Trust is Foundational

This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture that rejects fear in any form. Fear is described as a spiritual force used by Satan to keep people down. Trust in God is emphasized as the antidote to fear. The example of Elijah's trust in God's provision during a drought is given. Trusting in God brings confidence, comfort, and peace. The importance of trusting in God and not being anxious is highlighted. Trust is described as relying on the character, strength, and truth of someone or something. Trusting in God is seen as wise and is commanded. Welcome to Fear No Fear. Grace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit embrace you today. This is a series of devotions and meditations on scripture. We reject fear in any and all forms. Fear is a spiritual force, the currency of darkness and ignorance. It's what we inherited when Adam gave up his faith and Satan uses it to keep people down. His only weapon is words. If he can get you believing or looking at words of fear, he's got you. Instead, we champion faith as an allegiance to God, as a belief and trust and loyalty to the Lord God Almighty. We accept the evidence of His word as unvarnished truth, as is, just as it's written. We get close to His perfect love through the word, and perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4.18 All scripture is taken from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Visit eBible.org Matthew 6.34 Therefore, don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient. Seatbelts. When we get into a vehicle, we use seatbelts, especially when we put our children in. We strap them in and make sure everything is secure. We wouldn't dream of heading out without them. But once they're on, we don't think about it anymore. We assume that they and we will be fine. We trust those seatbelts. Do you feel anxious? Do you have fear? Do you struggle with these things? Ask yourself where your trust is. Trust brings feelings of confidence. It brings comfort. Trust brings peace. Trust is very confident, guaranteed certainty, and total reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. One of the biggest weapons we have against fear and all its babies is trust. In the midst of the drought, Elijah was told to do something. Then the Lord's word came to him, saying, Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Kareth, that is before the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 1 Kings 17, 2-4. Ravens are social animals. They've been observed to be playful and will travel a long way to find food. But they also have a reputation for being one of the most selfish birds. It hasn't been observed in their behavior, however. Modern bird watchers report them as being empathetic to one another. They're a tame bird, and they don't shy away from people. It seems like they would be good companions. But to rely on them for bringing food, when this is behavior that is not seen in the wild, that takes trust. You know what takes more trust? Staying put. Now, on the one hand, Elijah had a great reason to stay put. He had issued a priestly command, and there was drought in the land. God was honoring his words. The king, Ahab, you know, that really, really, really evil king with the just-as-if-not-more-so evil wife Jezebel? Well, the king was not going to be happy with Elijah. Hiding out would then be a good thing. But he is staying in a recess of the Gilead uplands. It's a torrent bed or winter stream in Palestine is what Kirith is. The source of it would be in the hills, and it would be running down past vegetation like a gorge or a canyon, and then crossing the plain and connecting with the Jordan. It wasn't a raging river, but a stream, and one that was only really flowing in the winter months, drying up in the hotter summers. It was a rocky place. Some vegetation, not a bad hideout, but not somewhere you would want to stay. Water, but no food. But then Elijah had been told by Yahweh God that he would provide for Elijah, that ravens had been commanded to feed him twice a day with bread and meat. They came in the morning and in the evening. Well, actually, it's implied God told them to bring Elijah bread and meat, because that's what they brought. Going in, Elijah only knew they would bring food. Now, ravens are a bit of omnivores, but they rely a lot on insects and small things. He didn't have a reason to think they'd be bringing him people food, and it only would be if he went there. Had Elijah gone anywhere else, there might have been water, but there would not have been food. It kind of makes you wonder if he hadn't gone, there would have been a slowly growing pile of bread and meat in Carith. But the thing is that Elijah had a lot of opportunity for fear, for depression, for anxiety. There's a lot of unknowns in this situation, regardless of what he'd been told, but he chose instead to trust. Now, that's important, because the water ran out. There was a drought throughout the whole land, the whole region, not just Israel, but the whole region around there, and the water ran out. Elijah didn't. Verse 7 says, After a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Period. There's no mention of Elijah leaving or panicking. He would have been watching the water get less and less every day, regular raven service, but they weren't bringing cups and flasks, just the food. And then it ran out. And there he stayed. He trusted the Lord. He trusted, and so he didn't panic. He trusted, so he didn't get anxious. He trusted, and so he had no fear. Now, the trust was rewarded when he was given instructions. Verse 9, Arise and go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you. No problem, right? Except for, you know, like a couple of small things. First, Sidon was approximately 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, from where he was, through the country of the king, who didn't like him. Second, Sidon was a seaport on the Mediterranean. They were Phoenicians, and influential in the region. It was also the hometown birthplace of Jezebel, the wife of the king who didn't like him, and who herself didn't like him. Not only that, Jezebel was feverish in her desire to wipe out worship of Yahweh and supplant it with worship of