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"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act" (Psalm 37:5).
“The one thing that keeps us from the possibility of worrying is bringing God in as the greatest factor in all our calculations" (Oswald Chambers).
As we consider the numerous intersections in our lives between trust and worry, it is right to acknowledge that trust is hard, and worry is sin. Worry is a rejection of Christ’s help and your (eternal) happiness. It is common to us all because so often we erroneously anchor our lives to perishing contentments (Eccles. 1:2). Yet God’s Word instructs us that the pleasures of the flesh will never be enough and will always disappoint (Eccles. 5:10, Proverbs 23:4). Worry is a habit that creates ruts that are impossible to escape until the glorious revelation that you are not alone.
Trust is incredibly difficult because of its prerequisite: obedience. There may be seasons in our lives that we are proficient at trusting. But what happens when that thorn presents itself? Do we respond to our afflictions in a way that lets God make good of what Satan meant for evil (2 Cor. 12:7)? It certainly takes a noble level of commitment to trust when things get difficult or when we have to wait for uncertain news. It is precisely at those times that we should fasten our imagination to the Word that doesn’t rely on external circumstances. God’s Word is always there for our consumption, and it never changes. It is the way to rightly anchor ourselves to the King that created the mountains and rules over the waves (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Trust means focusing on what God says and taking captive those first reactions that turn to what we fear. When will I let myself hear that He will never fail me? The answer may be when I learn to first obey. It is our happiness to obey, just as it is our delight to worship; God doesn’t need anything from us. Our will can be powerful and victorious against temptations to disobedience when we let the Holy Spirit reveal these truths to us. Had Satan first reminded Eve of the joys of full obedience to God, she may not have made such a grave mistake in her choice. And so, we must remind ourselves to save the word obedience from our crafty enemy’s perverse definition of it in our culture.
The first step is to remember that you have always had a guide who perfectly loves. The orderly and divine relationship that obedience describes is not of master and servant but of Father and Son (John 6:38, John 17:22-23). Remember also your inability to govern yourself and the pit where your Good Shepherd found you. Trust what God’s grace can do for man because of what His grace has done for you. Commit, trust, and He will take care of the rest (Psalm 37:5). His Word tells us to be still and stop rejecting our own joy (Psalm 46:10). From there, the Holy Spirit will make sure there’s no room for worry.
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