Lord, I want to trust you, but I don't know how! When life throws that curve ball and you have the wind knocked out of you, what do you do? Where do you turn?
When we were kids we used to put a small hole in each end of an egg and then blow the contents out. The egg looked like any other in the bowl, but it was hollow. When pressure was applied to it, it broke easily into shattered pieces. I often think of that egg as I field life's curveballs and as I watch others do the same. A hollowness in our souls will leave us feeling shattered from the pressures of life. When a relationship becomes strained, when illness robs your days, when your stomach churns with the stress of unpaid bills, when the unexpected happens, do you crumble like a hollow eggshell or do you know where to find strength for your soul?
The Bible has principles for living. They're written by the very God who created us and understands the hollowness that can creep unbidden into our souls. This is not merely positive thinking or visualization, this is help from the God of the universe, the same God who sent his son Jesus to be the source of everything we need to face the curveballs of life. Look at the promise for you that comes straight from the heart of Father God:
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Do you see it? Joy, peace, and hope are offered to you by the God of hope! This is not just a promise to "get by" or to be a "survivor" — it's a promise to be overflowing with hope — to be be filled with joy and peace. Sounds a bit like fluff doesn't it? Is it really possible to be pulled from the pit of despair and overflow with hope? Yes, but it's supernatural. That's God's part; he does it when we do our part.
And what is our part? It’s that little phrase sandwiched in — between the promise of being filled with joy and peace and the promise of overflowing with hope. Our part is an individual thing: 'as you trust in him.' But how? How does one trust? In the storms of life, many people desperately want to trust this God who offers hope, but simply don’t know how. Especially when the waves are coming fast and threatening to pull them under. God even gives us the formula in his Word, in the book of the Bible named Lamentations:
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is his faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
When trouble strikes and our hearts grow faint, we often forget the great love our Father in Heaven has for us and can doubt the goodness of God toward us. When that happens, we begin to be consumed by our stress and our fears, and we may blame God. When we follow God's formula and recall his great love for us, reminding ourselves daily of his compassion toward us, our hearts then gain strength. God knows the daily need we have to remember his kindness toward us in the middle of our unkind circumstances, so he calls us to focus on it every morning. His compassions that never fail us are his resources to carry us through our day, no matter how hard it gets.
Has hope, peace, and strength vanished in the wind of your storm? His peace, his strength, his wisdom, his understanding, his hope will become yours as you trust him for it — whatever you need today will become yours supernaturally. As you lean into his great love for you today and lean on his resources, you will not be consumed, you will not be crushed like the hollow eggshell. You will find him faithful step by step by step — that's trusting.
You don't need to doubt the love and the goodness of God towards you. He doesn't promise a storm-free life, but he does promise to be the anchor in the storm so that you will not be overcome! Trust him daily. Trust him hourly and learn to trust him moment by moment. His resources will not only get you through, but you will truly grow to experience him as the source of overflowing hope "by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Trust Him. He is our faithful God!