A Matter of Trust

Job replied to the Lord,
"I know that you can do anything.
No one can keep you from doing what you plan to do.
You asked me, 'Who do you think you are to disagree with my plans?
You do not know what you are talking about.'
I spoke about things I didn't completely understand.
I talked about things that were too wonderful for me to know.
"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak.
I will ask you some questions.
Then I want you to answer me.'
My ears had heard about you.
But now my own eyes have seen you.
So I hate myself.
I'm really sorry for what I said about you.
That's why I'm sitting in dust and ashes." (Job 42:1-6 NIrV)

Don’t you believe me? Don’t you trust me? Don’t you love me? Three simple questions we all hear in conversations every day in one form or another. We hear children asking them of their parents. We hear students questioning their teachers. We hear spouses inquiring of their mates. Can we hear God asking us (His people), the very same questions? The degree of our relationship with God is a matter of trust.

Like Job, we know of God and believe He exists. We have a personal relationship with Him and yet we still want control. We talk of His wonderful care and provisions, yet we still complain and covet at times (at least I do!). But if we, as Job was, would be summoned face to face with God, what could we possibly say? Much like the stiff-necked Hebrews, we too are more proud of whom we are in Christ rather than who Christ is! Similar to Paul (Philippians 3:5), our degrees, jobs, education, or social status mean absolutely nothing before the Creator God. Everything we have and everything we are is because of our God. In Him we have our very existence (Acts 17:28).

May we never boast with reference to anything but the cross of Christ! (Galatians 6:14)