Summer 2001
Trusting God
By Dr. Ronald L. Taylor,
President,

The Lord has been speaking to me recently from a very interesting passage of scripture found in Isaiah 50:10. I am quoting it here from the Amplified Bible because it emphasizes the thoughts that the Lord has been speaking to me:

“Who is among you who [reverently] fears the Lord, who
obeys the voice of His servant, yet who walks in darkness
and deep trouble and has no shining splendor [in his heart]?
Let him rely on, trust and be confident in the name of the
Lord, and let him lean upon and be supported by His God.”

This verse describes someone who is in a condition that some would say should not exist. If one really does fear the Lord, and obeys His voice, then we do not expect that person to be walking in darkness and deep trouble. We especially do not expect him to have “no shining splendor” in his heart! What, you may ask, is going on here?

The solution to the problem is not hard to find. It is the second sentence in the verse. Every word in the solution is essential: rely, trust, be confident in the name of the Lord, and lean upon, and be supported by God.

Understanding the reason for the problem may be a little more difficult. When we are in a familiar environment and comfortable surroundings, darkness can be simply awesome. If we are outside, in a safe place, away from the noise and lights of the city, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the majesty of the great outdoors. However, not many would want to venture away from the safe place and walk into unknown territory in the darkness!

What is the darkness? In the context of our Christian experience, it is often a time in which we cannot see very far into the future, perhaps not even as far as tomorrow. It definitely feels better to be moving confidently in faith and in power, but that is not always the situation we find ourselves in.

After the Lord has spoken a word of encouragement or direction into our lives, it sometimes feels as if we are invincible. After all, God has spoken! But then comes the test. Those who are familiar with testing in the natural realm know it is a three-step process. First, the teacher gives the student information. Then, the teacher withdraws while the student applies the newly acquired information. Finally, the teacher returns and the result of the student’s performance on the test is evaluated.

It is very important to recognize that the purpose of the test is never to harm or degrade the student. In fact, the better the student performs on the test, the happier the teacher will be. However, without the test, the student would not know if the material has been mastered.

In the natural environment, our training is usually to teach us to be mature and independent. In the spiritual realm, however, our training is to teach us to trust in, and be confident on Him. This is where we learn to lean on Jesus, and not on ourselves.

Trusting on the name of the Lord is to trust on all of the aspects of His Godly nature. Trusting the Lord should not be our last resort. When we have passed the test, it will be the first thing that we do. It is not hard to explain, or to say. But it is often very hard to do. Especially in unknown territory and unfamiliar circumstances! Never the less, trusting is what it is all about.

Isaiah 64:4 says “For from of old, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, not has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him.” (Amplified). Waiting for the Lord is a strong indicator of trust, and of a posture that is leaning on Him, and not on our own strengths or abilities.

In the final analysis, all of us would rather have God show Himself strong in our situation. But, in a time of testing and darkness, are we willing to simply trust in who He said He is, and lean on Him?