Have you ever wrestled with the Lord in a spiritual sense? What did the Lord teach you through that encounter? Often times when we wrestle with the Lord, it is about trust. Will I trust or betray Jesus? Too often, as humans, we want to rely on our own wisdom. Some of the greatest words of wisdom on trusting the Lord come from Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [1]
Jesus was Betrayed
The day before Jesus was crucified, lack of trust in Him would throw Judas into an eternal tailspin. John 13:21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”[2]
Judas was a disciple of Jesus and spent three years with Him. Can you imagine what it was like to be one of the 12 disciples? Yet, after all this time with Jesus, Judas betrayed Him! Why? He leaned on his own understanding and did not place his hope in what he could not see. He disobeyed God.
Where did this path lead Judas? Judas did not realize that disaster loomed. He betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. After Jesus was crucified, Judas did not ask God to forgive him, but instead hung himself.
Others Trusted the Lord
Depending on the Lord enables us to be teachable. Do you want to grow in being more teachable? Then begin to trust the Lord and His promises instead of yourself. Hebrews 11:1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.Noah and Abraham were people of great faith that was demonstrated by their actions. They trusted God when all human understanding would have told them not to. These men trusted instead of betraying God.
I love these verses from Hebrews because it shows us how important faith is. With the Lord’s help we can take that step of faith.
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.[3]
Trusting Jesus
I may not understand the path the Lord wants me to take or the importance of this path, but the Lord does. Will I trust or betray Jesus? In our own minds, our own ways are best. But we can’t see around the next bend in the river of life and are oblivious to the waterfall ahead. Fortunately, the Lord knows what is coming, and we must depend on Him to warn us.
Learning to depend on the Lord is humbling. In our sinful nature, we often think we know more than the creator of the universe. Our creator has amazing plans for us but for those to unfold we must trust that the Lord knows best. Where in your life is the Lord calling you to trust in Him?
Prayer
O God, my Strength, I put my trust in You. You have never forsaken those who seek You and You have never let me down. I know that You never will let me down because my life so far has been a testimony of Your greatness. Mold me into Your image and hold me close to You. Show me how to mature as a Christian and improve on my walk of faith. Steady my trust in You so that it never wavers, no matter what battles I face on this earth. I declare that my faithfulness to You will be strong at all times. Amen.[4]
To hear more about the betrayals of Jesus, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-the-disciples
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] https://connectusfund.org/9-powerful-prayers-for-faith-and-trust-in-god