Trust

The wealthy young man we have been considering over the last few days wanted eternal life but wanted to live life his way until the time came for him to die. Today’s passage records his response to Jesus’ call for a fresh start.

There are many circumstances and challenges in our lives that we don’t understand. From our perspective and from our pain, they simply do not make sense. Death comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Illness invades a healthy body, and we watch it waste away. An accident results in chronic pain.

After tragedy struck Job’s life, he moved into the natural and normal period of questioning. Then, as we saw last time, God rescued Job from his downward spiral and refocused his vision. Job was looking at his situation; God said, “Time to look at me.” With his eyes on the person and character of God, Job responds.

C. S. Lewis wrote, “The human spirit will not begin to try to surrender self-will as long as all seems to be well with it.” When we are good, we’re good. We don’t need God. As one person said, “We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it’s there for emergencies but he hopes he’ll never have to use it.”

Job’s life had been a cakewalk—layers of sweet blessings iced with a thick frosting of more blessings. Then the cake collapsed. Job had to make a choice. It’s easy to love God when life is good, but how will you respond to God when things go sour? Job had lost all his possessions and his ten children. Now, he is about to lose his health.

She said, “Make a fist.” I did. She attached a tight bandage on my upper left arm. I let her. She swabbed my arm with brownish liquid. I watched. She was wearing a blue nurse-like jacket, nurse-like rubber gloves, and a name badge that looked official to me. I was there to give blood; she was there to take it. She said, “This is going to pinch and burn,” as she inserted the needle into a vein. She was right. Why wouldn’t I believe her? She had done this hundreds of times before (I hoped).

Ever feel like you are alone in the battle? The fighting and chaos surround you, and there seems to be no chance of winning. Listen to today’s passage.

I called it the athletic stance. When I coached, it was the first thing I taught. Feet spread apart just a bit wider than the shoulders, knees slightly bent, leaning forward toward the balls of your feet, and both hands open and held out with elbows bent. I lined up the players, had them get in the athletic stance, and then walked down the line, pushing each player’s shoulders. In that posture, you don’t lose your footing; you keep your balance, and you stand firm. And from that position, you can move with agility whether you are a cornerback or a shortstop.

One writer captures our need to trust God when he writes, “You’re a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to be self-sufficient.” Trusting in ourselves, our achievements, and our accomplishments is a losing proposition. Great men and women of God were people of faith. Abraham trusted God’s leading, even when he didn’t know where he was going.