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Friday, September 19, 2014

P2 - Do you trust God?


DO YOU TRUST GOD?
Psalm 139:1 "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."

Psalm 139:23-24 "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."

Review from yesterday:
The above opening verses for today's post serve to frame the contents of Psalm 139. David is indicating that in His relationship with God, God has thoroughly searched and known him (139:1) and that he is willing to surrender himself to further scrutiny by God (139:23-24). These verses together communicate the necessity to trust God. We saw yesterday the following main point of application: How much you trust God depends upon how well you know God and surrender to Him.  We looked at the first foundation for trusting God: namely knowing God. Today we consider the second foundation for trusting God: surrender to God.

The MRI machine as an illustration of trust
I can recall many years ago having a work injury. When I went to the hospital the company had me undergo a required MRI scan to see if I had a concussion. For anyone who has had to undergo such an ordeal, they are anything but comfortable. The machine I was required to enter was the full -length kind. My level of trust in the doctor was admittedly low. I had never met the man and I was instructed to place my trust in his hands. 

When he told me to get into that tube with only 1 inch of space around my body and to wear earplugs for the loud bursting and banging noise, I'll admit the temptation to run was pretty keen. Yet as the doctor talked to me and as I got to know him a little bit, being convinced of his knowledge and calmed by his bed-side manner, once I surrendered - my trust level took over. You may laugh - but I thought; "what have I to lose"?

When it comes to trusting God, we many times may know a lot about God, however unless the second foundation is in place - namely surrendering to God, trust will never be present. Notice what David writes in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart;Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." 

Does it truly make you comfortable to know that God knows everything about you? Clearly David is comfortable. If anything, David is asking - no - begging God to examine him even more thoroughly. In trusting God, the believer desires nothing less than closeness with God, even if it means finding out further things about themselves they would rather not know. When we see the phrase "see if there be any hurtful way within me", such a statement is issuing from a surrendered heart trusting God. 

The same author, David, writes in Psalm 94:19 "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,Your consolations delight my soul." David was in numerous situations where there was opportunity to be anxious and to trust God. He learned by being in God's spiritual MRI machine that it is best to surrender and know the great physician, rather than making a run for it. 

Closing thoughts:
So as we close out this short series, I ask you dear reader: Do you trust God? How much you know God from scriptures such as Psalm 139, and how much you choose to surrender and let Him have His way will determine how much you trust Him.