her patron deity, the storm god Baal. So this wouldn't be a town at the top of his list of vacation spots. And third, Elijah hadn't been told which widow in this town that would help him. Stands to reason there would be more than one. It wasn't a small town. And none of which would be worshippers of Yahweh, so he wasn't going to meet them at synagogue. Baal worship was deeply entrenched in Sidon. Elijah went. There's no record of him humming and hawing. There's no evidence he argued and moaned. And he does that in other places of Scripture, but not here. And there's no record he waited. He packed up, grabbed a crust of bread for the road, and traveled 160 kilometers in a drought through the territory of his enemies, on foot, to the birthplace of a woman who hated him to find a widow who'd been told by the god she probably didn't believe in to help him. This was a perfect opportunity for anxiety and fear. Elijah showed only trust. He gets to the town, and hey! There's a widow gathering sticks. And she's willing to bring him some water. Pretty good in a drought. But when he mentions bread, she balks. Now, there's no evidence she was being stubborn. No evidence she was kicking against the grain. But it was a drought. And there would have been a lot of people who were looking for food. And we have no record of what God told her, or how he told her, or what she was looking for. But she just states some facts. She says, as your God lives. That's in verse 12. As an oath of her honesty. So she knew who Yahweh was. And her honesty was that she had just enough to feed herself and her son one last time. That was it. She was staring death in the face. But Elijah was armed with the word of the Lord. In verses 13 and 14, Elijah said to her, Don't be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But make me a little cake from it first. And bring it out to me. And afterward, make some for you and for your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, The jar of meal will not run out. And the jar of oil will not fail. Until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth. That is what she did. She trusted that word and made him bread. Then made herself and her son bread. And that is what they did for up to three years. Luke 4.25 and James 5.17. What's more, Elijah left her and went back into Israel to confront Ahab and end the drought. But she still got food. Verse 16. The jar of meal didn't run out. And the jar of oil didn't fail. According to the Lord's word which he spoke by Elijah. And that word, remember, was that she'd have it until the day that the Lord sent rain on the earth. She had food until the rain came. Not as long as Elijah was there. Until the rain came. She trusted. Elijah trusted. And they were provided for. She would have had opportunity to be anxious and fearful after Elijah left. But she had the word of the Lord. And she trusted. And it was solid. It happened. Until the rains came and food was flowing again. She had food. Granted, like in Carith, there wasn't a variety of food. When the world is starving, any food is wonderful food. Savored. Enjoyed. They trusted and were rewarded. What did Jesus say to us again? Therefore, don't be anxious for tomorrow. For tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Matthew 6.34. Don't worry. Trust. Another way to put that is trust and you won't be anxious. Trust is the key. Trust changes perspective. It isn't reliant on what you see around you. It isn't reliant on logic. It isn't reliant on facts you can prove. It is based on something deeper. It's based on character, strength, truth, and the ability of the thing being trusted to produce. Because of its character, strength, and level of truth. God has depthless character. Endless and abundant strength. And God is truth. We can trust Him. We should trust Him. And we are, in fact, commanded to trust Him. Trusting in the Lord is a wise thing to do. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. There will be health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3.5-8. Reverence of the Lord brings many things to us. Including health and nourishment. Because we prosper in the natural as we prosper in the spirit. 3 John 1.2 Trust in the Lord provides us with guidance. A path forward. A way out. Not one where we can't see the end either. But a straight path that clearly goes from where we are to where Jesus is overcome. John 16.33 Now it doesn't matter where the path leads. What's on it, what's around it, or what overshadows it. In the end we get to stand with Jesus in the victory that He won. Don't be afraid of sudden fear. Neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes. For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being taken. Proverbs 3.25-26 That last can also be translated as the Lord will be at your side and will keep your feet from being taken. When we lean on Him. Psalm 37.3-7 We will not stumble. He has a strong arm and broad shoulders. He will not fail. Trusting in the Lord is the only source of confidence that lasts in this world. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose confidence is in the Lord. For he will be as a tree planted by the waters. Who spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes. But its leaf will be green and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won't cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17.7-8 Like Elijah, the widow and her son, it is a confidence that won't be affected by drought. It won't matter the heat that is around you or the pressure or the chaos. It is the cross that we bear and we follow Jesus. The systems of this world, natural and man-made, will fail because they are not perfect systems. They can be balanced, worked out, functional, brilliant, and cyclical. But they can also all fail. They can topple. They can go wonky one way and eventually adjust. But have really bad things happening in the meantime. Jesus slept in a boat in the middle of a storm that was going to sink the boat and panicked a group of extremely experienced fishermen. Matthew 8.23-27 I mean, these guys had their own company before Jesus came along. They were successful. They knew what they were doing. But Jesus had trust in the Father. That trust brought confidence, which enabled peace, no matter what was visible around them. Anxiety and fear were far from Him. Trusting in the Lord is an antidote for fear. