us in our weaknesses and teach us to trust God. I am praying you will learn to trust God at a higher level this year. You will not be sorry!