The first dictionary definition of the English word "trust" is: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing ; confidence. Further down in the list is another short word that carries great weight - Hope. To trust God then would be to rely on His integrity, His strength, His ability, His surety and having confidence that He is able to be and to do what He says.
Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."
Why is it so much easier to trust when things are going well? If everything is rosy then it is so simple to praise the Father for His mercy and grace. So much easier to testify to His goodness and His provision. On the days of plenty, hallelujahs are free flowing. The problem is that we all have days, weeks, months or even years of difficulty. Jobs are lost. Loved ones, or ourselves, suffer illness. Money is tight. Every second seems like an eternity as we pray and wait for the Lord's answer to our situation. We wait to be rescued from whatever situation we find ourselves or to be shown the right way to go.
I am reminded of the song "I Beg Your Pardon, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden." In all of God's Word, nowhere does He promise us a life free of worry or problems. In fact, He tells us quite the opposite. We are assured there will be hard times. We are even assured of persecution. But He tells us over and over and over how very much He loves us and that we are His children. He tells us not to worry but to TRUST Him. As our Creator. God and Father, He knows what we need before we do and has already made provision for whatever it is. However, His timing is not our timing, so we must wait upon Him and trust that the answer will arrive at the appropriate time.
My favorite verse in scripture comes from my favorite chapter in scripture. Psalm 139, in the second part of verse 16 says, "all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." He gave me those words during a particularly challenging part of my life when it was extremely hard to see how anything would ever be any better. I can't describe the hope they brought, and still bring today. If all the days of my life were recorded in His book before I even existed, then He has always been aware of the struggles of today and they have already been provided for. I can't think of a more encouraging reason to trust Him than that.
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