Yesterday was our first class on Bible study journaling at Rocky. What a blessing to have nine ladies interested in this new way of looking at God’s Word. I pray that they will be as blessed through this process as I have been.

I want to share my devotion from yesterday on trust. Enjoy!

Trust

Trust. What is it? Over the next seven weeks, we are going to explore what this word means and how it shows up in our lives. We are going to dig deep to see if there is anything within us that we’ve chosen to hold tightly to instead of trusting God with that thing.

My prayer is, and has been, that by the time we reach July 21, you will be able to use creative Bible journaling to lead you through the process of trusting God a little more each day—with the big things and the little things.

Throughout this study, we’re going to be looking at verses of Scripture that deal specifically with trust in God. Through creative journaling, you’ll begin to see what God is asking you to do in each of these areas of your life.

Trust is the “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something.” Now I’m sure that each of us can think of a time when our trust was misplaced in a person or thing. Your car wouldn’t start when you trusted that it was in good working condition. You trusted in the financial world to keep your investments healthy. You trusted that your body would not break down over the years. Or perhaps you’ve trusted friend who let you down in some way. These are all areas where we have found our trust trounced upon.

But if we really look at the word trust and its meaning, the only reliable, truthful, able or mighty One we can place our entire trust in, is God. He is the One who will never let us down. He is the One who will lead and guide you into truth and truth alone. He is the One who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. He is the One who will breathe strength into you when you are unable to stand on your own.

Over these next few weeks, we are going to see how we can place our trust in God in seven areas. Today we are going to see how we can trust in the name of the Lord.

In biblical times, a name represented the person and their characteristics. Recall the names of these biblical friends and the meaning of their names.

Abraham – In Genesis 17:5, Abram was changed to Abraham because God had made him a father of many nations.

Israel – In Genesis 32:28, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel because of the struggles Jacob had with God and humans and had overcome.

Simon – Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter because on this rock Jesus would build His church (Matthew 16:16)

Jesus – His name wasn’t changed, but we know He was given this name because He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

In the same way, God’s name is a symbol of His nature, character and person. The name of the Lord is the manifestation of His character. It is synonymous with the Lord Himself.

So why can we trust in this Name above all others and everything else?

Because God is:

Faithful and True – Revelation 19:11 reminds us that He is called Faithful and True. This means we can trust that He will do what He said He would and that He will keep His promises. All of them. This means that we can believe every word He has spoken, because His name provides truth for each of us.

The One Who Upholds – Isaiah 41:13 tells us that when we are unable to stand on our own, the name of the One Who Upholds will take hold of our right hand and we are assured that we don’t need to fear because He will help us. And in Isaiah 41:10, God reminds us that He is strengthening and helping us with His righteous right hand. What a beautiful picture that we can trust.

The God of New Life – When our past or desires of this world creep in, we can trust that the God of new life is providing what we need to live abundantly. Jesus spoke these words in John 14:6 (NIV). “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the Life Giver and we can trust that this new life is available to you and me. Not only do we have new life through Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17 for even more assurance), but we also have abundant life. John 10:10 assures us that Jesus came so that we might have life, and to have it to the full. Trust this truth.

The Guardian/Overseer of Our Souls – Now if you’re like me, you strayed. Wandered off from the path that God has laid before me. We see from 1 Peter 2:25 that we can trust God to draw us to Him and when we return to Him, He will shepherd and guard us. This is a precious truth that you and I can put all of our trust in. God wants to care for us and that is why the name Guardian or Overseer of our souls is so trustworthy.

The Comforter – And finally, when we don’t know where to turn for comfort, we can trust that the God of all comfort will provide compassion for each of us. Listen to these words from 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV). “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” As we trust God with our pain and sorrow, we receive His compassion and comfort and then in turn, we are able to trust that He will lead and guide us when we encounter others who need compassion and comfort.

This may seem overwhelming to you today, but as you begin to see that God’s name (in many forms) is the name that you can place all of your trust in because God is reliable, truthful, able and mighty.

The verses that are on your handout for today remind us of this powerful name. Let’s read them together.

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10 – NIV)

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7 – NIV)

Remember, we can trust God’s name because we know Him. Now let’s see what He has to say to you.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna