Choosing to Trust - Seven Statements of Faith

Psalm 13

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

How long, O LORD? Wilt Thou forget me forever?

How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD, my God;

Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

Lest my enemy say, "I have overcome him,"

Lest my adversaries rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness;

My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

One of the basic fundamental truths in our relationship with God is a simple childlike trust in the Lord, believing Him. Time and again throughout the Word of God we're given instructions and commands to trust in God. Whether we go to the writings of Moses, the poetic books, the prophets, the gospels or epistles, a simple childlike faith and trust in God is one of the oft repeated themes of Scripture. And yet this is something that many people struggle with throughout their Christian experience. We aren't always willing to recognize a lack of faith for what it is, but after the Lord showed Himself strong on behalf of His people we know that many did not enter the land of promise due to unbelief. And that's basically what trust in the Lord is all about. It's a simple childlike trust. Believing what God has said based on who He is. Words like, faith, trust and belief, are all used throughout the Word of God and they're used almost interchangeably.

So I just want to begin by scanning through Scripture and reminding us of several verses that deal with this subject of faith, or believing and trusting in God.
Throughout the Word of God we're given numerous instructions and commands concerning trusting in the Lord, faith in God, believing Him. And we often hear messages on these wonderful passages of Scripture, so we're very familiar with them. Trusting God is such a glorious theme. He is the only one who is worthy of our trust and He demands it. We're told in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6 that "without faith it's impossible to please Him for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him." Faith is the foundation of pleasing God, and there's no way around it. Back in Genesis chapter 15 we're told that Abraham "believed God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness." In Second Corinthians chapter 5 the apostle stated as his goal or ambition to be "Well pleasing to God." But without faith it's impossible to meet this goal.
In Psalm 62:8 David exhorts us to - "Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah." In Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5, one of the most well known and quoted passages of Scripture, we are told to - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." When you seek to trust the Lord in certain areas of your life there is no shortage of people who will come along and tell you that, it's all well and good to trust the Lord, but you have to use common sense too. In our culture, and maybe just mankind in general, we don't like to be dependent on someone or something else. Self-sufficiency and independence are sought after and idealized. And this sort of thinking too often bleeds over into our relationship with God. We would never say this, but it's almost as if we are willing to trust Him with the salvation of our eternal souls, but when it comes to the everyday issues of our lives we need to take matters into our own hands and handle it ourselves. It is such a foreign idea for us to trust completely in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding at all. How many times throughout the Word of God did the Lords instruction grate against natural thinking and common sense? "Your entire army shall march around the city six days. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times with the priests playing their trumpets. After the seventh time the priests will blow a loud blast, all the people shall shout and the walls of the city will fall down." You've got to be kidding me. What kind of a plan is that? it makes no sense whatsoever. And yet what happened? When the people obeyed God it worked out exactly as He said.
The tax collectors came to Peter one day and asked him "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?" So Peter comes to the Lord Jesus and says "Are we required to pay the temple tax? And the Lord Jesus basically says, "we'll pay it in order to not give offense." But the Lord doesn't just pull a coin out of His pocket to pay with. Instead He gives him some rather strange instructions. "Go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me." The Lords instructions don't always make logical sense. Why don't I just go out on my boat and catch a lot of fish and then sell them in the market and use that money to pay the tax. That makes so much more sense. But God tells us not to lean on our own understanding at all but rather to trust Him with all our hearts.
Most of the time we try to find a happy balance somewhere in the middle, we are willing to trust Him with our lives in general but when it comes to certain areas and certain decisions we have the attitude of, "Well, I'm just gonna go ahead and handle that one myself." But that kind of thinking is directly opposed to the clear teaching of God’s Word. You can't trust in the Lord with all your heart if your trusting in yourself with any of it. In Matthew chapter 6 the Lord Jesus was talking about our trust, not trusting in wealth and not becoming anxious about our lives because He will provide. And in the middle of that discourse on trust He says - "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." The Lord doesn't want our focus and our trust divided between Him and anything else. He expects it all. And if we're are trusting in ourselves or anyone or anything else then we're not trusting in Him with all our hearts. 

