"O LORD OF HOSTS, BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT TRUSTETH IN THEE." (Ps. 84:14)

                                       "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.
                                                    Trust and obey, for there's no other way
                                                    To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
                                                                                                              --J.H. Sammis

                                       "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word;
                                       Just to rest upon His promise, just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
                                       Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
                                       Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more."
                                                                                                              --Louisa M.R. Stead

         Many are the beautiful hymns written through the years, encouraging us to place our trust fully in Him, until we can say with another song...
                                       "I trust in God, I know He cares for me,
                                       On mountain bleak, or on the stormy sea,
                                       Though billows roll, He keeps my soul,
                                       My heavenly Father watches over me."             --W.C. Martin

         Trust-- the Hebrew word is "batach" meaning: lean on, be confident, trust.
         Another Hebrew word often translated as "trust" is "chasah"-- take refuge.
         The Greek word is "elpizo" meaning: to hope, to trust.
         Another is "peitho" meaning: to persuade, to obey, to have confidence.
         Blend all these words together, and you have one who places their confidence in the Lord, anticipating with pleasure the victory He gives, so that they readily obey His Word, assured that IN HIM/because of Him ALL IS WELL.
         Trust is a mark of developing maturity, for to be able to TRUST in the Lord, you have to KNOW Him, and be able to commit yourself unreservedly to Him. You can flee to Him for care and protection, and being thus in Him you have confidence and boldness-- both as fact (security) and as feeling (state of trust), giving you hope for the future. Therefore the processings are used to establish a relationship, until we can say with the Psalmist, "My heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." (Ps. 11-2:7).This ends all of our "double minded wavering," and brings us into a state of stability.
         Perhaps it could be said that the times we have difficulty in trusting the Lord in a given situation is because we do not know Him well enough. And in this regard we pray with the chorus: "To know Him, to know Him, is the cry of my heart, Spirit, reveal Him to me. .." The more that we truly KNOW HIM, the deeper our relationship and experience with Him, the more we are able to REST in our trust. The vast majority of men do not trust the Lord because they are not acquainted with Him. And so we say with Job 22:21-22, "Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart." For, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:3).
        It has been well stated that "Most people are pro-tem atheists. That is,  they believe in a God who was, and in a God who will be, while they themselves dwell in an interval of time in the present, uninhabited by anyone except themselves." Because they do not believe that God is in their now, they cannot trust Him for their now. Historically, perhaps, the God of the Old Testament was involved with His people Israel. Thus, God WAS. And hopefully He might be in the future, in the ages to come, proving Himself to be GOD for then. Thus, God WILL BE. But in this present time they are not sure of God being GOD in their immediate now, so they struggle on in themselves, trying to cope with the situations that come their way.
        The Philistines were come against Israel. "And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. - And Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him." After the Lord gave Israel a real victory over the Philistines, Samuel set up a stone to mark the victory "and called the name of it Ebenezer (i.e. the stone of help), saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." (1 Sam. 7:8-9, 12). It is a good reinforcement for faith and trust, to remember the goodness of God to us in past situations, and then remember that our God does not change-- He remains our Victory!

                                        "Stand up, stand up for Jesus-- Stand in His strength alone,
                                       The arm of flesh will fail you-- Ye dare not trust your own. ..."
                                                                                                                          --G. Duffield

