TRUST: A Challenging Word, Indeed. How I’m doing in 2023.

TRUST. In December last year, when God gave me the word “trust” for 2023, I knew there would be challenges on my journey this year. However, the question lingered: “How much trust would He require of me?”

Before going too far, I wanted to research synonyms for trust. I will highlight some concerning my relationship with God in this post. See if you can point them out as you read. I have every confidence that you will be able to do just that.

Blind Trust

I am not referring to something found at your local financial institution. No, Blind trust or better known as faith, is believing without seeing. (Hebrews 11:1) One of my favorite prophets in the Bible is the prophet Elijah. His battle against the 450 prophets of Baal is the stuff that legends are made of. He called fire down from heaven, and it licked up everything! The water-soaked wood on the altar, large rocks making up the altar, and even the water in the trench around the altar too! (See 1 Kings 18:18-40)

This story from the Bible inspires me every time I read it! Can you imagine the faces of everyone who witnessed the power of God at that moment? Amazing! Consequently, the Bible reminds us in James 5 that Elijah was human like you and me. We, too, can experience the same power of prayer in our lives!

After his great triumph and killing all the 450 false prophets, Queen Jezebel promised to do the same to Elijah! When he got word of this, he ran and ran and ran some more! He was so exhausted and scared that he asked God to take his life once he finished running!

A word of warning. Sometimes when coming off those mountaintop moments, we are susceptible to attacks from the devil. So guard your heart and mind. Click To Tweet

Despite everything Elijah accomplished, God sometimes asked him to trust Him. Before the victory on Mount Carmel, God led Elijah to a tiny brook in Cherith during a three-and-a-half-year drought! God sustained Elijah as ravens brought him food every morning and every night. After the stream dried up, God directed the Jewish prophet, Elijah, to a Gentile widow for sustenance. This widow and her son were almost near death as she was preparing their last meal.

Genuine Faith

Elijah continued to live with the assurance that God was watching over him despite the harsh and challenging circumstances. So often, it is easy for us as Christians to begin to question and sometimes even doubt God. Our saving grace is the faithfulness of our Lord. He is not fickle. Nor is He surprised by the unexpected things that occur in our lives.

God sometimes uses trials, tests, and tribulations for our benefit. He wants us to realize our desperate need for and dependence on Him. So, I ask you this question. What is your confidence level in God?

Do you honestly believe His Word? His promises? Are you willing to trust Him will ALL your heart? If the answer is no. My second question is, why not? What has God done to diminish your confidence in Him?

Is your faith in God truly genuine? Do you try “workarounds” instead of waiting on Him? That is a lack of faith which is not only hurtful toward God but disrespectful of the Creator. He made you and everything that exists in this world. You have to be willing to trust God will ALL of your heart.

 

Trust can be Hard!

I speak from experience regarding the challenges of trusting God. Earlier this year, I wrote a post about embracing the opportunity of a New Year. Check out this quote.

As some of you may know, endurance was my “word” for 2022, and boy, was it a doozy! I embraced the word for the first three-fourths of the year and fell apart emotionally. I took my eyes off Jesus and began to worry and wonder. My mind overflowed daily with “what ifs?” and “what nows?”

At that point in my life last Fall, I had lost all desire to write and create. I did not even record a podcast for months! BUT GOD.

God, in His infinite grace, saw my struggles and sent me a sign that it was time to pull myself out of this river of discouragement, heading toward despair. God’s purpose for me had not gone away. He still wanted me to write for His glory and encourage people in the Lord. He even brought about an opportunity that prompted me to write again!

God wasn’t done. He reunited me with an old friend who could help and dissuade the fears strangling my mind. She offered help, encouragement, and the joy that I needed in my life. This was indeed a blessing from God.

During challenging times trusting God is not always easy. However, thankfully we have a God who is faithful, and His compassion never fails to comfort us. When you experience God’s faithfulness, your trust in Him is renewed and stronger than ever!

 

Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for His compassion never fails. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. The LORD is good to those whose HOPE is in Him, to the one who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:22-23, 25.

So, is your hope in the Lord and Him alone? Is your faith in Him genuine, or are you trusting in other things instead? A spouse? Your job? The government? Your finances? If you want to have genuine faith, God must be the object of your faith. It is through His Son, Jesus, that you have access to our heavenly Father. So, put your complete trust and faith in Him.

 

Benefits of Trusting God.

Peace. Joy. Hope. Love. These are just a few life-giving words that come to mind as benefits of trusting God. Despite the inspiration to write again, challenges have littered my path. Some have been physically painful and mentally exhausting. However, I am pressing forward with confidence in a God who is faithful. He is my HOPE. It is not about me or my agenda, my deadlines, or my goals. It’s about trusting God, knowing His purpose will be accomplished in His perfect timing.

The great news is that you will soon be able to reap some of the benefits of my trusting in God! Lord willing, a Study Guide will be published in the coming weeks as a follow-up to my award-winning inspirational book on the power of prayer!

I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! If you want to dig deeper and look honestly at your prayer life, this book is for you! I offer words to encourage you how to pray more effectively. The guide is also filled with prayer prompts to help you talk to God purposefully.

Finally.

I hope what I’ve shared encourages you to continue persevering in the New Year. There is still time to accomplish everything God has planned for you. Are you willing to trust Him? Are you ready to serve Him and seek Him with all your heart? If so, get ready. Stay focused. Keep working and let God take care of everything else.

FAITH is a word of ACTION. So keep pressing forward in 2023, and get ready to see God at work in your life!FAITH is a word of ACTION. So keep pressing forward in 2023, and get ready to see God at work in your life! Click To Tweet

And when you experience God’s blessing, share with someone and encourage their heart to TRUST in God.

 

Keep trusting Him,

 

Horace Williams Jr.

 

 

Finally, after years of anticipation, Horace Williams Jr has written and published a follow-up to his award-winning book on the power of prayer. He hopes to encourage, inspire, and challenge readers to take an honest and reflective look at their prayer life. From his life experiences, Horace understands that purposeful and powerful prayer enhances and develops your relationship with God. There truly is power in prayer.