How Faith Leads to Trust

How Faith Leads to Trust

http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-faith-leads-to-trust.html

Dena Johnson Dena's Devos

2014 15 Jul

“Trust me with your heart.”

Those words whispered to my heart continue to haunt me, and with each passing day I reach a deeper and more complete understanding of what God meant.

I feel as if life is spiralling out of control. God’s promise vanished from my grip in a moment. My children are being forced to spend a large part of this summer away from me. I am scared and lonely. My heart is being ripped to shreds. I do not understand what God is doing.

But, God continues to tell me that life is out of my control—but it certainly isn’t out of his control. He continues to remind me that his ways are higher than my ways, his thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). He continues to remind me that when I can’t see his hand, I can still trust his heart. He keeps reminding me to focus my eyes on him, to be still and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10).

Despite the fear, pain, and loneliness, I am reminded that God always has a purpose in the pain. No trial is wasted, and if we cooperate with God, trials always produce fruit. I have been begging God to show me the purpose of this pain, to open my eyes to what he wants in this time. And, I am beginning to get a sense of anticipation for what he is doing.

I am beginning to see that this momentary trial—as difficult and painful as it may be right now—is actually a set up. God is setting the stage to step in and show himself mighty in my life. He is preparing the way to do things that only he can do, things that will point others directly back to him. He is working in my heart to develop not only faith—but also a trust in him even when life simply doesn’t make sense.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

God has spent the last four years building my faith. The journey has been unbelievable! In the last two years especially, I have been stretched beyond what I ever imagined possible. He has brought me to a place where I truly believe he is able to do above and beyond all I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). He has taught me to hear his voice and believe what he has to say. I am at a place where I hear the whispers of God, I recognize his voice immediately, and I then walk in obedience. And, I have an anticipation of seeing God show up.

But now, God is moving from teaching me faith to teaching me trust.

I had never considered the difference between faith and trust, but I am beginning to understand. Faith is a strong belief in someone or something without logical proof. But, trust is a firm reliance on the character or integrity of another. I’ve developed a faith in God—a belief that he is able. Now, he is trying to teach me to totally and completely rely on him.

In recent weeks, my world was rocked when a promise I’ve been clinging to for two years seemed to vanish, walked away, became completely impossible—humanly impossible. I believed God was able when it looked as if it could be a reality, when I thought I could make it happen on my own. But now, I can’t do anything to make this promise become a reality. I must fully and completely rely on God to do the work.

I’m beginning to realize that I’ve been leaning on my own understanding. To fully trust God with all my heart, I have to be willing to lean into him when life no longer makes sense. I have to be willing to trust him when life is spiralling out of control, when everything of value has been stripped away. I have to learn to trust that God is still able when I am not. I have to trust that every single pain and trial becomes a holy hammer to mould me into his image.

As I walk daily through the fire, I see how much work God still has to do in my life—how much growth I have left in the areas of faith and trust. I truly want to be fully devoted to him, to live my life in a way that takes full advantage of all the goodness he offers to us as Christians. Even though I know better, I want to have the blissfully happy life that we tend to imagine.

But I am learning that the abundant life can be ours even when circumstances are against us. I am learning to trust that God is sovereign and has a purpose in every pain. I am learning that if I seek his face in every situation, he will show me what he has for me. I am learning to be content in any and all circumstances. I am learning to trust him even when it seems dangerous.

What is God doing? I really don’t know. But I know that he sees the entire picture—from start to finish. He has ordained all my days even before I took my first breath (Psalm 139:16). I am a masterpiece created by him to do good works that he has already prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I am learning that he can do anything and no plan of his can be thwarted (Job 42:2). I am learning to wait for Yahweh and put my hope in his work (Psalm 130:5).

Even though I can’t fully understand his ways, even though I can’t grasp what he is doing behind the scenes, I know that he is taking everything and weaving into a beautiful mosaic for my good (Romans 8:28). He is my all-seeing, all-knowing Father who loves me so much; therefore, I can trust him.

