Introduction

Good morning/afternoon/evening, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. As we gather here today, we are united in our shared love and reverence for our Almighty God, a God whose love for us is unfailing, whose faithfulness is unending. We are here to reflect on His goodness, His mercy, and His grace. We are here to learn, to grow, and to be transformed by His Word.

Today, we are going to focus on a topic that is fundamental to our Christian journey, a topic that is as old as humanity itself, yet as relevant as the air we breathe. We are going to talk about trust. Trust in God. Our sermon title today is "How many times does God have to show you He is God?"

Now, you might be wondering, why trust? Why is it so important? Well, let me tell you, trust is the bedrock of our relationship with God. It is the foundation upon which our faith is built. Without trust, our faith is like a house built on sand, easily washed away by the tides of doubt and fear. But with trust, our faith is like a house built on a rock, standing firm and unshakeable, no matter what storms may come our way.

Our scripture reading for today comes from the book of Psalms, chapter 118, verse 8. The Word of God says, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans." This verse is a powerful reminder of where our trust should lie. Not in the fleeting and fallible promises of man, but in the eternal and unchanging promises of God.

Let us bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this day, for this opportunity to gather together in Your name. We thank You for Your Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As we reflect on Your Word today, we ask that You open our hearts and minds, that we may understand Your truth and apply it to our lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, imagine for a moment that you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The sky is clear, the sun is shining, and the sea is calm. Suddenly, a storm hits. The waves crash against the ship, the wind howls, and the sky turns dark. You are scared, you are unsure, you don't know what to do. But then, you remember that the captain of the ship is still at the helm. He has navigated through many storms before, and He will navigate through this one too. You trust Him, and that trust gives you peace amidst the storm.

That, my dear brothers and sisters, is what trust in God is like. Life is full of storms. We face trials and tribulations, hardships and heartaches, dangers both seen and unseen. But through it all, God is at the helm. He has brought us through many storms before, and He will bring us through many more. Yet, despite all the times He has proven Himself faithful, some of us still struggle to put our complete trust in Him.

So, as we continue with our service today, let us reflect on this question: How many times does God have to show you He is God? How many storms does He have to navigate us through before we fully trust in Him? Let us open our hearts and minds to His Word, and may His truth transform us from the inside out. Amen.

Trust in the Lord

Friends, let's talk about trust. Trust is the bedrock of our relationship with God. It's the glue that holds us together when the storms of life come. It's the anchor that keeps us steady when the waves of uncertainty roll in. Trusting in God means putting our full confidence in Him, believing that He is good, that He loves us, and that He is working all things together for our good.

Now, let's think about our own lives. We've all faced trials and tribulations. We've all walked through the valley of the shadow of death. We've all been tossed to and fro by the winds of adversity. And yet, through it all, God has been there. He's been our refuge and our strength, our ever-present help in times of trouble.

God has brought us through many dangers, both seen and unseen. He's protected us from harm. He's provided for our needs. He's comforted us in our sorrow. He's given us hope when all seemed lost. And yet, despite His faithfulness, despite His goodness, despite His love, some of us still struggle to trust Him fully.

Why is that? Why do we find it so hard to trust God, even though He's proven Himself trustworthy time and time again? I think there are a few reasons.

First, we live in a fallen world. We're surrounded by sin and suffering, pain and heartache. We see the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering. We see injustice and inequality, hatred and violence. And it's hard to trust God when we see all this. It's hard to believe that He's in control, that He's working all things together for our good.

But here's the thing: God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He sees the big picture. He knows the end from the beginning. He's not surprised by the trials we face. He's not caught off guard by the storms we encounter. He's in control, even when it doesn't seem like it.

The word "trust" in the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament is "batach," which means to rely on, to feel safe, to be confident. When we trust in God, we're saying that we rely on Him, that we feel safe with Him, that we're confident in His love and His power. We're saying that we believe He's good, that He's faithful, that He's trustworthy.

As the great Christian theologian Charles Spurgeon once said, "God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart."

Second, we often trust in ourselves more than we trust in God. We rely on our own strength, our own wisdom, our own understanding. We think we know what's best for us. We think we can handle things on our own. But the truth is, we can't. We're not as strong as we think we are. We're not as wise as we think we are. We need God. We need His strength, His wisdom, His guidance.

Finally, we often trust in others more than we trust in God. We put our faith in people, in relationships, in jobs, in money, in possessions. We think these things can give us security, happiness, fulfillment. But they can't. They're temporary, fleeting, unstable. Only God is eternal, unchanging, reliable.

