There is a trust deficit in our societies these days and who can blame us? Everyone we are suppose to be able to trust has broken that trust time after time. Politicians continue to do things against our trust. The banks have failed us more times than not. How many times do we have to see police beatings on the news; teachers abusing students; daycare workers abusing babies; doctors abusing patients? Corruption is at every turn. Of course there is going to be a trust deficit. So it may be an uphill climb when people hear Jesus say:
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. (John 14:1)
Belief, faith, trust are all rolled up in one so in essence Jesus is saying, "Don't be worried, trust Yahweh and trust me". And why shouldn't we? Unlike almost every human being who has failed us and backed out on their promises, Jesus has never failed us. He has kept every promise. If you know him as I know him then you know just how much he loves you and the unbreakable covenant he has made with you. He made the decision to love you and nothing can stop him from doing that.
The important thing to understand is that trust is paramount in Jesus being everything he has promised to be. He warned us that any doubt in him, who he is and what he has promised, nullifies the beauty of the relationship. We must trust and such faith often has to be given when we cannot see. It is like what the apostle Paul wrote:
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Romans 8:24-25)
Hope and faith go hand in hand, working in similar manner. Consider Hebrews 11:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (v. 1)
"About what we do not see." Faith burns brightest when it is encased in the mysterious darkness of the unknown. Allow me to take us back to the second book of Kings, to a point where Elisha was being hunted down by an opposing king who was upset that his plans were being told by Elisha. The king tracked him down and surrounded the town in which he was staying. Elisha was on the roof with his servant and the servant was having an heart attack from the fright. The servant asked a very legitimate question for their situation, "Master, what are we going to do?"
We are like that servant, only willing to believe what we see. We may have a fool's hope to be saved from our situations but it is not a true hope. Elisha was the man of God, he trusted Yahweh because of his relationship, what he has experienced, what he has seen. Many of us should be like Elisha because of our relationship and our testimony. How many times does Jesus have to manifest himself in our situations before we start to trust for every situation?
Elisha told his servant:
“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16)
Does that sound familiar at all?
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Now when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened to Yahweh's reality, the servant saw a great heavenly army surrounding them so his fear dissipated. But we do not need to see any great army because we are possessed by the Holy Spirit. Ours is a relationship of trust that needs no proof or guarantees. The proof is in the relationship, the guarantee in his love. We believe it because Jesus said it.
If you need something beyond the promise of Jesus you are in a wrong place in your spiritual growth. If you are filled with anxiety and fear then you are not where you are suppose to be with Jesus. If you are constantly obsessed with your future then you need to get back to basics with Jesus. We are not like Elisha's servant, we are even greater than Elisha; we are inhabited by the King of Glory.
For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
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