Isaiah 26:4 says - "Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock." In Jeremiah chapter 17 we're given a contrast between the man who trusts in mankind and the man who trusts in the Lord. The man who trusts in mankind is compared to a bush in the desert whereas those who trust in the Lord are pictured as a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

And in Mark chapter 11 when the Lord Jesus is talking to His disciples about faith He makes the simple and fundamental statement - "Have faith in God."

These are just a few of the many passages we could turn to, which begs the question, why are there so many passages in Gods Word that deal with the subject of trusting and believing Him? It's because we need them. We're prone to forget, we're prone to lose sight of what truly matters. We are in a relationship with an invisible God and so sometimes visible things can come into our view and we become so focused on what's right in front of us that we lose sight of God. And so we turn in the pages of our Bibles, to the Psalms or other passages that we can relate to, to find out what happened to God. To figure out why He seems to be absent or hiding or uninterested in what is going on in our lives. And when we turn in the pages of His Word we come across these portion reminding us to trust in God. He's not distant or indifferent, He is intimately involved in the things that are going on in our world as well as the things that are taking place in your life and mine individually, and He simply asks us to trust Him. Trust in Him at all times. Trust in Him forever. Trust in Him with all your heart.  

These passages are so numerous because we need them. If we didn't need them then they wouldn't be here for us to read. But the very fact that they are there shows us that the Lord knows our human nature, He knows our weaknesses and our shortsightedness, and so He whispers to us again and again "Trust Me. Trust Me."

And we're not the only ones who have ever struggled with this problem of a lack of trust and belief God. This is something that men have been dealing with all throughout time.

In Deuteronomy chapter 1 when Moses is recounting the Lords dealings with the children of Israel, the works that He performed in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt and sustaining them through their wilderness wanderings, and all the works that God did on their behalf, Moses says in verse 32- "But for all this you did not trust in the Lord." In the book of Exodus the Lord gave Moses certain signs to perform in order that the people might believe and trust in Him, and at various points we read that the people "believed in the Lord." But it was a belief based on circumstances. Because when Moses first came to them and told them that God was concerned about them and had sent Moses to deliver them, we're told that the people "believed and worshiped God." But when Pharaoh increased their workload the people began to grumble. When the Lord led the people through the Red Sea on dry land and drowned the Egyptian army behind them we read that the people "feared the Lord and believed in Him," but in the very next chapter they're grumbling again because of their circumstances. And this is the pattern we see all throughout their wilderness wandering. Their trust in the Lord was based on their circumstances. And a circumstantial trust and belief in God is not really faith at all, and so the writer to the Hebrews tells us that they didn't enter the land "because of unbelief."
In 2 Kings chapter 17 we're given the account of the people of Israel being carried away captive by the nation of Assyria, and in that same chapter the Lord gives us a list of reasons why He allowed them to be taken. Among the reasons given, we're told in verse 14 that they - "did not believe in the Lord their God."

In Psalm chapter 78 we're given a brief history of the nation of Israel from their captivity in Egypt until the reign of David. And in this historical record the psalmist tells of a time when the Lords anger was kindled. The reason for this anger in verse 22 is - "They did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation." A lack of belief and a lack of trust.

In Lamentations chapter 4 when the prophet Jeremiah is lamenting the overthrow of Jerusalem, the holy city, he says in verse 12 - "The kings of the earth did not believe."
In Zephaniah 3:2 the prophet pronounces a fourfold indictment against the people of Judah. He lists four things that God had against them. Every one of them is a sin of omission, in other words, they weren't doing something that they should have been doing. Number 3 on the list of things that the Lord had against them is - "She did not trust in the Lord."

In John 4:48 the Lord Jesus said to those who were around Him - "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe."

And in Acts 28 when the apostle Paul was sharing the gospel with many, we read concerning those that heard him in verse 24 - "Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe."

