Speak Out - Do You Trust Me?

Do you remember the scene from the Disney movie Aladdin when the young street rat-turned-prince is trying to woo his way into Princess Jasmine’s heart? She is standing outside of her palace bedroom on the balcony when Aladdin swoops in out of no where, tries to smooth talk her and essentially fails. Jasmine rejects the poor fellow and tells him to leave. Aladdin walks straight off the balcony, apparently plunging to his death. Guilt then sets in for Jasmine, and she calls him back. Miraculously, Aladdin pops his head back up over the balcony wall and takes Jasmine by surprise. She gives him a questioning look and he holds out her hand and asks her a single question, “Do you trust me?” Then, in a moment of what some may call craziness and what others may call blind trust, Jasmine reaches for Aladdin’s hand and steps over the balcony wall. She and
Aladdin are standing on the magic carpet, who then whisks them for a romantic evening in “a whole new world.”

I hope this isn’t a disappointment for you, but this article isn’t going to be about finding your future spouse by jumping off balcony walls. Actually, that wouldn’t be something that I recommend trying. What I would like to share with you guys is something that the Lord has been teaching me over and over the past year, and that is the issue of trust. Just as Aladdin asked Jasmine “Do you trust me?” the Lord has been asking me, “Sarah, do you trust Me?”

Webster defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something”. It can be further defined: “to permit to stay or go or do something without fear or misgiving; to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of”. As I’ve spent time with God in His Word, I’ve discovered that Israel’s entire history is a struggle of trusting the Lord. It goes back even farther than the 40 years in the wilderness, though. The Fall of Man itself can be seen as a lack of trust in God. “‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’’” (Genesis 3:1) Satan caused Eve to doubt God, to question whether or not He really knew what He was doing. She removed her trust in God and placed it instead in a deceptive little serpent, Satan. Throughout the Old Testament, the people of God questioned whether or not God really knew what He was doing. And for some reason, they always ended up deciding that He didn’t and that their plans were better anyways. A classic example of this is when the Israelites made a golden
calf while Moses was receiving the Law up on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 32). While Israel spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the Lord provided for their every need; they had food, water, and their sandals never wore out. Sadly, despite all of His provisions and blessings upon them, Israel seemed to always mess up by turning their back on God and trusting in false idols.

It’s so easy for me to read the historical stories in the Bible and think, “Israel! Why didn’t you get it?! Can’t you see how God continually provided for you? Why didn’t you just trust Him?” But then, as I look at my own life, I have to ask myself the same questions. There are days when I get worked up about my post-AFLBS plans and where the Lord is leading me; I start getting worried and wondering what in the world I’m going to do. Then, it’s almost as if God says to me, “Sarah! Why don’t you get it?! Can’t you see how I have continually provided for you? Why don’t you just trust Me?”

Trust is one of those things that it’s so much easier to say than it is to actually do. Many Scriptures have encouraged me to continually trust the Lord, with my plans for next fall as well as with the rest of my life. I’d like to share just a few of them with you:

“The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion’, says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.” – Lamentations 3:22-25

“Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him and He will do it. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him . . . The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the one who holds his hand.” – Psalm 37:4-5, 7, 23-24

Be encouraged, my friends. God knows what He is doing in your life and with your life, even if it doesn’t seem like it. It’s hard to wait in a state of being unaware, but sometimes, that’s what we’re supposed to do. Trusting God is something I think I will be learning my whole life, and it is my prayer that He will give me grace to trust Him more. Is God asking you right now, “Do you trust Me?” Trust Him, friends; trust Him. Reach out, take hold of His extended hand, and do what may be considered crazy by men. Remember, the LORD never let Israel down, and He won’t let you down either.

by Sarah Tonneson
originally posted February 2008