Have you ever had your child doubt you?  My youngest son is always calling from school if they are let out early reminding us to pick him up.  He has never ever been at the school by himself alone with teachers and even the principle leaving.  It happened to me one day when I was 7 years old.  My parents and grandfather got their signals mixed and each of them thought the other was picking me up.  I remember sitting there crying and watching teachers leave without concern.  There were no cell phones back then (at least not readily available to the public) and just as I was about to lose it, my mom pulled up.  She had a feeling, a hunch and she picked me up.  I remembered how mad she was just seeing me that way.  I was just grateful she came.  From that day forward, I had more than one ride and even when they showed up at the same time, they would laugh and just say, as long as she is never alone again.  Those teachers and principals also received discipline that next day and let’s just say no child left behind began with a movement from my mom!

Faith is one thing.  “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1  Now the Amplified version says it this way:  Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].   When one has faith, he or she is hoping for something that has yet to be touched or seen, like me believing my ride would come on that day.  However after that day, my faith moved from faith to trust.  Before that day, when I spent time alone on the playground, I never even thought about if my ride didn’t come.  It never entered my mind because it never happened.  I didn’t need faith for it because I trusted someone would always come.

The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 3:5-6 “⁵ Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  ⁶ In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.”

 

We need faith because there is doubt.  Most people tell you that you cannot have faith and doubt but indeed you must.  You don’t need faith if you knew things were going to happen!  Duh!  However at some point in the Christian walk you move from having faith in some areas to trust.  I am sure for some time after that day, I thought about being picked up on time but not long.  It became a source of trust for me.  After all, they knew I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t control everything so I trusted that my parents and guardians would do whatever was necessary to not let me down again.   God is no different!  As our Heavenly Father, He knows what we have need of before we can ask!  The more God reveals Himself to you, shows you that even when it doesn’t look like it, HE is working it for YOUR good; one will move from faith to trust.  Trust says that, when my back is against the wall, when I cannot do anything, when the enemy comes in like a flood, MY GOD WILL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST him.

The ability to trust God moves one from hope to knowing.  It means not just thinking God can do it, but knowing HE is more than able and even when it doesn’t work like I want it to work or in MY timing, it is still all good!

 

As people we trust other people with a lot even when their track record shows us otherwise.  As Christians we must learn to totally depend on God for the answers to life’s questions and dilemmas.  You cannot trust a God that you aren’t willing to be open and honest with or to tell those things about us that we should disclose.

 

God desires to help you move from just having faith but to trust HIM!