Faith - Trust

#Faith - Trust

Life creates challenges. These challenges are opportunities to learn to trust God and to show that we ourselves are trustworthy to God.

What does the Bible say about faith and trust? -

1. Trust in Crisis - Psalms 56:2-4
2. Challenging faith - Hebrews 11:24-26
3. Trust to love - 1 Peter 1:21-22
4. Trust is tested - Luke 16:10-12
5. Trusting friendship - Philemon 1:8-18

Trust in crisis

Psalms 56:2-4

I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, and many are boldly attacking me.
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What are the emotions felt by the writer?
2. How does trust in God help the writer move forward?
3. What would it mean for you to trust in God?

Thoughts to consider

God is invisible making trust complicated. The way we trust is by how we see God fulfil his promises and how we have experienced his faithfulness in the examples of others or our own lives.

Challenging faith

Hebrews 11:24-26

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. How would Moses’ stand have effected his adoptive family relationships?
2. According to the writer, what was Moses motivation?

Thoughts to consider

When we choose to trust the invisible God, we inevitably choose to let go of visible rewards and look for God to reward us through what is not seen or not yet seen.

Trust to love

1 Peter 1:21-22

Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What are the steps between God showing how trustworthy he is and our trusting him?
2. How can God help us love others from the heart? Why would that require us to trust God?

Thoughts to consider

In order to trust God completely, I have to know what he is like and what choices he makes. As I come to know him, I start to treat others as he did. That is costly and I need the assurance that he will back up that cost.

Trust is tested

Luke 16:10-12

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Questions for reflection or discussion

1. What does Jesus say about determining trustworthiness of a person?
2. This asks questions of those who want us to trust them, and of our own trustworthiness. How practically can trust be established?

Thoughts to consider

Trust is not automatic. It needs to be proven through small things before one knows to trust for bigger things.

Trusting friendship

Philemon 1:8-18

That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.

I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus. I became his father in the faith while here in prison. Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my own heart.

I wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf. But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I wanted you to help because you were willing, not because you were forced. It seems you lost Onesimus for a little while so that you could have him back forever. He is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.

Questions for reflection or discussion

There are three characters involved here, Paul is sending Onesimus a runaway slave back to his master Philemon. (In those days, slavery was an everyday part of life and expected by the rich.)

3. What trust is being shown or expected by each of the three characters?
4. What is the basis of the trust?
5. How much is being asked of those who are being trusted?

Thoughts to consider

Onesimus had already proven untrustworthy in having run away from Philemon. There must have been significant change for Paul to now trust him to return freely to his old master. There was no means of controlling any of the hoped for outcomes. It is believed by many that Onesimus not only proved himself, and went on to become a leader of the church.

Overview question for reflection or discussion

1. How is trust in God tied together with love for people?
2. How is the expression of our love affected by the extent to which we trust a person?

Thoughts to consider

God only entrusts to us what he thinks we can handle. Great wealth, great poverty, success and failure all test a person’s trustworthiness. Just as the Lord tests us with small things before entrusting great things, it is good to be sure of people before entrusting much or asking much.

Photo Credit

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash