In Australia today, we are continually being bombarded with information and “informed commentary” on many aspects of our lives, but rather than just listening and believing we need to be thinking, investigating the information ourselves.
What information can we trust, who can we trust? People and institutions can and do fail us.
I can remember when my daughter was not quite old enough to go to school, and I was talking to a friend under our pergola when from behind me I heard my daughter say, “catch, Daddy”. I spun around just in time to catch her as she jumped off the brick barbecue. It was pretty scary, but I learnt how much she trusted me. Trust plays a huge role in our lives — often we take it for granted.
We have varying degrees of trust in so many things and relationships. We trust when we flick the switch the light will come on, we trust the internet will work. We also trust in teachers at school, our families and our friends, often taking them for granted.
In Prov 3 5-6 we are told to “⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths.” Here God is reminding us he doesn’t suffer from human misunderstandings and we need to remember that for thousands of years people have been trusting their lives to him and seeing how trustworthy he really is.
It can be easy to just get caught up in going to school, or our work, or family and friends, and just having a good time, and not inviting God to work in all these situations — we can think we have it under control. Until something goes wrong.
Or we can feel overwhelmed or we are just so busy we don’t take time to pray to our loving God, giving him control of our lives trusting in his care of us, acknowledging our needs and allowing ourselves to rest in him. Reading our Bible.
The Bible is God’s word and we can learn and deepen our relationship with God as we read it. It is easy to dismiss it without having read it — start at the New Testament, give it a thorough investigation. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We listen and read about studies done by extremely intelligent, trained people and we often pass up the chance to read and learn from a loving God who wants to be part of our lives.
This week let us take the opportunity to trust God after making the effort to start studying his word.
Alan Corby
Pastoral care worker at River City Christian College and the Echuca Church of Christ
20°C