TRUST AND OBEY
I remember as a child learning the words to this song.. and knowing it was important to "trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." It wasn't until my adult years that I learned the deeper meaning of these words. Even then, it was a lesson learned the hard way - by trusting and obeying the wrong people or voices!
A child trusts what her parents say - in her eyes, they cannot be wrong. She does not question their infallability until she is taught to do so. Can you remember those years, either in your own childhood or in your offspring? It's a wonderful time for both!
Christ wants us to trust Him, to trust the Father, in a child-like way. In many ways, we are to be oblivious to our surroundings as we listen to Him, as we trust Him, and as we obey Him.
But first we have to know Him. There has to be a bonding of our heart with His. This comes as we hear His Words and see His love portrayed to us. If no one has told us of His love, how will we learn to trust Him? If we do not trust Him, how could we possibly obey Him?
We can't.
We can follow the "rules" and hope we'll be safe. But without knowing the RuleMaker, we are doomed to stretch the rules, break the rules, and ignore the rules. We are subject to obey the rules made by another authority, still hoping for our reward. We may chose some very foolish and dangerous rules to follow and never be aware of the dangers until it is too late.
Then we have become part of the crowd, following after own ways and not His. The deceiver has rushed in and filled us full of promises if we play and live by his rules..... and we are lost.
How very important it is for us to become the messangers of the RuleMaker! There are people in our lives who can never trust and obey Him unless we take up the call to share His Word with them.
The Greek word for to obey is "peitho"..."to persuade, to win over." The "obedience" suggested is not by submission to authority, but resutling from persuasion.
"Peitho" and "pisteuo", "to trust" are closely related etymologyucally; the difference in meaning is that the former (peitho) implies the obedience that is produced by the latter (pisteuo) . In other words, obedience is produced by trust.
The disobedience of the Israelites is said to be evidence of their unbelief:
And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Heb 3:18-19
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Faith is a matter of the heart and is invisible to men.
Obedience is a matter of conduct and may be observed.
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When we obey God, we give the only possible evidence that in our hearts we believe God.
Persuasion of the truth leads to faith. When we are persuaded a thing is true then we have faith; something does not become true because we have faith.
Trust the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
I will wait for the LORD,
who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.
Isa 8:17
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation
Isa 12:2
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
Isa 30:15
The LORD is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
Na 1:7
Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light
John 12:36a
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
John 14:1
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13
"I will put my trust in him."
Hebrews 2:13a
They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
Psalm 22:5
In that day they will say,
"Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Isa 25:9
The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Romans 10:8-14
I want those beautiful feet, don't you?
Father, give us a burning desire to Trust and Obey. let our ears be tuned to Your voice only and may Your Words drown out any lies and false promises of the enemy. Help us see the need for Your Word in the world around us, and may we be eager, faithful bearers of the Truth!
Give us a new flame by your Spirit that we cannot be quenched by cares of today or worries or fears.
Fill us with your joy and peace so we are overflowing with your hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we experience Your strength as we seek it in quietness and trust in You and You alone.
Forgive us for the times we have trusted in other things and other people, and we praise You for using even those time to grow us and point us to You. May we experience the "beautiful feet" of those who bring Good News!
In Jesus' precious name I pray,
Amen.
Copyright 2001 Glenda Bell
