THE TRUSTING HEART
The webster’s dictionary describes trust as “confidence in a person or thing because of the qualities one perceives or seems to perceive in him or it.”
This ability to trust someone is not born overnight. It is an entity that develops in the bosom of a relationship. Sometimes you can trust a person with one thing but not another. You can trust them in one circumstance but not another. But God is calling us to trust him in every aspect of our lives, in all circumstances. To understand this aspect of trust the Lord as lead me to explore the life of David “a man after God’s own heart”
The first mention of David comes in 1 Samuel 16: 1-13: It was very auspicious occasion where God asked Samuel to go and anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king.
4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.
(The arrival of Samuel to a village or town was a significant event. He could not sneak into town unannounced. This was an event that brought the attention of everyone. Samuel was a man of great standing and commanded the respect of the whole nation, for him to come to your town was an occasion of note.)
And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made ||Shammah to pass by. And he said, neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
(Samuel asked Jesse to introduce his sons to him. Jesse brought seven of his sons. But he did not bring the eighth. When a child is ignored on such a grand occasion it is because he is considered of little significance. Bring all your sons Samuel said but Jesse brings all but one. Fortunately, God was watching. God is always watching for our good. Though men would try to rob us of what is good for us God will establish it. At first Samuel fell into the flaw of human thinking, he looked on Eliab and said, this is God’s anointed. He reminded him of Saul, Tall and robust, but God said, it is not him. God said to him, you are using human criteria to choose my man, I do not use such criteria, I look not on the outward appearance, I look on the heart.
Samuel did not make another mistake. Each one that passed before him, “not this one” and again “Not this one.” Until all had passed.
It can become frustrating when it seems that things are not working out. All seven sons had passed before Samuel, yet none of them were the person God wanted. God does not settle. He gets what He wants!! We too must be a people who do not settle.
Samuel had asked Jesse to bring his children and he brought seven. Samuel could have concluded that there were no more. But God had told Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse. Yet it seemed as if all the sons had passed and God had not chosen one. To trust God, we must know his promises and we must know his character. He always fulfills his promises. Samuel knew this so he asked the question: in verse 11 of chapter 16 of 1 Samuel
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And here comes the answer:
….there remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.
It was one of those melodramatic moments, when the sound of the movie rises to a pitch. Samuel stood waiting to see what this last son looked like. Why was he so special to God but of little consequence to his Father. A shepherd boy off by himself tending his father’s sheep while his father refused to give him the opportunity of a lifetime and introduce him to Samuel. The Bible says that what Samuel saw was a small but handsome boy. The New Living Translation says “He was dark and handsome with beautiful eyes.”
However, the most significant account in this story is that the Holy Spirit came upon him and changed his life. It is this spirit which directed his life hereafter.
Do you feel insignificant?
Do others look down on you?
Are you the one who is always left out?
Don’t fret yourself put your trust in God, he has need of you!! Paul states in 1 Corinth:1:26-29
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God is not a respecter of persons try him and see. He is interested in your heart.
He saw in David something that he could work with, and he chose David above his brothers. David continued to build on his relationship with Jesus as he spent hours alone in the wilderness with Sheep.
To build a trusting relationship with anyone you must spend time alone with them. You share experiences with them. The more perilous the experience the greater your souls will be knitted together. David killed a lion, and then a bear and this was followed by the killing of Goliath. Listen to David’s words as he spoke to Saul. Here the confidence with which he speaks. Acknowledge the absence of doubt about the outcome of the venture and ask ourselves, how much trust do we place in God?
1Samuel 17: 32-37
And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
In this situation, what was it that David had to lose. He put online the most expensive commodity that he had – his life. Failure meant death.
David trusted God because he knew that God is reliable- He always keeps his promises:
Numbers 23:19 States:
God is not a man that he should lie
Nor the son of man that he should repent
Has he said, and will he not do?
Or has he spoken and will he not make it good?
David knew the promises of God: Deut. 31: 6
Be strong and of good courage
Do not fear nor be afraid of them;
For the LORD your God , He is the One who goes with you.
He will not leave you not forsake you.
and again in Deut. 20:4
For the LORD your God is he who goes with you
To fight for you against your enemies
To save you.