So, how do we learn to trust God more? How do we deepen our trust in Him? I think there are a few ways.

First, we need to know God. We need to spend time with Him, to read His Word, to pray, to worship. The more we know God, the more we'll trust Him. The more we see His faithfulness, His goodness, His love, the more we'll believe in His promises, His power, His provision.

Second, we need to remember God's faithfulness. We need to look back on our lives and remember all the times God has been there for us, all the times He's brought us through, all the times He's proven Himself trustworthy. The more we remember God's faithfulness, the more we'll trust Him in the present, the more we'll trust Him in the future.

Friends, let's trust in the Lord with all our hearts. Let's lean not on our own understanding. Let's acknowledge Him in all our ways. And He will make our paths straight. He will guide us, protect us, provide for us. He will be our refuge, our strength, our ever-present help in times of trouble. He will be our God, and we will be His people. And that's the best place to be.

Trust in the Lord: A Lesson from Psalms 118:8

God has been our guide, our protector, our provider. He has led us through the wilderness of life, through the valleys of despair, and over the mountains of trials. He has shielded us from dangers, those we knew about and those we were oblivious to. Yet, we often falter in our trust in Him.

Let's take a moment to reflect on Psalms 118:8, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans." This verse is a reminder, a call to action, and a promise.

Firstly, it's a reminder of our human frailty. We are fallible. We make mistakes. We let each other down. But God, He is infallible. He never makes mistakes. He never lets us down.

Secondly, it's a call to action. It's a call to place our trust in God, to lean on Him, to rely on Him. Not just when times are tough, but in every moment of our lives.

Thirdly, it's a promise. A promise that when we take refuge in the Lord, when we trust in Him, we will find safety, we will find peace, we will find strength.

Now, let's turn our attention to the New Testament, to the book of Romans, chapter 8, verse 28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This verse echoes the sentiment of Psalms 118:8. It reassures us that God is working for our good, even when we can't see it, even when we don't understand it.

This brings us to our fourth point. Trusting in God means believing that He is working for our good. It means having faith that His plans for us are for our benefit, even when we can't see the bigger picture.

Lastly, trusting in God means surrendering our control. It means letting go of our need to understand everything, to plan everything, to control everything. It means accepting that God's ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

In conclusion, let us remember that God has brought us through many dangers, both seen and unseen. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again. Yet, some of us still struggle to put our trust in Him. Let us strive to remember the lessons from Psalms 118:8 and Romans 8:28. Let us strive to trust in God, to believe that He is working for our good, and to surrender our control to Him. For it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.

Conclusion

My dear friends, as we come to the end of our time together today, I want to bring us back to the heart of our message, drawn from the beautiful and timeless words of Psalms 118:8. It's a simple yet profound truth that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

We've been on quite a journey today, haven't we? We've looked back on our own lives, on the countless dangers we've faced, both those we could see and those hidden from our sight. We've seen how God, in His infinite love and mercy, has brought us through each and every one of them. He's been there, guiding us, protecting us, and providing for us.

Yet, despite all this, despite all the evidence of God's faithfulness, some of us still struggle to put our complete trust in Him. We still hold back, clinging to our own strength, our own wisdom, our own understanding. We still try to navigate the storms of life on our own, forgetting that we have a God who is more than capable of calming the seas.

Friends, this should not be so. We serve a God who is trustworthy, a God who is faithful, a God who has proven Himself time and time again. We need to let go of our doubts, our fears, our insecurities, and put our trust in Him.

As we go into this coming week, let's make a conscious effort to be more like Jesus. Let's strive to trust in God the way Jesus did, with a faith that is unshaken, even in the face of the fiercest storm. Let's remember that our God is not a distant God, but a loving Father who cares for us and wants the best for us.

Let's choose to trust Him with our lives, with our futures, with our hopes and dreams. Let's choose to trust Him with our fears, our worries, our doubts. Let's choose to trust Him, not just with the big things, but with the small things as well.

Heavenly Father, we come before You today, humbled by Your love and faithfulness. We thank You for the countless times You've brought us through dangers, both seen and unseen. We confess, Lord, that we often fail to trust You as we should. We ask for Your forgiveness, and we pray that You would help us to trust You more.

As we go into this coming week, help us to be more like Jesus. Help us to trust in You with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding, but acknowledging You in all our ways.

We pray that You would guide our steps, that You would direct our paths, that You would be our refuge and strength. We ask all this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

And now, as we part ways, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Go forth with a renewed trust in the Lord, knowing that He is faithful and will guide you through every step of your journey. Amen.

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