Faith: Part 2 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. This week we’re talking about faith and what it means, and we’ve seen that the word we translate faith in the Old Testament of the Bible comes from a Hebrew word that has rich meaning in it. It actually has four ideas all wrapped up in that one word, faith.

Those four ideas are:

To rely on God.

To trust in God.

To obey God.

To cling to God.

Yesterday we looked at relying on God, and we rely on him because of what he’s done, how dependable he has been, so we can depend on him.

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Today we want to look at trust, trusting God.

What’s the difference between relying on someone and trusting someone? Well, you rely on someone who’s reliable. They have that track record. They have the capability you need, but you trust someone because you believe in the person. You believe in their character, their integrity.

Their motives, you see, you rely on someone simply because they’re reliable, but you trust someone based on relationship. So you might say, I rely on my mechanic to fix my car, but I trust my friend with my secrets.

Listen to what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 17, starting in verse 7 in the Bible.

He says thus says the Lord, Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. You see, trust is a heart thing.

That person who turns away from the Lord is like a shrub in the desert shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness in an uninhabited salt land.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when the heat comes, for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

Well, you know, when you open up your heart to truly trust God, that is, to trust His character, to trust that His intentions toward you are good, to trust His love, listen, even when you don’t understand what’s going on in your life.

When you trust God, then your inner life will thrive, even when your body is sick or when you’re grieving over the death of someone you love. Trust God. Listen to Psalm 56 in the Bible.

The psalmist writes, Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me all day long an attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly. And when I’m afraid, I put my trust in you, in God, whose word I praise. In God I trust, I shall not be afraid.

You see how trust is the antidote to fear because it’s rooted in relationship, not in circumstances. I trust God.

He goes on, What can flesh do to me? All day long they injure my cause. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife. They lurk. They watch my steps as they have waited for my life. For their crime, will they escape in wrath cast down the peoples, O God, you have kept count of my tossings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. And then he comes back to this expression of trust. This I know that God is for me.

In spite of all that’s happening, in spite of all these people against Him, in spite of all his struggles. He trusts in God’s intentions – I know that God is for me. In God whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Are you trusting in God’s character, His good intentions towards you today?

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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