Who do you trust? (Hebrews 11:1)

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:1 (TM)

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see.

STORY:

One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."

OBSERVATION:

Who do you trust? That is kind of a fundamental question in life isn’t it? All relationships are built on the foundation of trust. Married couples have to trust each other or the relationship breaks down. Children need to be able to trust their parents – could this be why a child will run to their parent when they get hurt? That trust level is fundamental until proven otherwise. Once the trust has been broken it is hard to mend.

We’ve learned to trust God because God has proven to be faithful over the long haul. As in any relationship trust begins with the simple, not very important things. A child learns this from the earliest moments in their life. They become hungry and cry out in the night. Who shows up? A parent. They are feed. Trust begins. They are uncomfortable about being wet or dirty. They cry out. The same parent shows up. Trust is strengthened. They get hurt and who kisses it to make it better… all a matter of trust.

The same is true about our relationship with God. Over time we’ve discovered the truth that God is always faithful and can be trust. If an individual hasn’t experience these relationship building realities then it is hard to convince them that God can be trusted. A person cannot be argued into a relationship with God. It is more fundamental than mere words or logical progression through some biblical passages.

So how can they develop an understanding that God is trustworthy? Through witnessing a believer’s journey through difficult times. As they observe how a follower of Christ deals with life’s challenges the learning and discovery takes place… and slowly trust begins to take root.

As each of us face difficult situations today remember this one thing – Others are watching to see whom it is we trust.

PRAYER:

Gracious God, sometimes we doubt, but that is okay because you continue to be there when the clouds of doubt disappear. Help us to bear witness to trust that we have in you… and may the trust level of others be strengthened because of our witness.