So as we scan through history we see that mankind has the propensity to not trust in God. And it's no different today. And so the writer to the Hebrews warns - "Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God."

Faith chooses to trust God in spite of feelings or circumstances. We need to bring what we know to be true to bear upon what we feel. We need to remember what we know to be true in spite of our present feelings and circumstances. Because when trying circumstances come into my life immediately there's an inward battle between natural reaction and trusting God. I want to respond in one way, with doubt, fear or complaining, but I know that God expects me to trust Him. So before these situations arise we simply need to choose to trust God in spite of our feelings or in spite of our circumstances, and bring the Word of God to bear upon what we feel. We need to make the decision that no matter what comes into my life, I will trust God. Trust is a choice not a feeling.

One of the things I love about the Word of God is that it presents us with the account of men and women who are just like us, men and women "of like passions." The Word of God doesn't hold out to us some unattainable standard or unreachable ideal, but it gives us the account of men and women who are just like us and yet they chose by faith to trust God in spite of their feelings or circumstances. So what I want to do now is turn our attention and look at several statements of faith. In each one of these situations the person who makes the statement is struggling with something, some external problem, changing circumstances, internal fear or anxiety, doubt, the feeling of abandonment or a sense of despair, and yet in spite of these things the person makes a statement of faith, choosing to trust God.

Seven Statements of faith:

1) The first statement I want to look at deals with the issue of doubt -Mark 9:24 - "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!"
When the Lord Jesus came down from the mount of transfiguration, there was a large crowd that had gathered around His disciples and they were waiting for Jesus. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, we read in verses 17-24 - "And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute; and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. And I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” And He answered them and said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” And they brought the boy to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling about and foaming at the mouth. And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and began saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Even in his cry for help he recognizes his own doubt and lack of trust. He know that his faith is not as it should be and he's not trying to hide it. "Lord I believe, help my unbelief." We need to recognize that even in the area of faith, I can't trust Him as I should unless He enables me to do it. He has to help my unbelief. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6 says that "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ." Christ is not only the Author of our faith, but He is also the Finisher of our faith. He is the one who first caused me to trust in Him and He can bring that faith to perfection. So the statement of faith recognizes my dependance on God to cause me to trust as I should. And the statement of faith says that even when I'm struggling with doubt, I choose to trust Him. The statement of faith says,"When I doubt, I will trust Him." "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief."

2)The second statement of faith deals with national and material decline -Habakkuk 3:16-18 - "I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk prophesied in the time just before Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel, was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. God revealed to Habakkuk that the Babylonians were going to come up against them and that He would give Israel into their hands. And this troubled Habakkuk, he was confused as to how God could allow them to be taken captive by such a wicked nation with such a wicked king. So He asked God about it, and this is what the Lord said to him in Habakkuk 2:4 - "The just shall live by faith." He basically told him, "just trust Me." And so Habakkuk chose to trust God. God said "trust Me." and Habakkuk said "I will." So he says in Habakkuk 3:16-18 - "I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." Habakkuks circumstances didn't change but his attitude did. He still wasn't happy about the coming invasion, and the change of power that was about to take place in his nation. He was concerned about the fact that they were about to lose their material prosperity, but in the midst of that he was able to rejoice in the Lord. He talks about trembling at the thought of the coming invasion and captivity and it's not a pleasant thought. But he knew by faith that God in His sovereignty was divinely orchestrating the events of human history. He knew that God had raised up that army to invade them and take them into captivity, and it caused him to tremble. The circumstances disappointed Him. But he chose to live by faith, not in the circumstances, but in God. He wasn't happy about the change of power, it caused him to tremble, but at the same time he was able to say "yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation." Only faith can cause you to live like that. Are we impacted by national and material decline? When economic and governmental change begin to take place in a nation it often brings with it anxiety, even in the heart of the believer. But the statement of faith says, when our nation is turning away from God, or I don't see how I can get by with my current salary, I will chose to trust the Lord. Government isn't looking too good. The dollar is losing its value. But I will trust in the Lord. So the statement of faith says, "When I'm facing national or material decline, I will trust Him."

