Sabbath Thought - Trust

The last employment position I had in the corporate world involved the creation of product catalogs.  One of the primary responsibilities in that position was to oversee the final printing of the company catalogs.  On the last printing trip I was doing for the company before resigning my position, I had traveled to western Tennessee to print the main catalog.  Everything went well, and at the end of the week I drove back to Nashville to catch my flight home.  After the takeoff the captain came on the intercom and mentioned that the flight would get bumpy on the way into Providence because we would be following a storm front moving through New England.  As we got about 30 minutes away from Providence (my destination) the flight became increasingly turbulent.

The seatbelt sign had been illuminated for some time, but people being people, there were some who thought it not necessary.  Their minds were changed suddenly when the plane dropped in the sky without warning.  The plane had passed through a sudden downdraft, and we dropped with enough speed that there were a couple of people who banged their heads on the overhead compartments. 

In spite of the statistics of how safe airplane travel is, no matter my understanding of the physics involved - my trust in flying had been shaken.  Trust is a precious commodity.  Have you ever had your trust shaken, or even broken?  A breach of trust wounds us deeply.  This is why divorces tend to be so acrimonious.  This is why court cases can become so angry.  This is why friendships or relationships can be ended with such finality.

Do we - who call ourselves Christian and His first-fruits - have confidence and comfort in God?  It is easy to say we do, but Satan will regularly challenge us so we might not have that confidence or comfort.  What is God working out in each of our lives, in His Church, and even in world events?  Our trust can be challenged when we are faced with putting our complete confidence in God - especially when we don't have a picture of what He is doing.  We are flying along like I was years ago on that flight when suddenly the bottom drops out of our life.  Do we still trust God?  We can think we do in our heart, but our head wants solid assurances and foreknowledge.

A big part of what unsettled me during that turbulent flight years ago is that while approaching our landing it became very dark.  It was late afternoon, but in that storm it was as if it was nighttime.  I couldn't see what was going on - I could only feel the turbulence.  How often are we like that spiritually?  We can't see what is going on - we only feel the turbulence.  Do we trust in God that all things will work together - especially when we can't see how things will work to the good (Romans 8:28)?

There is no situation we can find ourselves in that God cannot deliver us out of.  Faith in God is simply belief (trust) in Him while acting on His instruction (James 2:17-20).  God is refining, purifying and sifting His people, and working out His purpose.  Will we trust Him?  God has given us a measure of His Spirit and begotten us as His Children.  His good pleasure is to give us His Kingdom.  Will we serve Him? Will we wait on Him?  Will we trust Him?  Will we stand like Joshua and say, "...my house will serve the Eternal..." (Joshua 24:14-15)?

Remember what the upcoming Day of Pentecost pictures.  Remember God's promises to those who obey Him.  Trust in him like the faithful recorded in Hebrews 11, and those 120 on Pentecost 31AD - and watch everything change.

I wish you a wonderful Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

22 May, 2020