He did not bat an eyelid in his decision to take on the Philistine Goliath. David did not just trust God. He trusted God with his LIFE!! David had developed a relationship with God in which he had risked his life twice previously and God had manifested himself to deliver him.
Do we see God working in our lives: The Word has promises for us too.
To provide our needs: Matthew 6:31
Therefore do not worry saying “What shall we eat or what shall we drink?” Or “what shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly father knows that you need all these things.
To assist us with temptation:
1Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.
to help us in times of difficulty when it seems that there is nowhere you can turn to.
To provide for us when all the money is gone and you don’t where the next dollar is coming from.
To comfort us, in times of sorrow and distress.
To teach us and help us to grow spiritually.
Whatever God has done for you lately?
You can trust that he will do it again. People change but God does not.
The song writer W.C. Martin pens it beautifully in the song : “I trust in God”
1. I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land or on the rolling sea,
For, come what may, from day to day,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.
Chorus
I trust in God, I know He cares for me,
On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea;
Tho' billows roll, He keeps my soul,
My heavn'ly Father watches over me.
2. He makes the rose an object of His care,
He guides the eagle thru the pathless air,
And surely He remembers me,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.
3. I trust in God, for in the the lion's den,
On battlefield, or in the prison pen,
Thru praise or blame, thru flood or flame,
My heav'nly Father watches over me.
4. The valley may be dark, the shadows deep
But O, The Shepherd guards His lonely sheep;
And thru the gloom, He'll lead me home
My heav'nly Father watches over me.
David was successful in killing Goliath and was on the mountain top. He was enjoying the comforts of being in the royal environs, but this did not last too long. Soon after his rise to fame Saul grew jealous of him and sought to slay him. He had to run from a life of grandeur to a life of a fugitive in a wild land. His fall from grace must have been a tremendous blow. He never anticipated that he would have found himself in such a position
God understands what we are going through each step of the way. For David, he did not leave him alone.
After fleeing from the king Saul hither and thither, God placed the king into the hands of David. The Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding in the hills of Hachilah, so Saul and his army of 3,000 men went in search of him. But God allowed a deep sleep to come upon them! 1 Samuel 26: 6-12
David had every opportunity to end the conflict here and then. No one could deny him the right to slay his enemy when given the opportunity. Abishai provided him with adequate excuse- “God has delivered him into your hands”. This was not the first time. This was the second occasion that King Saul was at the mercy of David. Yet David stay true to his principles” And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? 10 David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord’s anointed:”
David trusted God to deliver on his promise in his time. David had come to the point where he placed his destiny in God’s hands. He refused to slay King Saul because he would not touch the Lord’s anointed. He believed God to find a way to bring him to his destination.
In order to trust God fully we must seek and know his will for our lives. When you know God’s will you become more thankful when he blesses you. You become wiser when difficulties come upon you. You gain a better perspective in life because you know God is guiding you.
Finally and most of all. We must know that God loves us. This was something David understood and it awoken in him a passion for God that nothing could replace. Such that he wanted to build a temple for God.
We must acknowledge God’s tremendous love for us such that He did not spared his own Son but delivered him up for us all. If he did that for us while we were yet sinners- how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Jesus tells us in Luke: 12:32
Do not fear little Flock, for it is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
1. Trust In God, And Do The Right
Poet: Norman McLeod
Courage, brother! do not stumble,
Though thy path be dark as night;
There's a star to guide the humble;
Trust in God and do the right.
Let the road be rough and dreary,
And its end far out of sight,
Foot it bravely! strong or weary,
Trust in God and do the right.
Perish policy and cunning!
Perish all that fears the light!
"Whether losing, whether winning,
Trust in God and do the right.
Trust no party, sect, or faction;
Trust no leaders in the fight;
But in every word and action,
Trust in God and do the right.
Trust no lovely forms of passion -
Friends may look like angels bright;
Trust no custom, school, or fashion,
Trust in God and do the right.
Simple rule and safest guiding,
Inward peace and inward might,
Star upon our path abiding, -
Trust in God and do the right.
Some will hate thee, some will love thee,
Some will flatter, some will slight:
Cease from man and look above thee;
Trust in God and do the right.
