Dearly beloved in Christ,
I greet you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man has faith in so many things. He believes in things created by himself. He thinks that he possesses a lot of land or a big business or a good house or good children. He places his trust in the gain he has in business. Thus, he relies on certain of his possessions. Some trust in the gods chosen by them and do some poojas and rites. Some trust in the parents who had started their business and earned properties for them and worship the photos of dead parents.
Once a man came to me to pray for healing of his skin disease. He was a Christian who went to church regularly. He gave offerings and involved himself in the ministry. The Lord Jesus Christ who loved him pointed out the mistakes in his life. He used to stand before the picture of his father who was dead as soon as he entered his shop. He had the practice of lighting a candle and place incense sticks before it. Hence the disease in his body. The Lord revealed it. He said that he used to do it for several years. I asked him to remove it and to pray to the Lord God who is Spirit humbling himself. I counselled him to do it with the assurance that the disease would vanish, and peace and joy would abound in his boundary. He accepted my counsel. He had miraculous healing. With such wrong faith and trust in wrong practices lead to sufferings in the body as well as in the family.
Some trust in the directions, or numbers or in Vaastu. Such wrong faiths bring sufferings and tribulations in life. Not knowing the Lord who created the universe with the utterance of His word of power, they indulge in superstitious practices and are led astray in their thoughts.
Dear Brother/ Sister, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who had done everything for us. When we trust Him, we are really blessed.
IN WHAT SHOULD WE TRUST?
1. Trust in the Name of the Lord
“... and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.” (Zephaniah 3:12)
Trust in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a name that is mighty. The use of the name works miracles and brings about peace. With it we have counsel.
Using that name, we cast out the demons. Jesus said, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues” (Mark 16:17). When we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, there is real joy. “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). It is the name given to us for our salvation: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Those who have faith in this high holy name will see miracles happen through the use of this name. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10). So, let us place our trust in the name of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Trust the Word of the Lord
“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
(2 Corinthians 1:20).
“To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews” (Acts 26:7).
We should place our trust in the Words of Life of the Lord. They do not change. They are spirit and life. They can heal you. From time immemorial, all those who relied on the Word of God and committed to live accordingly saw miracles and experienced them. They experience it even today. They placed their trust in it and inherited life and healthy life. Let us hold on to it and live with radiance.
3. Trust the Counsel of the Lord
“This also comes from the Lord of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.” (Isaiah 28:29).
One of the names of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Counsellor. His counsels are wonderful and blessed. Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” The counsel of the Lord brings blessings and success in life. Where there is no counsel, there is destruction.
BLESSINGS THAT ENSUE IN TRUSTING THE LORD
The blessings that arise out of trusting the Lord are set out below:
1. Deliverance from Captivity
‘“For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord’ (Jeremiah 39:18)
The salvation of the Lord works according to the measure of the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are so many people who yearn for deliverance. Without deliverance, they are depressed and go to the extent of committing suicide. The number of suicides keeps increasing day by day. A large group wait with tears for the day of deliverance.
“Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them” (Psalm 22:4). This is recorded for you. Dear Brother/ Sister, your problem may be financial, or sinful habits, or demon-possession. It might even be the problems in your workplace or in the family. You need deliverance from your weakness. He will certainly deliver you from all your problems and tribulations in your life. Do not fret or be disturbed because of the wrong accusations against you. Trust in the Lord. “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned” (Psalm 34:22). You will be delivered from the unjust accusations.
One preacher suffered from abscesses in him and in his children. The child could not wear dress. It could not sit. Such were its miseries. He knew that the Lord alone could deliver him. He thus trusted in the Lord and began to fast and pray with a body of believers. The Lord who hears prayers listened to him and miraculously healed them.
Dear child of God living in agony, the Lord knows those who believe in Him. He can deliver you fully. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who can deliver you.
Job was a devotee of God, but came under suffering, bodily and mentally. He lost all his possessions and wealth. He lost his children, his health, and his peace through his wife. No one could understand his state. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him” (Job 13:15). Job thus declared his trust in the Lord. This Job was delivered and was blessed two-fold.
Dear Brother/ Sister, in the midst of your problems and struggles in life, if you trust in the Lord, He will not only deliver you but also bless you many-fold in a way that is better than you were.
2. Refuge Granted
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25).
We should trust in the Lord for salvation and deliverance, and should be preserved in this salvation on a daily basis. We see that this protection is given to us only when we trust in Him. Man generally seeks this protection in his wealth, wisdom, strength and caste. All these can be easily done away with. We can’t rely on them. The former Prime Minister Indra Gandhi had certain bodyguards for her. But one of those bodyguards killed her. Such is our worldly protection.
