Trust in the Lord?

"Trust in the Lord"…….has anyone ever said that to you?

What does that mean? 

It’s often said as an encouragement when someone is experiencing hard times. When life feels like it has kicked you in the gut and you’re not sure if you will recover. 

“Trust in the Lord?” He’s the one who got me into this mess, right?

It’s so easy to blame God when bad things take place. We often hear people say, “Why did God allow this to happen?” Or, "Haven’t I had enough, how much does He think I can handle?” As if God is up there somewhere, with a smirk on his face, adding one more drop of pain to each already unbearable situation, just to see if we can handle it.

I don’t know why bad things happen, but I do know that God loves us. He is not “causing” things to happen to us. Sometimes our choices, our sins, lead to natural consequences. Other times things just happen, no explanation, no reason and no understandable cause. More often than not, we will not be able to decipher the plan. We must learn to “Trust in the Lord.”

Here is the important message- in order to trust someone, really trust them, with the things that are most precious to you, that person can’t be a stranger. You wouldn’t hand your newborn baby to someone you didn’t know and walk away. Neither would you hand your new car keys to a friend of a friend and say, “take it for a spin.” 

The same message pertains to God. If you don’t know Him or haven’t formed some kind of relationship with Him, you will never allow yourself to trust Him. Even if everyone around you tells you to “trust in the Lord,” you will still be a sceptic and you will never truly come to know the peace that only He can give you. 

Begin with the simple step of spending time in prayer. He is there to listen to you. It’s not hard. He won’t laugh at what you say. He will tenderly listen to your words. Sit in His presence and tell Him your thoughts. Then listen in the silence. It’s alright if you don’t hear anything. It doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you or that you prayed wrong. Be persistent and spend that time with the Lord every day.  It will begin to change the way you look at life. It will give you a peace and contentment like nothing you have ever experienced before. Trust in the Lord, He won’t let you down.

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