Trust and Confidence

www.bible.com/1713/jer.17.7.csb

Still warming up to today? That’s okay. It took me a while to get moving today as well. Not an especially warm day today, but I think we’ll warm up to it. It is merely a balmy 18F this morning. What can I say, it’s winter. Spring is coming next month, so we have a little time to wait.

I am encouraged by the word this morning. We often put our trust and confidence in things not worthy, such as government, our employer, other people. While they are trustworthy to an extent, how long would it take to replace you at your job? If you died, would the government send a “we miss you” card? Not likely. And more often that not, the world is out to swindle us of any extra cash we have, rather than trying to help us take advantage of the next great deal.

Rather, we put our trust and confidence where it is most deserving, and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot go wrong with Him. Even when it seems He’s not listening, or not close by,  we know He is. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. But as a wise person once said, “the teacher is always silent during the test.” Sometimes He steps away from our immediate perception when out faith is being tested, or when we suffer a little while.

We have got to disassociate ourselves from the notion that we are promised our best life now. That is a lie from Hell. If you think that becoming a Christian entitles you to your best life now, you are mistaken. Our best life is yet to come. This life is the proving ground for the soul that will live in that ethereal best life, when we have our home together with Jesus. This life is the test. This life is the scantron to prepare us for what is to come. Every day, every year, we will learn a bit more, and be tested a bit more severely. God is working in us to perfect us. So we cannot expect (though we are given glimpses of that life) the best life in this life. God often chooses to bless us, and give us a taste of that life, and we are grateful for every bite. But our true best life is yet to come in the world to come in the presence of our Heavenly Father. What God seeks to test in us in this world is our faith, our ability to see that next life (which we have already begun through our salvation) despite our surroundings. It is faith that pleases Him and if He sees us smiling through our hardships and sufferings because we believe in a better resurrection, a better life, and better hope that what this life offers, He sees our faith, hope and love in action. This is what pleases God. It is Paul and Silas singing in the prison. It is Jesus forgiving others from the cross. It is Joseph saying, “you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” It is the three young men standing before Nebuchadnezzar saying, “we believe God will save us from this fire, but if He doesn’t, we still still trust Him.” It is every martyr on every beach preparing to die at the hands of wicked men, saying “Father forgive them.” That is trust and confidence in the Lord.

Lord, help me develop this transcendent trust. Father I have failed you time and again. Please forgive my unbelief and create in me a clean heart O God! Thank you Lord for Your indescribable gift! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!