3) The third statement of faith deals with the feeling of being forsaken -Isaiah 8:17 - "And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him."
Sometimes in our Christian experience it seems like God is hiding His face from us. We're pouring out our heart to Him, seeking direction, instruction, guidance, but it just seems like our prayers are hitting the ceiling. For some reason He's just not hearing and it seems as though He has hidden His face from us. But faith says, "When it seems like God is hiding His face, nevertheless I will hope in Him. I will wait eagerly, wait hopefully for Him." It's not easy or natural, but it's a choice that we have to make by faith. Waiting on the Lord is essential in the christian life. All throughout the Bible we're given exhortation after exhortation to wait on the Lord, and often it's accompanied by a promise. Often when we're at crucial or big decisions in our lives we get uncomfortable under the pressure and we feel like we need to do something right now before it's too late. But Gods plan for our lives is to wait on Him. When we're at a loss for what to do and we're seeking Gods guidance it sometimes feels like God has hidden His face from us, like Isaiah says in this verse. Of course we always need to be seeking Gods will for our lives, and He has a specific, perfect plan just for you, but if we act hastily or out of fear we may miss what God has for us. We need to be seeking His face and waiting on Him for His perfect timing in all things. Waiting on God is an essential factor in the christian life, and the vast majority of our mistakes are due to the neglect of it. But the statement of faith says, "When it seems like God has hidden His face from me, I will trust Him." When God seems distant and I don't know what to do, I will trust Him and wait expectantly on Him.

4) The fourth statement of faith deals with the issue of fear -Psalm 56:3 - "When I am afraid I will put my trust in Thee."
The introduction to this psalm tells us that it was written by David when the Philistines seized him at Gath. That account can be found in 1 Samuel chapter 21. When David was fleeing for his life from the presence of Saul he went to Achish, the Philistine king of Gath, but the Philistines recognized him for who he was, they knew that he was the one of whom the Israelites sang "Saul has killed his thousands and David his ten thousands." So we're told there in 1 Samuel 21 that "David greatly feared Achish the king of Gath" and so he began to act like a madman before him. So first David fears for his life and is running from Saul, then he comes to another king who also has reason to kill him and he fears again. But when reflecting back on this situation, in Psalm chapter 56 David says - "When I am afraid I will put my trust in Thee. In God whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" David recognized that he struggled with the fear of man. Proverbs 29 says that "the fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted." So when David is dealing with the fear of man he makes a conscience decision, "When I'm afraid I will trust." And then in the very next verse he says "In God I have put my trust, I will not be afraid." David made the conscience choice, when fear comes into my life I'm going to choose to trust rather than fear. The Lord Jesus said in Mark 5:36 - "Do not be afraid, only believe." So the statement of faith says, "When I'm afraid, I will trust Him."

5) The fifth statement of faith deals with the Issue of despair -Psalm 27:13 - "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
I would have despaired, fainted, lost heart, basically given up all hope. That's what despair is, right? I don't see any way out of this, I don't see how this situation could turn out good. As far as I can see, this is hopeless, there's no hope. However, faith is not based on feeling or sight. It's not based on what we feel it's based on what we know to be true in spite of what we see. So David says "I would have despaired unless I had believed." I felt like giving up, but I chose rather to believe. Again, it's a choice. I feel like giving up, but instead I'm going to trust. We need to develop the habit of trusting in the Lord. Choose to be a truster. This is what we see David doing throughout the Psalms. He's up against some seemingly hopeless situation and yet he says "But I have trusted in you." Time and again throughout the psalms we see David pointing back to his past and saying "I have trusted in You."(13:5) "You made me trust."(22:9) "I have trusted in You without wavering."(26:1) "In God I have put my trust."(56:4) Time and again he looks back. "This is my past, I have trusted so I guess I'll just trust again." There's nothing wrong with habitually trusting in God. We make the choice, I'm going to trust Him in the small things, in the big things, I'm going to trust Him in my career, in my marriage, in my singleness, and one day I'm going to trust Him with my death. How in the world will we trust Him with our death if we have not learned to trust Him in the here and now? I have trusted so I trust again today. In Psalm 43:5 the Psalmist asks himself - "Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God." So the statement of faith says, "When I feel like despairing, I will trust Him."

