Yesterday, I had a conversation with a person who is usually not one to bring up faith or anything deep--especially with me. They started the conversation because they are concerned for me, my wife, our daughter, and the son we are expecting. They find it concerning that we are having a second child while I continue to work multiple part time jobs--with no certainty as of yet of full-time employment. While this person was obviously concerned for us, it seemed as if they were also perplexed at how we are living our life. Most people do recognize that I am working hard and also looking for full-time employment, but this person had a mind to lecture me on the importance of such, as if I do not know.
Instead of getting angry at the sudden urge to lecture me, I chose to just share calmly and lovingly how I and my family have never lacked anything we have needed. We are living proof that one can trust the Lord--our good shepherd--and never be in want of anything we need. We may not have everything we would like to have, but the last few years are proof that we can live without those things.
This morning, I was praying and the Lord brought to my mind Psalm 91:1, which says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."
There are two parts to that verse: 1. Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, 2. Abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. And it says that the one who does the first will also do the second.
Dwelling in the shelter of the Most High is taking refuge in His provision, even in God Himself. I would say this is a person who is trusting the Lord.
Abiding in the shadow of the Almighty may be harder to understand, at least at face value, but this is how it spoke to me: being in someone's shadow...they are the one who gets the attention, praise, etc. because of how they excel at something--more than me in particular. God, the Creator of the Universe, excels more than me in everything. Therefore, I should be abiding in His goodness and letting Him be the one getting the attention, praise, and glory. I should not keep any of that for myself if I am truly trusting in Him.
People are going to be convicted of their lack of trust in God when they see me trusting Him and letting Him get all of the attention, glory, praise, and credit for all good things done in and through me. They may say, "well, your trust in God is just an excuse to do whatever you want and not take care of things."
I would reply that trusting God is quite the opposite. Trusting God does not mean I sit on my haunches all day, but that I am actively seeking God's will for my life and fervently acting upon His direction--with His guidance, with His provision, with His wisdom--by the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus means in Matthew 7 when He says to "Ask...seek...knock..."
So, trusting the Lord, at least according to Psalm 91:1, is twofold: 1) Actively receiving His provision while 2) giving Him the glory in everything He has done. And according to Jesus, those who trust will have in mind eternal things, as evidenced by what they ask God for and by what they actively go after in life.
I want to be one who is trusting the Lord in these ways. No matter what people may say to me, I want to live my life in such a way that when it is over, my Lord will say, "Well done." While jobs, money, and other stuff is temporary, His love is permanent. The Love of Christ is one thing on which we can place our full faith and certainty.
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