It’s the phrase I haven’t been able to get out of my head for the past few months. The snippet of the old hymn, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
Then the Lord whispered to my heart to attend a Bible study my friend leads, long before I knew the study she had picked. Walking with God in the Desert by Ray Vander Laan. It’s all about how times in the desert of our lives teach us to trust . . . and obey.
It wasn’t that I haven’t learned this lesson through the years. I trust and obey to a far greater degree than I used to. But there are always deeper depths to which our roots can dig down and find untapped sources of sustenance And I guess that’s what the Lord is telling me now. Trust and obey. In the good times. In the hard times. When I hear His voice. When He seems silent. When I’m in the wilderness. When I’m in the Promised Land.
Trust and obey. I obey because I trust. The action that proves the faith. And I trust because He has proved Himself trustworthy. When I remember the past, I see it so clearly. And yet, I still waver. Is that really the Lord’s voice or my own? I confess, I seldom disregard that whisper in my heart out of rebellion. When I find myself fearing to obey, it is usually because I’ve convinced myself it isn’t really God. It’s me. And I don’t want to go my own way. Yet I learn to trust again because God continues to confirm His words in my ear, continues to receive my repentance for not trusting that I recognize His voice, even after all this time.
Trust and obey. It’s the phrase I want to characterize every facet of my life. For there really is no other way to walk in the peace and contentment Jesus promises to those who are His. And I want that. Don’t you?
Yes, I want that. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve been tested in this area quite a bit lately.
~ Wendy
I hear you, Wendy! Isn’t it amazing how we can say we are walking in trust and obedience and yet we are really forging our own way–the way we think the Lord should take us? I’m humbled yet again to remember that He sees beyond my moment to His glory. I want to be part of that instead of hoarding my moments for myself.
Yes I do want both those things–peace and contentment. The trust part always gets me… 🙂 But I love how God is faithful to nudge me back to Him in those times when my trust wavers.
Also, now I have that old hymn in my head…”Trust and Obey.” 🙂
I completely understand, Melissa! God’s faithfulness to nudge us back to His way proves why we should trust and obey, doesn’t it? I love that!
This is one of those lessons I keep learning over and over. Will I ever grow up?
Isn’t that the truth! I feel like the older I get, the more I have to learn–and the more I know I’ll never get there this side of heaven.
“Trust and obey. In the good times. In the hard times. When I hear His voice. When He seems silent. When I’m in the wilderness. When I’m in the Promised Land.”
Oh, how I needed to read this tonight. Thank you, sweet friend, for reminding me (yet again) that Abba always has our best interest at heart. He is FOR us, whether circumstances cloud our view or fair skies whisper a false sense of security in our abilities.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I miss our chats! (((hugs)))
“whether circumstances cloud our view or fair skies whisper a false sense of security in our abilities.” Wow. I love that. I needed that this morning! Miss you, too, dear friend!