As difficult as it can sometimes be, isn’t it better to trust our lives to the One who can see the finished picture? Isn’t it better to trust the One who has the full perspective from beginning to end? Isn’t it better to let him fight our battles, to let him figure out how he is going to finish the work he has begun?

I’m tired of fighting. Today, I choose to trust.

Dena Johnson is a busy single mom of three kids who loves God passionately. She delights in taking the everyday events of life, finding God in them, and impressing them on her children as they sit at home or walk along the way (Deuteronomy 6:7). Her greatest desire is to be a channel of God’s comfort and encouragement. You can read more of Dena’s experiences with her Great I AM on her blog Dena's Devos.

What is the difference between faith and trust?

In life, there are some people you’ve met who are backstabbers, betrayers, or people who just want to climb up the corporate ladder. We trust less and less as we grow older.

Read the short analogy of The Great Blondin in the article

Can Faith lead to Trust?

What is the difference between faith and trust?

http://christianity.yoexpert.com/christianity-general/what-is-the-difference-between-faith-and-trust-20479.html

Answered by: Ben, An Expert in the Christianity

Faith vs. Trust:

Quite often the words faith and trust are tossed about in religious circles. These words are used like salt, seasoning any dialogue with a distinctly "christian" flavor. But what do they mean? Is faith the same thing as trust? If not, what is the difference?

Faith is a noun.

It is something we HAVE... As He reveals Himself and His Love to us, this "knowing" of him in our head (knowledge), and in our heart (beliefs), is the substance, our evidence, of Him and His Love (Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.").

Faith says "I know Him, and I believe!"...

but faith is not trust...

Trust is a verb.

Trust is something we DO...

Trust is faith in action! It is the manifestation of our faith in our thoughts and actions. While faith says "He can...", trust says "He is... and I will think and act accordingly!"

It is far easier to have faith in God; there are unbelievers who have this. It is a lot harder to exercise trust in Him...

A short analogy (...though based on a real story):

The Great Blondin

In the late 1800's there was a great performer named Jean Francois Gravelot. He was known as "The Great Blondin." He was a "daredevil" of sorts; a tightrope walker specifically.

One of his greatest stunts, involved walking a tightrope high above the world famous Niagara Falls. Blondin performed this death-defying feat more than once, adding elements of difficulty each time. Once he even carried his manager on his back!

Blondin was quite the showman, he had a knack for engaging the crowd, stirring the suspense and excitement. Upon completing one attempt, he asked the crowd if they believed a second attempt would be a successful one. The crowd unanimously agreed it would. Always looking to better his last great feat, Blondin now asked the crowd if they believed he could cross the falls on the tightrope while pushing a wheelbarrow. Having seen his previous stunt, and how seemingly easy it was for him, the crowd had no doubt he could pull off this new, more difficult one. Again, the response was unanimous, the crowd had no doubt "The Great Blondin" could do it!

Blondin was ready to attempt this amazing feat that only he could do, but before he set out on the rope, he had one last question for the crowd: "Which of you will ride in the wheelbarrow?" The crowd was frozen, still, silent. Not a single man or woman responded to his challenge...

All of those people witnessed Blondin cross the falls on the rope. They gained first-hand knowledge of his abilities. They had a well founded belief that he could perform the more difficult stunt. Yet, when it came time to act on those beliefs, they were silent...still. They did not trust him.

Many of us have seen what God can do, and we believe (faith)... when He calls us to "ride" with him (trust), will we sit silent? Will we stand still?...

...just a thought...

Faith and Trust

Got Question on Faith and Trust

Question: "What does the Bible say about faith?"

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-faith.html

Answer: Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Perhaps no other component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. So what is faith and what role does faith play in the Christian life? The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief in and devotion to God.” The Bible has much more to say about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). According to the Bible, faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him.

Where does faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. Faith is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory.