         "Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. -BLESSED is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the LORD IS." (Jer. 17:5,7).
         "Whose hope the LORD IS." It is not, "whose hope the Lord was," but then the flesh realm takes over. Nor is it "whose hope the Lord will be when life gets too tough for the flesh to handle," but read it loud and clear, "whose hope the Lord is. "IS" places Him right in the center of our NOW-- Praise His name! "So that we may boldly say, The Lord IS my Helper." (Heb. 13:6).There is a certain IS-NESS which invites us to place our trust in Him for all of our now.
         It is true, we cannot live on a borrowed revelation, it requires a personal  knowledge that HE quickens to us individually as we find that HE IS IN OUR NOW. We live with the knowledge that "The steps of a man ARE ordered by the Lord." (Ps. 37:23). In this ever-deepening sense of relationship with Him, we can say "Lord, I am Yours, You dwell within me by Your Spirit, therefore You inhabit my NOW, and I can and shall trust You to take care of every part of my NOW."
         HOW do we come to this more intimate knowledge of Him? THROUGH HIS WORD, Divine revelation worked into us experientially by His Spirit. As we read in Job 22:22, "Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart." His law, His words, His commandments stored within us will work a gradual transformation.
         The revelation is progressive, and Solomon writes, "That thy TRUST may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsel and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth." (Prov. 22:19-21). To help you trust-- "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17). These are truths which "flesh and blood have not revealed unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 16:17). Praise God for that which becomes LIFE to the inner man.
         His Word is filled with "excellent things." The Hebrew word is "shalish" and means: threefold, or weighty. Scripture speaks of certain of David's honorable men, who "had the name among the three." When used to speak of measures, it speaks of a threefold measure, that is a weighty measure. So literally, Solomon says, "I have written unto thee threefold things, or, excellent things, things which have depth upon depth of meaning and as you come to KNOW HIM in each expanding dimension, you will also learn to put your trust in Him." He is our Way, Truth, and Life. Sufficient for spirit, soul, and body. Applicable for past, present, and future. Revealed as our Jesus (Saviour), Christ (Anointed One), and Lord (our sovereign Master). Volumes of books are written on these ever-deepening dimensions. As they are quickened to us by the holy Spirit we come to KNOW HIM more and more.
             It is recorded of Hezekiah, that "he trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that , were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments..." (2 Kings 18:5-6).
        He clave to the Lord-- Hebrew word is "dabaq" meaning: to cling, adhere to, figuratively, to catch by pursuit. While it provides a broad scope, it also makes a specific point of devotion to-- of trust in the Lord. And has also been translated as: be joined, as in a marriage union-- "A man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (Gen. 2:24).
        That's relationship! It bespeaks, as an example, of our union with our Lord Jesus Christ. "He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." (1 Cor. 6:17).
         Note just a few other ways "dabaq, cleave" is used in the Scriptures.
         Ruth 2;8, where Boaz said to Ruth, "Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens." Transfer this to our trust in the Lord-- not to drift off to the strange gods around us, to give our attention to man's fables; with their peculiar, self-centered creed and doctrine, but to ABIDE FAST BY those who fear and love the Lord, saying with Simon Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69).
         The Psalmist had the same commitment to the Lord, saying, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: BUT GOD IS the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. -It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all  thy works." (Ps. 73:25-26.28). Truly we find in Him our refuge-- our totally trustworthy One, our Fountain of life!
         Job 41:15-17, speaks of a creature, "His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered." Now, transfer this example of being joined one to another, to having one's trust in the Lord, as Hezekiah did cleave, to the Lord, and you have a oneness/closeness of relationship.
         This also is found when Ruth said to Naomi, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." (Ruth 1:16). THAT IS RELATIONSHIP-- a committed trust in each other. O, that men would trust the Lord with such a solid committal.
         As David also said, "My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me. " (Psalm 63: 8).There is a giving pursuit to the Lord which, reaffirms our trust in Him. As Paul stated, "But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12). Only those who have a COMMITTED TRUST to the Lord will follow hard after Him, so that "when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake," (Mark 4:17), they will not be offended and fall by the wayside.
        These few illustrations give example of the depth of meaning in the word "to cleave," and how Hezekiah did cleave to the Lord, putting his trust in Him. So then it rightly follows that this trust must be put to the test. Truly, quite a statement, that "He trusted in the Lord so that there was none like him among the kings of Judah." If this be true, it can stand to be tested. So in the same chapter we read that the king of Assyria came up against Judah. Hezekiah said to his people, "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is the arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah." It certainly was comforting, it reaffirmed their trust in the Lord, and they could breathe a little easier for the moment. The king said that God was with them, so there was no need to be afraid of the Assyrians. Hezekiah was encouraging them to believe in the Lord-- to trust Him, even as he was trusting God, believing God to work it all out to His praise.
         But there was more confrontation to follow, as the king of Assyria said to the men of Judah-- "Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege of Jerusalem. Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria." This was some challenge. Look who was under siege-- look who was facing death by famine and thirst-- what kind of a God were they trusting in? In fact the Assyrian king put Judah's God in the same category as the heathen idols around them. "And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man." Not only did he taunt them about their circumstances, being under siege, facing famine and thirst, but he accused their God of being of little value to them.
        However Hezekiah's trust remained in Jehovah, "And the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land." (Read the record in 2 Chron. 32:7-21).Praise God, TRUST WAS REWARDED, but it certainly was tested-- and they endured a time when the outward appearances were quite against them. BUT GOD does not allow those who put their trust in Him to be brought to shame. "Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone of sure foundation; he who believes-- trusts in, relies on and adheres to that Stone-- will not be ashamed or give way or make haste in sudden panic." (Isa. 28:16, Amp.). Praise God, "On Christ the solid Rock we stand..." And It was the adversary that suffered shame of face, so that "when he was come in to the house of his god," members of his own family killed him. Little did his god help him, while Judah's God was not to be taunted. The circumstances might seem to be against us, but truly, "What shall we then say to these things? IF GOD BE FOR US, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31)."Oh, for grace to trust Him more."