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, I praise His Word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? Psalm 56.3-4 It is an active action we can take. It is something we can slap down on the table when anxiety or fear or depression come calling. It is the no to the world's yes. The world says grocery prices are skyrocketing and you say no. I will trust the Lord and not worry about that. The world says the banks are failing or recession is collapsing our systems or revolution is coming and you say no. I will trust in the Lord and not worry about that. The world says you're denying reality, living with your head in the sand, you're crazy and you shout no. I will trust in the Lord. I will not deny what is around me, but I will trust in the Lord and do what He says, not what you say. God can tell you when to stock up on groceries, when to buy gas, when to buy gold, when to sell stocks, when to plant seed. He can do it all. He can help you in every way. It doesn't matter if you have a pittance or if you have a fortune. And don't forget that God can take a little and make it stretch. Not only that widow's flour and oil, but also bread and fish. Matthew 14.15-21 God can use birds if He wants to. The age of miracles has not ended. This is stuff that is happening in the world today to ordinary men and women, to regular believers. There is no end to the wonders and miracles of the Lord Most High. It is our faith and our trust that fades. But if we trust in Him and partner with Him, nothing is impossible when God says that it is so. Luke 1.37 What does God say to us? To His children, 1 John 3.1 To the ones He provides for, Matthew 7.11 But now, the Lord who created you, Jacob, and He who formed you, Israel, says, Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burnt, and flame will not scorch you. Isaiah 43.1-2 The Israelites walked to the Jordan and passed over it. The river that was flowing rapidly stopped. It did not overflow them. It did not keep them from the Promised Land. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. They walked in that fire with an angel, and they did not get burnt. Noah and his family got into the ark, and they survived the flood. Through the waters, through the rivers, through the fire, we are the redeemed of the Lord. We are precious children of Yahweh God Most High. We are in Jesus, and He is in us. If that isn't the basis for solid, unshakable trust, I don't know anything that could be. When fear comes knocking, when depression descends, when anxiety rises, slap your hand down on it and declare your trust. No, I will trust in the Lord. I will trust in the Lord. I will trust in the Lord. Read Isaiah 43.1-2 again and again, out loud if you need to. Get it into your spirit, and let the Holy Spirit explode throughout your body and soul. You can trust in the Lord. We are His. Our daily affirmation of God's love is Psalm 121.1-3. As children, there was always someone you could go to for help, or at least there should have been. That parent that you could snuggle in the middle of the night, a person who would come when you cried out. Comfort, something to grab onto and hold as the things around you shook, cackled, and tried to eat your toes. As a parent, you stand there, exhausted, struggling to maintain consciousness, stroking a head, hugging a crying body, just being there so that you can be seen, telling them you were there, that you were watching out, that you would stand in the way and do everything you could, that if it wasn't okay now, it would be okay because together you could get through it. It might have been a scar, but it wouldn't bleed anymore. It is two sides of a coin of trust, an agreement between a parent and a child, that no matter how foolish things seem to one of you, no matter how baseless and ridiculous, you'll both take it seriously, you'll both confront it, and the smaller will be protected by the larger. It is a comfort cocoon. The Lord is our Father, our parent, our larger, the weaver of our peace, the weaver of our comfort, the weaver of our security. We have the promise that if we rest in and on Him, everything will be okay. The blood will stop flowing, the pain will fade, the failures and terrors and problems will disappear. They will be replaced by victory, love, and solutions. Not human answers, God victories, God triumphs. We get to sit in His lap, holding Him in a steely grip, and He does what He does best, take care of us. We can trust Him because He is trustworthy. We can have peace because He is peace. We can love because He loves us. It doesn't matter how it plays out in the natural. In the spiritual, we can be calm, confident, and secure in Him. Our spirit informs our soul, our soul informs the flesh. We will smile and have joy no matter what because He is our strength. We can laugh and breathe easy because He is our sustainer. For those who love Him, are obedient and trust Him, there is never lack. Only lack of seeing what He sees, of taking what He offers. Don't sell your trust short. Trust Him with all your heart, all your mind, all your being. He has it all. Let Him shepherd it and you. His love will never fail, never stop, and never let you down. He loves you. Trust Him. As we close, remember that you have Earth. You are precious and valuable. Declare this. Today, God loves that I, now you, fill in the blank. Was it a meal you made? A smile you gave? Did you get out of bed? Read? Put on socks? There's no wrong answers here. There is no end to God's love and no end to the things about you that He loves each and every day. Pick one. And remember, the Lord loves you just because you're you. 1 John 4 9-10 tells us, By this, God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent His only-born Son into the world, that we might live through Him. And this is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His perfect love turned away God's wrath because of sin. And it casts out our fear, too. See verses 18 and 19. We love because He first loved us. He just loves us. Can't get enough of us. And that is wonderful. See you next time.