A New Day: Trust in God
A New Day - March 23, 2020: Trust in God
One of the first scripture verses I learned was Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. (ESV) Each Bible my parents and Sunday School teachers gave me contained certain verses in the front of my gift, and Proverbs 3:5-6 was a frequent passage. I suppose they wanted to be certain I placed my trust in God and not in man.
Trust in the Lord. Trust not in man.
I am still on the journey of learning to place my whole trust in God. Perhaps you are as well. My own journey is filled with times of stepping off that pathway of trust in God, and placing my trust in someone or something else. Of course, that decision has led to disappointments. About thirteen years ago, a colleague stepped into my office to caution me not to place my trust in a man. Unfortunately, I did not heed my colleague’s wise counsel, and, one year later, ended up disappointed. Sorely disappointed.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. (Psalm 118:8)
But, with every mistake I have made, God has proven himself faithful, never abandoning his child. God has proven himself completely trustworthy, even when I … lean on my own understanding. Thankfully, hard lessons learned include a deeper trust in God, even as the roots of my faith have grown deeper and stronger.
A Swedish hymn Mary and I have sung on occasion, and one I have led congregations to sing is Day by Day, and with Each Passing Moment.
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here.
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day the Lord himself is near me,
with a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares he fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and power.
The protection of his child and treasure
is a charge that on himself he laid;
As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,
this the pledge to me he made.
Help me then in every situation
so to trust thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
offered me within thy holy Word.
Help me, then, when toil and trouble meeting
e’re to take as from a Father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting
‘till I reach the promised land.*
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)
With all that is currently going on, it’s easy to take our eyes off of God, and focus on the problems that are all around us. The local, national, and global news leaves all of us with anxious minds and hearts. However, the many promises of God are for those who place their trust in him and not in circumstances or others. As our pastor reminded us yesterday in his sermon from the first chapter of Joshua: God never revokes his promises; God gives his children his divine Presence through the Holy Spirit; and, those who follow God’s word are given God’s provision.
My worship mentor, Bruce Leafblad introduced me to the seventeenth-century Christian classic, Practice the Presence of God, in which the author, Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) describes the process of finding joy in God’s divine company. Below are some quotes from Brother Lawrence’s book:
There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful,
than that of a continual conversation with God;
those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it.
Think often on God, by day, by night, in your business and even in your diversions
He is always near you and with you; leave him not alone.
The Apostle James reminds us to Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8a)
The nineteenth-century hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee, is the hymn a string ensemble was reportedly playing as the Titanic was sinking, to offer comfort to the frightened passengers.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee! E’en tho’ it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all may song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee.*
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you;
he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
(Deuteronomy 31:8)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
One of the best known and most beloved hymns is Horatio Spafford’s It Is Well with My Soul.* Today, let’s place our trust completely in God for all circumstances: sickness, anxieties, relationships, material possessions and provisions. At the end of this day, I pray we can all say - and sing with the hymn writer: It is well with my soul!
God bless you, and have a good day!
Paul
Psalm 121
© Paul R. Magyar, 2020
*Day by Day, Caroline V. Sandell-Berg, 1832-1903, tr. A. L Skoog, 1856-1934
*Nearer, My God, to Thee, Sarah F. Adams, 1805-1848
*It Is Well with My Soul, Horatio Spafford, 1828-1888, arr. Rene Clausen, b. 1953
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