Mostly people place their trust in their wealth, or mortal men for their protection. Thus they spoil their body, soul and spirit. But when we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, he gives us high level protection.
Once some youths were conducting a retreat near a water falls in Courtallum. They were meditating on the word of God. At that time a young man who had his trust in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour was in charge of their food preparation. He completed his work and went to the falls to clean some of the things there. But somehow, he slipped and fell into the whirlpool of the falls from which there could be no escape. Everyone expected that he would have died and were only searching for his body. But the Lord protected him from sure death and made him sit on a rock. The fire-service personnel who came for rescue operation brought him safe out of it. Thus, there are innumerable testimonies of persons who had trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even in your life too, he wants to extend his protection for which His nail-pierced hands are extended to you. If you accept it and live, won’t your family be protected as the nest of an eagle built on a rock?
3. You will be Crowned with Success
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5).
Today man tries to achieve success through his efforts using his intelligence, and money power and other means, but fail in their attempts and live with no hope. He keeps blaming others and the times. When you trust the Lord God, you will not be defeated. He will bless all that you do hundred times. Isaac obeyed the word of the Lord trusting Him. He sowed when there was famine in the land, but he had a plentiful harvest of a hundred times. When this trust in the Lord decreases, there is the likelihood of the decrease in returns in all that we do.
Agriculturists take enormous efforts to save their cultivation by using pesticides and manures, and yet fail in their attempts to make a significant earning. All efforts go in vain. Dear child of God, you should realize that there is a God of power who works over us. Without His help, nothing will materialize. Place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He will bring all of them to pass. You would have prosperity and success in what you do only through Him.
Do you meet with difficulties in completing the construction of your house? Has your married life been stressful? Are you not successful in getting employed? Do you face sufferings in your body because of diseases and no remedies? Are you upset and feel disappointed in the failures you continue to confront? Do you find it difficult to settle your loans? Defeats, disappointments, diseases, deaths and demonic activities threaten your very life? There is only one remedy: place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who will make things happen.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
When we trust the Lord, we would have peace and joy in full measure. Man seeks peace through several devious ways. Because of the disloyalty of the wife, he takes to drinking and further does damage to his body and loses the very little peace he had. Some place their trust in their dear children, and when they shift their attachments, they have no peace of mind. In this world where there is no hope, Jesus Christ is the only hope.
Man created in the image of God lost his peace when Satan entered his life by cheating him. Curse came upon him. He was made to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree, by making him believe that he would not die but that his eyes would be opened and that he would be like God. Now the Lord Jesus Christ wants to deliver you from the clutches of Satan. Now place your trust in the word of God. He says: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). If you trust in Him that He will strengthen and help you, you would have peace pursuing you as a river. He said that He would leave behind Him His peace. Trust Him. His words are true. You would have peace, permanent and lasting.
4. Mercy Will Encircle You
“... But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.” (Psalm 32:10)
Mercy is the favour shown to undeserving people. It is the love showered on the unrighteous sinners. We are preserved from enemies only because of this grace. We should not forget the verse: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lam. 3:22). All the blessings of health, strength, status, material possessions of wealth and house, peace and other embellishments we enjoy are what are bestowed upon us by His grace. We in no way deserve them. Let us consider them for a while. Even when one is not faithful at work, he is not removed. This is the Lord’s grace. The Lord God has extended His mercy to you and these days of grace so that you might repent. For this mercy to abound and to exist permanently in your life, you should place your trust only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just think of the accidents that happen around us. We are not sure whether we would return home safely. See the diseases with which people are afflicted. There are so many evil spirits that surround us and remain invisible. Dangers are around us all the time. Is it not the mercy of the Lord that protects us from all these? For this mercy to last longer in your life, place your trust in the Lord.
5. You will Prosper
“He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.” (Proverbs 28:25)
For deliverance from this captivity and to flourish unhampered by all the prevalent dangers around us, we need to trust in the benevolent Lord. For strength in the body, people trust in good food. Some place their trust in objects that are themselves transient and perishable. Do you think that they can give you peace, joy and prosperity? The peace or joy that comes from possession of wealth are short-lived. They disappear as soon as these objects disappear. But the Lord God lives forever. He is the source of all blessings. Whatever be the things that hamper your peace and joy – the delays and disappointments in the lives of children, the loss and afflictions – they will disappear when you place your trust in the Lord the Provider of all our needs. You would have prosperity and blessings in Him. He is the real salvation and refuge. He will supply all your needs. As the Lord blessed Isaac, you would prosper and you would be great. Only trust in the Lord. Let us be blessed in Him.
May the Lord bless us!
In the service of Christ Jesus,
Bro. C. Ebenezer Paul.
