Do you trust him?

Just how well do you know God?  Is your opinion of him based simply on the Sunday school stories you heard as a child?  Or maybe your concept of him is continually being adjusted based on the happenings in the world?  Perhaps your knowledge consists of the random opinions of others including those of your parents? I hope none of the above is true about you but, if it is, let’s put some of those potential misconceptions to bed right now.  It’s imperative that you have a well-rounded understanding of God so that you can have a well-rounded relationship with him.  If not, you’ll spend countless hours questioning his ways.

Psalm 9:10 says that “those who know [his] name trust in [him].”  So, what do you need to know about God in order to have a well-rounded relationship with him?  Said in another way:  Is there something you need to add or subtract to your image of the almighty God so that you can trust him (and not question him)?

Here’s what you need to know:

1. He loves you unconditionally.  There’s nothing you could ever do to lose or taint his love.  Think of the worst thing you’ve ever done and picture Jesus standing in front of you saying “I love you in spite of that too!”
2. He delights in you and considers you his precious child.  You’re a valuable commodity in his plans for this world.
3. He hates your sin; hates it badly enough to have come to earth to die on a cross to pay for it (because someone had to and it couldn’t have been you).
4. He requires you to obey the precepts (guidelines) clearly outlined in His Word, the Bible.  His guidelines are designed to help you, not limit you.
5. He loves to forgive you when you fall short of those precepts (when you sin).  His plan is ALWAYS to restore and reconcile you first to himself AND then to those who’ve been affected by your sin.
6. He allows suffering for a variety of reasons.  I know this is hard to understand but you must learn to trust that your suffering has a purpose.  Maybe God’s trying to pull you away from some ongoing type of sin in your life.  Maybe he’s trying to teach you that HE is all you need.  Maybe he wants to use your life as a testimony of his grace.  Regardless, use the suffering as a catalyst for growth and change…that’s what God intended.
7. He longs for you to be free:  Free from your unholy habits, free from your self-inflicted pain, free from the opinions of others and free to live for him.  His will is that you rest in him and therefore find true freedom.

These seven truths perfectly define our precious Lord.  Do you trust him?

“O to see you as you are, to glimpse the wonders yet unseen, assist my sight, unveil my eyes, to see you.”                                                               Matt Redman, singer/songwriter