Articles
Courageous Trust
Let’s say your father is tired of your neighbor’s fence encroaching on his property. He calls you on the phone to tell you to gather your friends and march around the fence seven times for seven days while seven of your friends blow trumpets. For the first six of the seven days, your father says that you and the non-trumpeters must remain silent: no matter what the neighbor tries to do to you all. On the seventh day, you are told that when the trumpets blow you must finally let out a shout because after the final trumpet sound the fence will fall. After hearing your father’s plan to destroy the fence, would you trust in your father or would you believe that you can come up with a better plan?
Humans make mistakes more often than they like to admit. Therefore, giving up control and trusting in a plan that doesn’t make sense to us is never easy. God is the most powerful divine being because He is the source of truth. Psalm 18:30 (ESV) says, “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” The plan to take down the wall of Jericho might not have made sense to the Israelites, but because they took refuge in Him, God brought down the walls of Jericho. Jeremiah 29:11 lets God’s children know that His plans are for His children to ultimately prosper. Jericho was the first of many impediments the Israelites had to overcome in the promised land. The fact that they chose to go through their trials with the Lord, however, is ultimately why they received the land the Lord had promised (Joshua 21:43-45).
As God’s children today, our obstacles are not to topple the walls of Jericho, but they can be just as daunting. Our instructions to conquer our trials can also be just as perplexing. We might question if we are supposed to love our enemies and be quick to listen to them? Yet, the Lord tells us, “Yes!” That is exactly what we are supposed to do because that is how Jesus Christ treated us. Jesus’ flesh was sorrowful for the moments that were awaiting Him after the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus gave those emotions to God when he prayed, “if possible let this cup pass from me” (Matt. 26:39 ESV). Then He had the courage to resolve Himself in God and finishing this prayer with “nevertheless, not as I will but as you will” (Matt. 26:39 ESV). Later in the garden he prayed again, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” (Matt. 26:42 ESV). Jesus had the courage to trust that God had plans for His children (including Him) to spiritually prosper. That is God’s promise to His children. God keeps His promises. God rewarded the faithful Israelites with the promised land (Joshua 21:43-45) and He will reward you with the promised land of Heaven if you have the courage to trust Him.
