Illogical Trust

For the past few weeks I have been wanting to write something, yet there were so many thoughts in my head and so much in my heart that I expected them all to explode into the paper in some sort of unintelligible shrapnel.

These past weeks through many hills and valleys there has been a common thread weaving its way through the fabric of my life...trust. Not trust in myself, not in my own abilities, not in people, friends, family but trust in my creator.

The first person I encountered in my awakening was Gideon. Basically at that time he was put in charge of saving the Israelites from the Midianites (big scary army of about 135000) But first he gets Gideon to cut his army down from the standing 32000. I wonder if Gideon at this stage is thinking...hmmm...ok surely the more people the better our chance of winning, especially seeing as we’re outnumbered already. So he says to them "Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home" and get this: 22000 (yes - no typo) leave. And then if 10 000 is not small enough, God cuts the army down to a meager 300. Seems impossible, yet Gideon trusts God. We have to remember at this stage that Gideon could not read ahead in the book of Judges to see the outcome as we can. From where he stood it didn’t seem the logical outcome looking at the odds, yet still he trusted God...and God was faithful to deliver him!

Then another person, Andy Stanley, has a series called "The best question ever" which is largley about wisdom and it got me to thinking about God’s wisdom. Sometimes God has these laws and requirements of us that we just don’t understand. Often in the past I have thought, "But why?" and something I have learnt is that it doesn’t matter. Think of it this way: As a parent or teacher we often have to stipulate and enforce rules on children. They have no clue why and seem to resist it, yet we in our maturity and experience know that it’s for their own good. See where I’m going with this. God is the ultimate and perfect father and knows what is good! So that is why I say we don’t always need the answer...we just need to trust that he knows best...which he does! There are some things that we can’t see or understand in our human logic and knowledge.

Then there are men and women I think about such as Noah, he built a massive boat even though there had never been any rain before, people must have thought he was losing his mind. Moses leading his people for so long and hitting a dead-end (so it seemed). Mary facing public ridicule...I’m sure a virgin birth didn’t seem credible to those around her. I could go on and yet with each person my words could not do justice to the faith they had and the complete trust they put in God.

In my own life the last trial I faced brought me to my knees. I didn’t like my circumstances and I couldn’t control them and I was faced with a choice: to either throw my hands up at God in question, or to choose to trust him even though I didn’t understand, which I really didn’t. These things aren’t always easy, yet God calls on us to trust him inspite of this. At that moment I just knew I would rather trust in the God who knows the number of hears on my head. The one that has been faithful to His people through the generations. The one who loves them so much He sent His son to die on a cross in their place. Yes, He is the only one worthy of it!
In all of these stories I have noticed a common thread, difficult circumstances, imminent failure according to human logic, weak human beings according to human standards...yet in every single story of trust, God’s faithfulness!

Lastly a verse that you probably already know, but hopefully you will look upon it with new eyes:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6