“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. Jeremiah 17:7
A little over 60 years ago the original builder of the home I am living in, had to excavate the hillside in order to build on the site. I also wanted to build a workshop on the back side of the property. I did some mental calculations and found the desired spot.
Then I started to dig. Using a pick axe and a shovel I began to remove dirt…one shovel full at a time. I tried to count how many times I heaved and threw dirt forward, but lost count. Hours of work turned to days and days turned to weeks which finally ended in a few months of consistent digging. The back corner was nearly 5 foot of excavation. No machinery, just one shovel full at a time…over time.
God is one who can be trusted. He has all of the qualities and characteristics of someone you want to count as a friend. He never leaves you alone in your mess, He is the best listener in the world, He gives strength when we grow weary, He empathizes with our sorrow, He carries our burdens, He shoots straight with us about our pride, He lays down His life for us, and He loves us still.
If He is the rock that can never be moved, why do we still struggle to “trust” Him? He says I will never leave you, yet we may feel all alone. He says He loves us, but we feel unworthy to be loved. Why would He carry a burden that we created?
Trust is gained one “shovel full” of experience at a time… over time. To gain the full rewards of a trusting relationship, it will require risk and action. Daily you will have situations which allow you to trust in your own wisdom and strength OR in God’s faithfulness to help you. These are not big events, but rather a series of small decisions throughout your day.
You are late for work, do you speed and break the law? A person gives back the wrong amount of change, was this a blessing from God for your needs or do you return it? Extra money became available to you, will you tithe on that amount? How do you know which job to take? God invites you to give to a missionary need, you’ve got bills to pay, which do you choose?
All of these examples and more reveal our level of trust in God to take care of our needs in the future based upon our present actions. No one action is “life-changing”. But over time, choosing to lean into God’s promises and provision, you will develop a large foundation of trust in God’s faithfulness.
John, the apostle records, blessed are you fathers, for you have known Him who is from the beginning. John was reflecting of the blessings of trusting God over a lifetime. It will be worth every “shovel full” of experience.
Blessings Love y’all.