Part 2- God, Can I Trust You?

The Second Key To Building Home Is to Accurately Know God

Standing in church for worship, a song was displayed on the screen. Dread came over me. I knew the bridge was coming, and I braced myself as I anticipated singing the words. Then it came, the congregation started singing, “You [God] are never going to let me down.” They continued to sing the song, “You’re never going to let me down.” The questions started to build in my heart:

My baby died. Are you… “never going to let me down?”

Our apartment fell through, leaving us homeless. Are you “…never going to let me down?”

My friend’s child was born with a severe handicap and then passed. Are you “…never going to let me down?”

My friend’s granddaughter committed suicide. Are you “…never going to let me down?”

Children are suffering in the sex slave trade. Are you “…never going to let me down?”

In painful childhood memories, are you “…never going to let me down?”

When people mistreat me,  are you “…never going to let me down?”

We could continue to list all the things we are suffering with, and the question remains: Can we really sing and have faith that, despite all the hardships, God will not let us down? How do we define God as letting us down? Is this idea of letting us down the same as God’s purpose and intention for allowing painful circumstances in our lives?

In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Problem of Pain, he states, “‘If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty He would be able to do what he wished. But creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both.’ This is the problem of pain, in its simplest form.” I have no intention of solving the problem of pain and suffering in a 1,000-word essay. My heart in sharing this is to bring validation of our pain and hope during the difficult seasons of our lives.

When first meeting a new person, there is always an initial, sometimes awkward, phase of getting to know the person's character. We define the “who” of someone based on their experiences, education, likes, dislikes, etc. It is hard enough to get to know someone new. It is even harder to change our minds about someone we already think we know.

In terms of my relationship with God, He was not a new person I was initially meeting. I grew up in a Christian family -- my parents were missionaries. I was exposed to God before I knew how to say the word 'God'. I had experienced God both on and off the mission field, and I have had a relationship with Him throughout my life.

Unfortunately, as time passed, the sins that stemmed from my own choices and the wounds inflicted by others sowed seeds of doubt about the truths of God. Abandonment of others, difficulties, and condemnation of myself were attributed to my belief that God abandoned me. I was skilled at discussing thoughts about God, but in my mind, God was distant, condemning, vengeful, and unable to be satisfied. This left me full of anxiety. I believed the circumstances of my home and my miscarriage were somehow my fault. The pain in my life made me question everything. Can He truly be trusted? Is He truly with me? Does what I do matter? Thank God for his love and mercy in my life. God allowed these difficult circumstances to come so that I could learn to know Him more accurately and fully.

As I sought the Lord in the Bible during my struggles, I realized I was not the only one broken by my circumstances and called to rebuild. Jerusalem was being destroyed, but God did not leave his chosen people abandoned. He went with them into exile in Babylon (see Ez 10). God is perfect and would never break his covenant with His people. Despite Israel’s captivity for 70 years, Jeremiah the prophet, speaking on behalf of God to his people, said, “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jer 29:11) Everything about their home was reduced to rubble; all was lost, and they were far from home, but God promised that he had plans to prosper them and not to harm them.

How do we build trust with someone whom we distrust?  We come to know them through mutual experience, and we learn to trust someone when they make a promise and fulfill it. God has given us the Bible to help us know Him. The Bible speaks of God’s character in over 30 names by which He is known. He also invited us to trust in Him through his promises. There are over 7,000 promises in the Bible that God has given to those who are his people. We cannot put our hope in the circumstances of our lives. Yet we can put our trust in what we know about God, and invite God to prove Himself faithful.

Do you know God? Do you know the names by which he calls Himself and the promises that hold Himself accountable to? My dear friend, in knowing, you will find hope.

In the next blog, we will learn the blueprint on how to know God and experience the promises He has given us. Let us discover who God is, understand the promises he has given us, and watch and see how faithful God is in our lives. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalm 34:8 NIV). 

Reference:

Lewis, C. S. 1898-1963, The Problem of Pain. HarperOne, 2001