Trust

Living in beautiful Cumbria it is very easy for me to lift my eyes to the hills. But as this verse says, my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. If I am in trouble or difficulty of any sort and need help then I want and need someone who is a bigger, stronger and more powerful than I am, someone I can trust or who knows everything about me and the problems I am in and knows the help I need.

‘But I will sing about your strength. You have been a refuge for me, a shelter in my time of trouble. I will praise you, my defender. My refuge is God, the God who loves me’ ((Psalm 59:16-17).

‘The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me, He pulled me out of the deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies … they were too strong for me’ ((Psalm 18:16-17).

We are so happy and relieved when God rescues us from problems and difficulties and dangers. However, sometimes He doesn’t do this, and He asks us to walk through it with Him. Why would He do this?

He asks us to hold His hand and walk through the dark valley with Him. Sometimes He carries us when the going is hard. He never leaves us. He is one breath away, one cry away, always watching and urging us on.

God does this to make us need Him, and rely heavily on Him. This is to enable us to grow in our faith in Him and our trust in Him. He cares so much about our growth and the development of our character.  It is more important to Him than our comfort.

‘The God who girds me with strength and makes my feet like hinds’ feet. He sets me securely upon my high places’ (Psalm 18:32-33).

‘For you are my hope, O Lord God. You are my trust from my youth and the source of my happiness’ (Psalm 71:5).