Why have faith? God designed a way to distinguish between those who belong to Him and those who don’t, and it is called faith. Very simply, we need faith to please God. God tells us that it pleases Him that we believe in Him even though we cannot see Him. A key part of Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” This is not to say that we have faith in God just to get something from Him. However, God loves to bless those who are obedient and faithful. We see a perfect example of this in Luke 7:50. Jesus is engaged in dialog with a sinful woman when He gives us a glimpse of why faith is so rewarding. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The woman believed in Jesus Christ by faith, and He rewarded her for it. Finally, faith is what sustains us to the end, knowing that by faith we will be in heaven with God for all eternity. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Examples of faith. Hebrews chapter 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because in it great deeds of faith are described. By faith Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord (v. 4); by faith Noah prepared the ark in a time when rain was unknown (v. 7); by faith Abraham left his home and obeyed God’s command to go he knew not where, then willingly offered up his only son (vv. 8-10, 17); by faith Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt (vv. 23-29); by faith Rahab received the spies of Israel and saved her life (v. 31). Many more heroes of the faith are mentioned “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies” (vv. 33-34). Clearly, the existence of faith is demonstrated by action.

According to the Bible, faith is essential to Christianity. Without demonstrating faith and trust in God, we have no place with Him. We believe in God’s existence by faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is but lack the reverence necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These people lack the true faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves them. Our faith can falter at times, but because it is the gift of God, given to His children, He provides times of trial and testing in order to prove that our faith is real and to sharpen and strengthen it. This is why James tells us to consider it “pure joy” when we fall into trials, because the testing of our faith produces perseverance and matures us, providing the evidence that our faith is real (James 1:2-4).

Question: "What does the Bible say about trust?"

http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-trust.html

Answer: The words translated “trust” in the Bible literally mean “a bold, confident, sure security or action based on that security.” Trust is not exactly the same as faith, which is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, trusting is what we do because of the faith we have been given. Trusting is believing in the promises of God in all circumstances, even in those where the evidence seems to be to the contrary. Hebrews 11 talks about faith, which is accepting and believing the truth that God reveals about Himself, supremely in the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the practical consequence of faith in God is trust, which we prove by living out our full acceptance of God’s promises day by day. Furthermore, it is by this trust that we are promised peace: “You will keep in peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

The classic verse regarding trust is Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” This verse sums up the Bible’s teaching on trust. First, it is the Lord in whom we are to trust, not ourselves or our plans, and certainly not the world’s wisdom and devices. We trust in the Lord because He and He alone is truly trustworthy. His Word is trustworthy (Psalm 93:5; 111:7; Titus 1:9), His nature is faithful and true (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 25:10; 145:13; 146:6), and His plans for us are perfect and purposeful (Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 29:11). Further, because of God’s nature, we are to trust Him with all our hearts, committing every aspect of our lives to Him in complete confidence. Finally, we are not in trust in ourselves because our understanding is temporal, finite, and tainted by our sin natures. Trusting in ourselves is like walking confidently across a rotten wooden bridge over a yawning chasm thousands of feet deep. Disaster inevitably follows.

Trust in God is a feature of many of the psalms of David. There are 39 references to trust in the Psalms alone, whether referring to trusting in God and His Word, or to not trusting in riches or the things of this world. It is on the basis of this trust that David finds deliverance from all the evil he encounters. Many of David’s psalms describe situations when he was pursued by Saul and his army, as well as his other enemies, and always did the Lord come to his aid. One thing that can be noted about biblical trust is that it always engenders further trust in our God. The man of God never stops trusting in God completely. His faith may be knocked, He may stumble, or He may fall into the foulest of sins, but “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:24). The man of God knows that, though trials will beset in this life, his trust will not waiver because that trust is based on faith in the promises of God: the promise of eternal joy with the Lord and the promise of an inheritance that “can never perish, spoil and fade” (1 Peter 1:4).

2016 St Vincent de Paul Feast Day Mass and Dinner

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2016_09_23 Memorial Mass and Fr A Ponnudurai 1st Death Anniversary

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The Way the World Is

When you awaken, when you understand, when you see, the world becomes right. We're always bothered by the problem of evil. There's a powerful story about a little boy walking along the bank of a river. He sees a crocodile who is trapped in a net. The crocodile says, "Would you have pity on me and release me? I may look ugly, but it isn't my fault, you know. I was made this way. But whatever my external appearance, I have a mother's heart. I came this morning in search of food for my young ones and got caught in this trap!"

