Trust

Intro: This New Year, if we trust God with every fiber of our being, we will be amazed what God can do for and through those who put their complete trust in Him. What God can accomplish in and through you and I is proportional to how much we trust and depend on Him. Trust means “reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, of a person,” in this case God.

I. Blessed are those who trust only in God. Psalms 40:4 (NKJV) Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

a. In the first three verses of this chapter God had helped David out of an extremely horrible situation. David had not looked to those who were arrogant or those who had turned from the true God to idols, but he instead trusted only in God for his help. God alone had lifted him out of the horrible pit he was in and set his feet on solid ground. God had given him a new hymn of praise to sing to God and others would see and hear what God had done for David and they would also put their trust in God for the help they needed. Only God can meet all our needs!

II. Trust God in your adversities. Psalms 56:3-4 (NKJV) ³ Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. ⁴ In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

a. To what degree do you trust God when you are going through very difficult and hard times? Some fail miserably here while others are at their best in tough times. David said when he was afraid he would trust in only God and His word. How much time do you devote to reading, studying, and meditating on God's word? God's word tells us not to fear, but instead trust totally in Him and His promises. Only God has the power to deliver you from whatever you are facing or that you will have to face in the future. David said when he trusted in God, there was nothing man or the situation could do to him. When you trust completely in God, He is in charge of everything.

III. Trust God at all times. Psalms 62:8 (NKJV) Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

a. Difficult times can jolt you into awareness of your need for God, whereas smooth sailing can lull you into a stupor of self- sufficiency. You begin to trust in self and others more than God, thinking you don't need Him. This verse says that we are to trust in God at all times. When life is flowing smoothly, people have a tendency to forget God? How about you? Do you forget about God when everything is going good? Do you forget to pray and read God's word? This aspect of your trust is more telling than when you have a problem. God cares as much about our tiny trust-steps thru daily life as He does our dramatic steps of faith. You may think no one notices, but the One who is beside you daily sees everything and rejoices at your trust in Him. We are to pour out our hearts to Him every day in prayer as we build ourselves up in our faith and trust of God during the good times so we will be better prepared for whatever comes, in full and complete trust in God and His ability to carry us through because God is our refuge, shelter from all the storms of life.

IV. Trust in God brings perfect peace. Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT) ³ You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you God! ⁴ Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD, (Yahweh-He who creates or causes to be) is the eternal Rock.

a. We can trust completely in God because He is our Eternal Rock. He is immovable! No one else but the immovable Rock, “the Rock of Ages,”can give us lasting peace for the soul.

It was from this expression that Augustus Toplady got the idea for one of the greatest hymns in the English language, “Rock of Ages.” Seeking shelter in a cleft in a rocky crag during a violent thunderstorm, he wrote this hymn. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. Consistently trusting in God and keeping our thoughts fixed on Him is vital to a flourishing intimate, rewarding, and peaceful relationship with God all year long, serving Him with joy.

Invitation: Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Have you asked Him to forgive your sins and save you from Hell? If not now is the time the bible says in 2Cor. 6:2!