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Volume. XXIV, No. 32 Trust and Obey"Trust and obey-For there's no other way. To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey." All too often, we are guilty of singing the words to this familiar Christian hymn without giving them much thought. These important words convey exactly what the Bible teaches. The secret of spiritual happiness and blessing is simply trusting and obeying the Lord.
Many Christians have heard the phrase “trust and obey.” But, when the question is asked, they are better at explaining obedience than trust. Yet the two are deeply intertwined and interrelated. Why is it so? For example, would we obey a God whom we didn’t trust?
What then does it mean to trust God?
Trusting God means more than believing God exists. Trusting God is accepting the truth of the Scripture that God is our Maker and source of joy and peace. Trusting, therefore, simply means that when we have cast our burdens upon Him, we then have perfect confidence that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
The Bible is simply full of passages concerning “trust”. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.’ And Psalm 37:5-6, 40 tell us to: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noondays……And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
We need to learn to lean on God. He cares about everything that concerns us. He tells us to cast all our care over on Him and trust Him to take care of us. He wants us to pray about everything and place our trust in Him, totally surrendering ourselves to His care. We also need to learn to trust God by going through many experiences that require trust and by seeing His faithfulness over and over. Learn to trust in His will and purpose for your life. He had it all planned out from the beginning and He will watch over it until it all manifolds before your own eyes. All you need to do is wait on Him with patience and holiness. He will direct your steps accordingly. He will make your problem seem like a bad dream you had. His ways are perfect and so is His timing. In His time, He will make it happen for you.
When things are not working out as we would anticipate, we feel disappointed and often feel like God has forsaken us. You might be going through a tough situation, and you are wondering how God could have let it happen to you despite the fact that you serve Him with all your heart. Remember that all things work for good for those who trust in God, (Romans 8:28). Trust Him despite all that you are facing. He knows you can handle it and He will give you the victory over all the enemies you are fighting. He will make his glory evident in your life.
Do you think that God is so unfair that he would not actually reward you for your faithfulness in Him?
How are we to obey God?
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15
These words of our Lord Jesus Christ simply mean what He intended them to say. The meaning is obvious and simple. He teaches that obedience flows naturally from one who loves Him. Thus obedience from the heart is shown by wanting to do what God tells us to do. Our disobedience often leads to unhappy outcomes. Jonah disobeyed God’s order to go to Nineveh and was given 3 days to think about his choice – inside a big fish.
Obedience is the logical outcome of trusting. If we want the Lord to care for us, and protect us from our enemies, and provide for our needs, it stands to reason that we must obey His voice, and walk in the paths He marks out for us.
Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some form of disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a Christian.
We must learn to allow God to take the lead role in our daily lives so that we will see situations through His eyes and make wise choices. The deliverance may not always come in your own way, but it will surely come in God\'s way; and God\'s way is always the best way, and is the way we ourselves would choose. As we obey Him and stay within His limits, we will find true joy and lasting satisfaction.
God wants us to read His Word, of course. But more important, we need to obey the written Word of God. So as we open the Bible each day, we should not only pray for illumination to understand it but also for a willingness to obey it. Hearing and doing must go hand-in-hand as James 1:22 tells us “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
Obedience to God means to abide in Jesus and let Jesus and His Words abide in us according to John 15: 5 & 7 which say “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”(v.5) and “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”(v.7).
To abide in Jesus means to humbly seek Him first in all things, constantly depend on Him, trust in Him, and look unto Him for life and strength. To let Jesus and His words abide in us means letting the Lord and His Word control and direct our whole being, our hearts, minds, motives, and lives. It means letting the Lord live and manifest His life in us and through us.
Conclusion
Trusting and obeying God will lead us into the most thrilling life of victory and blessing we could ever imagine. If we want to enjoy God’s perfect plan, we will have to trust and obey our heavenly Father. When we are sincerely willing to trust and obey God, He will lead us on an exciting journey of learning to hear from Him every day of our lives. We draw near to Him as we spend time in His Word and in prayer. Time with God separates us from the world and brings us into His presence. He will give us understanding of His Word and He will speak to us through His Word. He will change us as we spend time with Him and we will begin to think differently, talk differently, and act differently.
As we yield ourselves to God, the Holy Spirit will constantly teach, enlighten and guide us. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. As we draw closer to Jesus each day, we grow to be more like Him and have less of our old selfish nature.
Dn Chiew Tan
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