So the boy says, "Ah, if I were to help you out of that trap, you'd grab me and kill me."

The crocodile asks, "Do you think I would do that to my benefactor and liberator?"

So the boy is persuaded to take the net off and the crocodile grabs him.

As he is being forced between the jaws of the crocodile, he says, "So this is what I get for my good actions." And the crocodile says, "Well, don't take it personally, son, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life."

The boy disputes this, so the crocodile says, "Do you want to ask someone if it isn't so?"

The boy sees a bird sitting on a branch and says, "Bird, is what the crocodile says right?" The bird says, "The crocodile is right. Look at me. I was coming home one day with food for my fledglings. Imagine my horror to see a snake crawling up the tree, making straight for my nest. I was totally helpless. It kept devouring my young ones, one after the other. I kept screaming and shouting, but it was useless. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is."

"See," says the crocodile. But the boy says, "Let me ask someone else." So the crocodile says, "Well, all right, go ahead."

There was an old donkey passing by on the bank of the river. "Donkey," says the boy, "this is what the crocodile says. Is the crocodile right?"

The donkey says, "The crocodile is quite right. Look at me. I've worked and slaved for my master all my life and he barely gave me enough to eat. Now that I'm old and useless, he has turned me loose, and here I am wandering in the jungle, waiting for some wild beast to pounce on me and put an end to my life. The crocodile is right, this is the law of life, this is the way the world is."

"See," says the crocodile. "Let's go!"

The boy says, "Give me one more chance, one last chance. Let me ask one other being. Remember how good I was to you?" So the crocodile says, "All right, your last chance."

The boy sees a rabbit passing by, and he says, "Rabbit, is the crocodile right?"

The rabbit sits on his haunches and says to the crocodile, "Did you say that to that boy? The crocodile says, "Yes, I did." "Wait a minute," says the rabbit. "We've got to discuss this." "Yes," says the crocodile. But the rabbit says, "How can we discuss it when you've got that boy in your mouth? Release him; he's got to take part in the discussion, too." The crocodile says, "You're a clever one, you are. The moment I release him, he'll run away." The rabbit says, "I thought you had more sense than that. If he attempted to run away, one slash of your tail would kill him."

"Fair enough," says the crocodile, and he released the boy. The moment the boy is released, the rabbit says, "Run!" And the boy runs and escapes. Then the rabbit says to the boy, "Don't you enjoy crocodile flesh? Wouldn't the people in your village like a good meal? You didn't really release that crocodile; most of his body is still caught in that net. Why don't you go to the village and bring everybody and have a banquet."

That's exactly what the boy does. He goes to the village and calls all the men folk. They come with their axes and staves and spears and kill the crocodile. The boy's dog comes, too, and when the dog sees the rabbit, he gives chase, catches hold of the rabbit, and throttles him. The boy comes on the scene too late, and as he watches the rabbit die, he says, "The crocodile was right, this is the way the world is, this is the law of life."

There is no explanation you can give that would explain away all the sufferings and evil and torture and destruction and hunger in the world! You'll never explain it. You can try gamely with your formulas, religious and otherwise, but you'll never explain it. Because life is a mystery, which means your thinking mind cannot make sense out of it. For that you've got to wake up and then you'll suddenly realize that reality is not problematic, you are the problem.

About Anthony de Mello

Most people, Anthony de Mello maintained, are asleep. They need to wake up, open up their eyes, see what is real, both inside and outside of themselves. The greatest human gift is to be aware, to be in touch with oneself, one's body, mind, feelings, thoughts, sensations.

2016 Rite of Acceptance

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Prayers to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations.

Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit to Direct Our Life

“Dear Father,

I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You.

I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life.

Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith.

I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit."

The Fable of the Porcupines

 

It was the coldest winter ever.  Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm.  This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.  After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen.  So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.  Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.  They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the warmth that came from the others.  This way they were able to survive.

Moral of the story: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.