Trust takes time
Monday, July 14, 2014
Linda Rose Ingrisano
The key to spiritual freedom that I will be talking about this week is the key of trust. Remember, by spiritual freedom I mean the ability to “act” on God’s ways, not “react” from ours. These keys are tools to help with that process.
Like the perfect diamond, trust is crystal clear, harder than steel and flawless. One who trusts the Lord sees through their daily trials as if they were transparent. Through those trials they see the Lord’s abiding love. They see that trust in Him is perfect, flawless, and they are not easily broken.
But trust, in my experience, takes time: 30 long years, in my case!
When I came to the Lord 30 years ago, I delved into Scripture. I was so hungry for God’s words. At that time I was walking through one of the hardest trials of my life: I gave birth to a son who had multiple heart defects and I was told that he would die before he was 5 months old. In my sorrow and striving, I turned to Scripture - to God - or some sense to all of this. Little by little I had enough faith to try God at his words: to trust, to stand firm on, to believe in, his words. To trust that his words were true. Words like: “Do not worry about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding (because his ways are not ours) will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As I read the Scripture, trusted his words to be true and acted on them, believed in them, trust grew in my heart. I used my “faith key” and made the decision, again and again, to believe in God’s ways, not mine. He blessed me with endurance, wisdom, hope, peace and that blessed assurance that he was with me, understood me, cared for me, would heal me and be with me no matter what happened to my son. I actually got to the point, within my heart, where I knew that God loved my son more than I ever could and if he decided to take him home (heaven), I knew it was for my son’s good. I actually had peace about it.
As the years went on I accumulated a long journal of “God’s doings” in my life. By this I mean, I wrote down what was happening in my life - my joys, sorrows, hurts, praises, etc. Scripture reading became a part of my life, as I found answers in God’s word: hope, support, healing, joy, grace, counsel, guidance, and so much more.
I recorded all of it in my journals. It became journals of “God’s doings“ in my life – and a great gift to me. These “doings” are very valuable because when I doubt, when I look around and not up, when I act on my dysfunction, I have my journal. I look back and meditate on “God’s doings” to help me remember what God has done for me. It is then that I realize my God can be trusted. His words are true.
Prayer assignment:
Thank God that he is trustworthy. Think of a circumstance in your life where you need to trust God and read his word. Here are some scriptures that may assist you: Psalm 18:2, Psalm 25:1-2, Psalm 37:5, Psalm 143:5, Proverbs 3:5, Proverbs 30:5, Isaiah 26:30, John 14:1-3.
Comments from readers