Trust and Obey

By Lisa Lashbrook

This Week’s Verse: Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” (NIV)

Devotion: There is an old hymn Trust and Obey that I’ve sang over the years. It’s a hymn most of us know and can sing along so easily.

As I look at our grandson, Gram, with his big brown eyes looking up at me, I know he trusts in me with everything I do. He trusts that I will feed him, change his diapers, play with him and continue to make him laugh with peek-a-boo. He has a total TRUST in me that is a safe trust, a caring trust and non-disappointing trust.

When did we learn NOT to trust? Was there an incident in your life that has caused you not to trust people, friends, your children, your spouse, or your boss? Has some fear of things or life experiences caused you to doubt others?

I know when the trust between my parents and me was broken. In high school, some classmates stopped by our house close to Halloween. They wanted some eggs to throw at cars. Trying to be the cool friend, of course I wanted to assist. I didn’t think any harm would come from it, so I gave them some eggs out of an egg carton in the refrigerator.

Well, the boys threw the eggs at a car right outside of MY house. The car stopped and called the cops. I was in total denial to my parents that I had anything to do with it. They had total trust in me to believe what I said to them. Up to this point, they had no reason to doubt me. The cops left and I thought I was cleared of being caught!

The next morning, my Mom went to refrigerator to get more eggs for breakfast. She noticed there were a few eggs missing. Upstairs she came! You know the rest of the story - lets just say the trust was broken.

I knew from that point on my Mom would wonder with a slight suspicion of what I was doing or where I was going. Could I really be trusted? I didn’t like that feeling of her doubting me. I had to rebuild that trust again.

The greatest example in the bible for me of trust is Abraham in Genesis 22: 1-5 in the offering of Isaac. First of all, Abraham is strictly obedient by getting up early. Second, Abraham trusts in God his Father; vs. 5 says “we will worship”. He was praising God during this storm! WOW! Also, in the midst of this offering and trial, Abraham was putting his trust in God for whatever the future held. This demonstrates to me that my relationship with God has to be so close to have that complete trust! Just like Gram has with me.

Father, help us to find our trust in you again. We want to put our trust in the Lord with all our heart; and not depend on our own understanding. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Applications: Review these 3 areas in your life:

1. Do you have a need to control and can’t trust others?

2. Are you ruled by fear and anxiety causing you not to trust?

3. Do you feel disconnected to friends or family?

~Remember, it is the shepherd’s responsibility to lead the sheep home. The shepherd knows where to find you; you are not lost. The sheep know the shepherds voice and follow him. Put your trust back in the Lord and so you will obey and follow his voice home!

Power Verses:

Proverbs 22:19, “I am teaching you today—yes, you—so you will trust in the Lord” (NIV)

Proverbs 31:11, “Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.” (NIV)

Isaiah 26:14, “Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” (NIV)