6/11/2009 - Trust and Obey
Quiet Time 6-11-09: Trust & Obey
TRUST AND OBEY
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Refrain
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Refrain
But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and Obey is a wonderful hymn. There is much wisdom in the words. In a sense, trust is a stepped level of belief and faith. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “TRUST in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” This says to do more than believe in or have faith in the Lord.
If we are to believe in something we must first know about it. That is why it is important for us to share the Gospel message with others, so that they will know about it. If they never know how can they believe? It is our responsibility to make sure everyone knows about the Gospel. We can’t make them believe it, but we can make sure they know about it. Knowing and believing is one thing, but faith is more like believing in something when it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t add up. Faith is believing in something that surpasses our understanding. In general, Christians agree that it is faith in Jesus Christ, who by God’s grace died on the cross for our sins, that the gift of salvation is available to us. Not that we need more; salvation that yields eternal life is all anyone needs, but God’s love, grace and mercy has many more benefits. That is where the trust and obey come into play.
Trust is not possible without a relationship. The first line of the hymn says “when we walk with Lord”. This walk is not just an occasional stroll through the park, like when we pray or go to church or have a devotional. This has to be a daily continuous walk, always aware of Him at our side. When we are aware of His presence our thoughts, words and actions will be different. It is through this type of relationship that trust thrives. John 3:16 says that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. I think this “believe in” really means to trust, it is more than knowing about and even more than believing it is true, it is placing our trust in Him.
The second part of the first line, “in the light of His Word”, reminds us that we can not walk with the Lord without spending a significant amount time in the Bible. The Bible is where we learn more about the obeying part. We learn what we should do and what we should not do from the Bible. Jesus said if we love Him we will obey His commands. Of course we are not perfect and we will make mistakes, but the more we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, the more clear the presence of the Holy Spirit will be. The more we obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the more like Christ our thoughts, words and actions will be. Becoming more like Christ – that defines a Christian.
I can honestly say that by the grace of God and to His glory I regularly experience what is illustrated in the first three verses and part of the fourth. It is my sincere desire to fully experience the last verse:
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Perhaps with more trust and with more obey and when all on the altar I lay, after all there is no other way.
. . . make smart choices, love everybody, be a blessing, I love you and have a great day.