Part 5 - Trusting In God

TRUSTING IN GOD BISHOP DAVID

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? v Faith is a New Testament word. It occurs only twice in the Old Testament. v The equivalent Old Testament word is “Trust”. v The word trust and its related forms occur more than 150 times in the Old Testament. v To trust means to believe, to have confidence in, to accept as true and reliable. v To trust in God means to believe in His divine attributes, and to have no doubt in Him. You can truly rely on Him. v Hope + Trust=Faith.

WHO AND WHAT DO WE TRUST? 1. We may trust ourselves (my knowledge, my intelligence, my talents, my relationships, my money (Mark 10:24)…etc.). 2. Other people (teachers & professors, doctors, pilots, friends…etc.). Psalm 146:3 3. Certain objects (my computer, my Car, my cell phone…etc.). 4. Technology ,e.g. Internet. 5. Who do you trust in your service, job, exams, marriage, family…etc.?

IN GOD WE TRUST- (The dollar bill).

WHO SHOULD WE TRUST? v Only God. He is the only one who is trustworthy, why? v We need to know some divine attributes so that we can help us appreciate why God is the only one who we can fully trust. v As limited and imperfect humans, we are always in search of that being who is perfect and without limit, and that is God. 4. God is “Omnipotent”- Luke 1:37. 5. God is “Omniscient”-John 21:17, especially future. 6. God is “Omnipresent”-Psalm 137:9. 7. God is all-wise- Romans 11:33-35. 8. God is all-loving-John 3:16. 9. God does not change- James 1:17; Psalm 89:34.

WHY THEN DO WE NOT TRUST IN GOD? v May be we do not believe in His attributes. v The devil inserts doubts in our minds. v Sometimes things do not go as we had hoped. (E.g. some people may say seeing is believing). v We may not see what future plans God has for us by faith, e.g. Joseph Genesis 50:20. v We may not understand God’s will for our life. v A major catastrophe may have occurred in our life that made us lose our trust in God. v The impact of atheism and post-modernism.

HOW CAN WE TRUST GOD You have to know God Through: The holy Bible. God’s dealings with other people. You have to experience God in your own life through: Your prayer life. Life of submission. John 4:39-42. How do you experience Christ in your personal life?? Who is He to you? An idea or a concept, or is He spirit and life? v You should know that the main point for God is your salvation, even if things don’t go as you wish. v 2. 3. v 5. 6. v v v

PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED GOD 1. v 4. v 7. v v v v v

Our father Noah Genesis 6:13, 17-22. Our father Lot Genesis 19:12-14. Our father Abraham Genesis 12:1-4. Sarah lost her faith and gave Abraham her servant Genesis 16:1&2. Our father Abraham trusted in God although there was no sign for the fulfillment of God’s promises (Genesis 17:1-8). God promises Abraham that he will have a son, but Sarah does not believe Genesis 18:9-15. God asks Abraham to offer his son Genesis 22:1-3. Heb. 11:17-19.

PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED GOD 4. Moses the prophet v God promised them a land that overflows with milk and honey (Exodus 3). v They spent 40 years in the wilderness because of their disbelief. (Exodus 17:1-3). v God’s promise was eventually fulfilled. 9. The most blessed virgin Saint Mary v Luke 1:34-38. v Luke 1:45. v The real challenge was that Saint Mary believed in something which never happened to anyone before. v Psalm 45:10. v Even the virgin suffered a lot in her life Luke 2:35.

PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED GOD 6. All the martyrs v The martyrs believed in the words of the Lord Jesus who said Matt. 10:28-30. 9. Saint Antony the great v He was the first monk. v He believed in the treasure in heaven Matt. 19:21. Ø A man trusted that God will provide for his family during time of inflation. “He made more expensive for Himself.”

FINAL COMMENTS 1. Trust God who is the only one who is absolutely trustworthy. 2. Trust God’s promises for He is the “Truth”. 3. Trust God even if things do not go as you had hoped. 4. Trust that God will always take care of your smallest matters if they go along with your salvation, however, we should seek first His kingdom.