Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Do you Fully Rely On God (F.R.O.G.)? Trust is a hard thing to learn. It would seem there is no reason to believe that anyone would come through on a promise made. Doubt sneaks in and convinces us that it is unlikely they will do it so why believe? Trust usually has to be earned. When there is a consistent pattern of promises made and promises kept, we begin to trust.
In the Book of Proverbs, we are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart and not follow what we think is right. Like a good parent with full knowledge of a situation, the Lord knows the best course of action. He will lead you in ways that will build you up. History has proven His plan for you is one for your good.
How do we Fully Rely On God (F.R.O.G.)? God says “I will never leave nor forsake you.” Should we believe Him? What proof do we have? At bad times in our lives, don’t we feel terribly alone? Was Jonah alone when swallowed by a great fish? Was Moses alone when the Red Sea was parted? Was David alone when he fought Goliath? In 1 Samuel 17, David explains why he is willing to face Goliath in battle. It says “37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.””…… 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17 NKJV) David trusted in the Lord. He knew Scripture and remembered all the times the Lord had saved others. He recounted all the times The Lord had saved him from the lion and the bear. David fully relied on God. That is why he was called a man after God’s own heart! He had evidence enough to put his trust in the Lord. Beside the Bible, don’t you have evidence also? I do! There were many times where things went in my favor that were inexplicable. Divine Providence guided me. The Glory of the Lord was upon me. There was no other explanation.
What does it mean to Fully Rely On God? Is it without doubt? Can we do it completely? Does it mean you are to sit back and wait while God does all the heavy lifting? In my experience, it is a process. I don’t think I have ever fully relied on God yet but I am working in that direction. I am learning to do what I can and when I have done all I think I can, to lay the outcome at the foot of the Cross. Some people call it “Let go and let God!”. Each time you try to trust, it will get better. It is like the team building exercise where you have to fall backwards into the arms of your teammates believing that they will catch you. It is scary but you learn to trust. If you trust God for the small things, He will give you bigger and bigger things as your trust grows.
Jesus has come. He has been born. So far, He has appeared as a helpless baby but He will grow in wisdom and stature and will offer Himself as your Savior. To be redeemed, you will have to trust Him. You have the gift of hindsight and the Bible. Hopefully, you know the whole story of His coming and sacrifice on your behalf. He has made the offer and will return to draw, to Himself, His own. Will you trust Him? Will you Fully Rely On God?
Lord Jesus, we want to trust you but it is hard. The forces of this world throw up doubt in our path. Help us to keep our eyes focused on you. When we draw back in fear, send us Your Comforter to help us through. You said You would never leave nor forsake us. Remind us of Your presence in the midst of our trials. And then, remind us of all the blessings You have already poured out upon us and let us be grateful! In Your name we pray! Amen!