         It is so easy to look at the appearances-- feel the body pain, count the few pennies in your purse, hear the negative comments from those who do not see GOD IN YOUR NOW, etc. and allow these outward things to gnaw away at your trust in God. But He has not changed, His mercies are still new every morning. Recall the victories He has given you-- how He has helped you in past situations-- and then continue to trust in His salvation.
        "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Prov. 3:5-6). A proverb has been said to be-- "A short sentence based on a long experience." And one could wonder what all Solomon (or who ever first wrote the various proverbs) experienced to undergird these words of wisdom, but they certainly bring us valuable instruction. How often have we "leaned on our own understanding," and suffered the consequences? Thus we praise God for how He patiently works within, to bring us to that state where we acknowledge Him in all our ways. The subject is trust, and this goes beyond requiring that God regulate our path with either a "red light" or a "green light," but rather there is a total surrender to Him, "WITH ALL THINE HEART," SO THAT WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCE, YOU KNOW HE IS IN CONTROL.
        "Commit thy way unto the Lord (margin: Roll thy way upon the Lord), trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." (Ps. 37:5). While we could emphasize the committing, or the trusting, right now we sense a drawing to the phrase "He shall bring it to pass." If we do not believe that HE WILL DO IT,  there is little cause for committing and trusting-- for we would only try to fulfill things ourselves, binding us to the realm of works.
         "Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith. but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and Rock of offence; and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." (Rom. 9:31-33). Faith and trust are obviously akin, and Paul makes it very clear, if you do not believe, trust, you will be brought to shame, because all your multiplied works will not accomplish it-- but if you are TRUSTING IN THE LORD you will cease from self effort, and know that "He shall bring it to pass." How marvelous! And as we often read, "THE ZEAL OF THE LORD" that shall accomplish this. God has A FORCE, A POWER, which, when it is sent forth, it can bring to pass any promise which He has given.
        Isa. 64:4, Living Bible Paraphrased: "For since the world began no one has seen or heard of such a God as ours, Who works for those who wait for Him."
        Amplified: "For from of old, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who earnestly waits for Him."
        Never, never has the world seen or known a God like this! All other nations serve their gods, but their gods do nothing for them. And methinks that much of Christendom serves "a god" like unto these other nations. They are I of the creed and doctrine that they have to do all the serving, and so they devise a system of works, and more works, ever trying to court the favor of their god. There are many religious souls who feel that God has not done anything personal for them-- it's always a story about what somebody else I experienced. Ask the nations what their god has done for them? Nothing! I But we are here to bear witness that our God is vitally involved in our day by day living, that His mercies to us-ward are abundant. "For since the world began one has seen or heard of such a God as ours, Who works for them who wait for Him. "Hallelujah! Unable to save ourselves, HE COMES TO US to be our Saviour! Unable to heal ourselves, HE COMES TO US to be our Healer. Unable to solve our many perplexities, HE is "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1Cor.1:30).
        Full well He knows that of ourselves we can do nothing, and so the Lord shall perform the work in us." Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us." (Isaiah 26:12).  And we do well to learn to WAIT FOR, AND UPON Him. Even as the Psalmist declared, I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. HE brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40:1-2). I WAITED PATIENTLY-- the Hebrew text literally reads "In waiting I waited." Ah, this is not jumping from one foot to another in impatience, or crying out "hurry, hurry." I wonder, how much we are willing to wait for GOD'S TIMING for Him to do exactly what He promised? We hold the promise before Him,  "Do it right NOW, Lord." And yesterday would be even better! Why all this tarrying? Ah, we have a GOD WHO WORKS FOR HIS CREATION, but He also knows the perfect timing, and thus He "doeth all things well."
        What is the pivotal word for all this? GRACE! It is the grace of God that He is doing for us, rather than our trying to do for Him! No wonder He says, in Exodus 14:13-14, "Fear ye not, STAND STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord, WHICH HE WILL SHEW to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see no more for ever. THE LORD SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU, AND YE SHALL HOLD YOUR PEACE."
        Works has been defined as-- "Any action or attitude that trusts in self-effort, which requires payment, and which negates the free gift of grace."
        "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." (Prov. 28:26). Fool-- Amplified reads, confident his own mind and heart..." The world may laud the self-confident man that pushes onward, but when it comes to spiritual matters, Paul worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the in the flesh." (Phil. 3:3).
        The Psalmist makes another interesting point: "In the Lord put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain." (Ps. 11;1). When we KNOW that God is WITH US regardless of where we are, in country or city, alone, or in a crowd, then we need not "flee as a bird" but we firmly stand with our trust in our God-- our victory is secure in Him. Praise His name!

                                                           Through the nitty-gritty walkings of the day.
                                                           There is one who undergirds our pilgrim way.
                                                           And in Him we safely now can put our trust.
                                                           Knowing that His disciplines are always just.

                                                           Unreservedly commit into His care
                                                           All the tangled circumstances that we bear.
                                                           He is faithful, He has promised to uphold,
                                                           And His love is freely given manifold.

                                                           Through our travail He reveals His boundless grace,
                                                           Proves Himself sufficient for our earthly race.
                                                           Cast aside the carnal creed of fear and doom,
                                                           He's the Light that dissipates the shadow's gloom.
                                                           Trust, yea, trust when man-made kingdoms' round thee fall,
                                                           And in thy trusting find He is thine All in all.
      _____________________________________________
(1)Prinzing, Ray and Doris "Letters of Truth"  Boise, Idaho 83705, P.O. Box 5822

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