6) The sixth statement of faith deals with the issue of death -Job 13:15 - "Though He slay me,yet will I trust Him."
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. We know from the story of Job that God didn't not take everything from Job, the devil did. But God allowed it. Even so, Job considered it as though God had taken it. You'll remember back in chapter 1 after Job lost everything he worshiped saying - "The Lord gave the Lord took away, blessed be the name of the Lord." He didn't say "The Lord gave, the devil took away..." But he rightly concluded that all he was and all he had came as a gift from a sovereign God. So when we come to chapter 13 Job makes the remarkable statement of faith that he is in Gods hands, and whatever God may choose to do with my life I'm going to trust Him. Even if He slays me I'm still going to trust Him. Not just, if He allows me to be slain, but even if God Himself stretches out His hand and takes my life from me I'm still going to trust Him. This is a remarkable statement of faith. Jobs faith wasn't destroyed by his circumstances. Job also makes it clear that his faith and trust are not based on a religion or a system of right and wrong, but his faith is based in a person. "Though He slay me yet will I trust Him." Based on who God is I'm going to trust Him in spite of what He does or what I'm experiencing. Even to the point of death I choose to trust Him. So the statement of faith says, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

7) The Seventh and final statement of faith that I want to look at doesn't really answer a problem that we deal with, but it shows where the answer can be found to anything that comes into our lives and seeks to rob us of our trust in God. -Acts 27:25 - "I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."
When the apostle Paul was sailing through a storm he had been told by God that everything was going to work out and that no life would be lost. And so the apostle says "I believe God." And that's really what the issue of trust boils down to. Do you believe God? God has revealed Himself to us through His Word. He has given us certain promises and now we have to choose whether or not we believe Him. Whether you're struggling with doubt or fear or national decline or material loss or feelings of being forsaken or despair, we can choose to say, "In spite of these things, I believe God." Based on who God is and How He had revealed Himself in His Word, I believe God, that everything will work out as we've been told. It's not going to be easy. Every one of these things that we've looked at is a very real issue that we struggle with. But by faith we can say along with the apostle Paul, "I believe God."

In Every case that we looked at the person had to deny their feelings, look past their circumstances and make the choice to trust God. Because we're natural beings we very easily relate to the natural world. It's easy to get caught up in and overwhelmed by our feelings or circumstances. But the statement of faith says, "In spite of what's going on around me or the turmoil that's going on inside me, I'm going to trust God." Based on who He has revealed Himself to be, I trust Him to do what's right. Even though I don't understand I trust Him. Even though this grates against everything that I feel, I trust Him.

I'm beginning to discover in my own life that when I don't trust God as I should it simply means that my focus isn't where it should be. Hebrews 12:2 says - "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith..." Sight is a theme that runs through Hebrews 11, but it's not natural eye sight that's being talked about. The men and women commended throughout Hebrews chapter 11 are set up as examples of those who had their eyes trained to see the invisible. "Faith is... the evidence of things not seen." "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen... prepared an ark." "By faith Abraham when he was called went out... for he was looking for a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." He was looking for an invisible city. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen."
And on and on the examples go. And now it's our turn. "Since we have so great a crowd of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. "Fixing our eyes on Jesus." We need to have our eyes trained to see the invisible. Our focus needs to such that we can see the unseen more clearly than we can see the natural. The eyes of our faith need to be enlightened in order that we might look past this present world, our current struggles and circumstances, and see Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. And as we see Him, make the conscious decision, "No matter what, I choose to trust Him."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."