Choose to Trust God - Carla D Burnette
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (AMP)
Do you find it challenging to trust God during seasons of waiting and testing? Maybe you tend to get frustrated while waiting and want to hurry God’s plans along? Or maybe you hesitate to obey when God asks something of you that makes absolutely no sense? I can relate to all of these situations.
Let’s continue our study of Abraham in the Bible to see how he responds. (If you missed part 1 of learning to trust when God calls us to leave our comfort zone, you can read it here.)
Season of Waiting
After waiting 10 years for the covenant promise of a son, Abraham and Sarah decide to take matters into their own hands. In Genesis 16, we read that Sarah gives her slave, Hagar, to Abraham as a wife. Sarah reasons she will have a family through Hagar (a common custom at the time to establish an heir for those unable to conceive). As a result, Hagar becomes pregnant and bears a son named Ishmael. Abraham and Sarah assume Ishmael fulfills the covenant promise of bearing a son. However, this isn’t God’s plan.
Genesis 16:12 (ESV) describes Ishmael in the following manner, “‘He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’”
From this verse, we see that Ishmael will live in opposition with his future brothers, the Israelites. Thus, Abraham and Sarah, along with their future descendants, will experience conflict and tension with Ishmael, due to interfering with God’s plan. Yet, in spite of their interference, God was faithful to His promise. He enabled Sarah to conceive a son 15 years later, which was an absolute miracle, since Sarah was past the age of childbearing (Genesis 18:11).
May Abraham and Sarah’s example serve as a warning to us when we consider assisting God with His plans. Instead, let’s remember the faithfulness of our God and lean upon Him. He will strengthen and comfort us, while we wait for His plans to enfold. His timing is always perfect, for our omniscient and omnipotent God knows what is best and has everything under His control.
Time of Testing
After experiencing God’s miraculous power, Abraham’s trust in God deepens considerably. So when God asks him to sacrifice Isaac, the son of the covenant promise, Abraham responds in obedience without hesitation (Genesis 22). This request makes absolutely no sense, but Abraham does NOT rely on his own understanding. He fully trusts God at this point and believes nothing is impossible for Him. In fact, Abraham surmises God will raise Isaac from the dead and still fulfill the covenant promise (Hebrews 11:19). Abraham’s willingness to obey proves his love for God, and that he trusts with all of his heart. Thankfully though, God prevents Abraham from sacrificing his son at the last minute.
Will you trust like Abraham even when God’s request doesn’t make any sense? Perhaps God is testing you to see if you will trust Him, as He did with Abraham (Genesis 22:1). When the Lord asks something of us, may we humbly obey out of love for our Lord.
Whatever situation we are facing, we have a choice to trust God or not. When we choose to trust, we learn to rely on Him more and more. Then, as we begin to see His faithfulness, our trust in Him will deepen. We see this in Abraham’s life, and the same can be true for us. Let’s choose to trust God.
Father, You are always faithful. Help us to wait for Your plans to come to fruition, instead of growing impatient and wanting to interfere. Remind us that Your timing is always perfect, and that You are working on our behalf, even though we cannot see You doing so. We desire to trust You with all of our hearts and not rely on our own understanding. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Comment below on:
- Are you currently waiting on God? Please share
- Have you interfered with God’s plans and experienced consequences because of it?
Additional Scripture References:
Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV), “Ah, Lord God! It is You who have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for You.”
Psalm 27:14 (ESV), “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
Isaiah 26:3 (CSB), “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.”
Romans 4:19-21 (CSB), “He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead (since he was about a hundred years old) and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, He was also able to do.”
