Deciding to accomplish some fun activities, an older woman once signed up for skydiving lessons. Her friends warned her she was crazy, but she didn’t care. She was a stubborn woman anyway, and had a reputation for having a pessimistic outlook on life. But whatever the case, she decided to try skydiving.
As she sat in the airplane before her first jump, the instructor went over the process of the jump. “First, you pull the big cord. If it doesn’t work, you pull the little cord. There will be a red pickup truck waiting for you when you land.” The woman got her gear together and when her instructor gave her the signal, jumped out of the plane.
She enjoyed the flight at first, but when she grabbed for the big cord and pulled it, nothing happened. Following instructions, she pulled the little cord, but nothing happened. Mumbling to herself about the irresponsibility of the skydiving company, she said aloud, “That’s just great. Now I suppose the red pickup truck won’t be there either.”
Sometimes we feel like this woman. We place our trust in someone or something and when it doesn’t come through we wonder who or what else we can trust. Trust is a prized character trait. If you have absolute trust in someone, you know they’ll come through for you. But on the other hand, if you can’t trust someone, the lack of trust puts a strain on your relationship.
Most of us know Proverbs 3:5-6 by heart, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” But is it more to us than a Bible verse? Trust is not only necessary in your relationship with other people, but also in your relationship with God. Do you trust God?
Reading through Scripture shows repeated instances of people trusting God and God coming through for them. God promised Moses a way out of Egypt, and He provided it by softening Pharaoh’s heart. God promised Gideon victory, and He provided it even with few soldiers. God promised Daniel safety, and He provided it by shutting the lions’ mouths.
God has proven that He is trustworthy. But you must trust Him. Trust may not come easy for you. You may have been betrayed before or burned badly when you trusted someone. Don’t allow your mistrust for other human beings reflect on God. People aren’t perfect and will let you down sooner or later. But God, your Heavenly Father, has proven time and again that you can place your complete trust in Him and rest assured that He will make good on His promises.
Don’t allow Proverbs 3:5-6 to become just another memorized Bible verse, but take to heart its command to trust God and not yourself. The more you place your trust in God, the more you’ll see He’s worthy of your trust. (By Dr. Paul Chappell)
