God, our present and personal Father, is truly a refuge and source of protection when we choose to trust in Him. But what does it mean to trust God? Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the English verb “trust” as “to believe in the honesty, integrity, justice, etc. of; have confidence in.” As our understanding of God and His honesty, integrity, reliability, and justice increases, our trust grows.
One way we can build our trust in God is by thinking about all He has done for us. A few years ago, I decided to move out of my native country to pursue a new beginning with the same goal I had set for my life in the past: continuing to grow spiritually and serve God and His people. As I was getting ready for this, many thoughts came to my mind because of the uncertainty of the unknown—moving to a new country with a different culture, language, and lifestyle. It all seemed so challenging. I remember sitting in the airport while waiting for my flight to depart, reading the only book I had decided to take with me, The Bible Tells Me So, by Victor Paul Wierwille, the Founding President of The Way International. I went to chapter 5 and read, “Right believing is constantly knowing God’s power and presence are in you and with you in every situation!” That statement really brought comfort to my heart and built my trust in God at this crucial moment in my life. It helped me attain greater peace.
Isaiah 26:3:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
In my new country, I could not have been more blessed and thankful to God. He provided shelter and protection, and He had the right people at the right place to help me and support me during my new beginning. Thinking about all God did for me in that situation and continues to do for me now has truly increased my trust in Him, for I have proven that God’s power and presence are in me and with me ALWAYS. What a great, big, wonderful God we have!
To build our trust in God, we can think about all God has done for us. Let’s see some practical keys to help us think about all God has done for us as a way to build our trust in Him by considering and practicing “the ABCs of a trusting mind-set.” These keys will help us direct our thoughts to what God has done for us if our trust starts to wane.
A: ACKNOWLEDGE GOD’S PRESENCE.
Proverbs 3:5,6:
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.
As we go about our days, we can trust in God by acknowledging His presence and by acknowledging Him in our actions, knowing that He is there for us to help us and guide us in our paths, as He has always been. Thinking about how God has always been present, directing our paths, helps us to build our trust in Him to take care of us in other situations.
B: BE AWARE OF YOUR THOUGHTS.
Fear is the antagonist to the peace that God so desires for us. Instead of having fearful thoughts, God wants our hearts to trust in Him.
Psalms 28:7:
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
By being aware of our thoughts, we can identify a perception that does not line up with trusting in God and redirect our thoughts to His Word. We can take time to get quiet and think about what He has done, and what He is doing for us right now. We can hold on to the deliverance we have seen in our lives, knowing that as we trust in Him, we are helped.
C: CAST YOUR CARES ON HIM.
I Peter 5:7:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
When we are tempted to be full of care, or anxious, we can think about all God has done for us in the past to deliver us and help us. We cast all our cares upon Him, remembering what He has done for us and knowing from His Word that He cares for us. We can trust that God will help us. If our trust starts to wane, we can stop and think about the goodness of God and His care for our lives.
Thinking back on all that God did for me when I moved to a new country and on all the blessings I keep receiving helps me continue to build my trust in Him. Three keys that help us think about all God has done for us are (A) acknowledge God’s presence, knowing that He is always there for us to help us and guide us in our paths; (B) be aware of our thoughts, identifying that which does not line up with trusting in God and redirecting our thoughts back to His Word; and (C) cast our care on Him, remembering what He has done for us and knowing from His Word that He cares for us. Let’s continue building our trust in God by thinking about all He has done for us and practicing the “ABCs of a trusting mind-set.”