So we would trust Him

This has all happened so that we would learn to trust God. If God is our God during the best of times, then he is still our God during the worst of times.

My husband is smart. He knew that before he left he had to get Samuel to trust him. It was a priority so that Samuel knew that when we said ‘we will be coming back to get you soon’ that we were not just giving him empty words. Do you remember how Jake taught Samuel to trust him? By luring him to jump into the deep end of the swimming pool where he could not touch. Samuel had to learn that when Jake said ‘I will catch you’ that he meant it. It’s kind of like that old trick where someone stands behind you and you are supposed to fall backwards into their arms, stiff-legged. You cannot see if the person behind you is actually there. And in fact, if they are not there, and you fall backwards, then it will hurt. Really bad. Usually the person who is standing behind you to catch you is saying, “Do you trust me?”

Right now we are in the deep end of the swimming pool. And we cannot touch and we cannot swim. And God is saying, “Do you trust me?”

I’ve been reading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. On page 123 he says this:

When Jesus sent out His twelve disciples (Luke 9:3), He told them to “take nothing for the journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.” Why do you suppose He said this? Why not let them run home and grab a few supplies? Why not allow them to bring some money along just in case?

Jesus was forcing His disciples to trust Him. God would have to come through for them because they had nothing else to fall back on.

This place of trust isn’t a comfortable place to be; in fact it flies in the face of everything we’ve been taught about proper planning. We like finding refuge in what we already have rather than in what we hope God will provide. But when Christ says to count the cost of following Him, it means we surrender everything. It means being willing to go without an extra tunic or place to sleep at night, and sometimes without knowing where we are going. God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He wants to be our refuge.

You know I’ve been dreading going to church on Sunday. I don’t want to see anyone that I know. I don't want to explain what happened to those who haven't heard. I don’t want to sing when I feel like sobbing. I don’t want to look around and see happy, smiling people when I am feeling dead inside. But, this is what Satan wants. Satan wants us to look at our circumstances and shout angrily at God. To get mad at God for what has happened. To question God and say ‘How could you have done this?’ Satan wants us to curse God and turn away from Him. He wants us to think that we are in the deep end of the swimming pool, abandoned by God, with no one to save us. My friend emailed me a few days ago and said, ‘Adoption is the very heart of God. So Satan will try all things.’ Do I believe that evil is involved in this? Yes. Satan does not want Samuel to come home. He does not want Samuel to enjoy a new life, with a loving family who will teach him all about the Lord. God is going to use Samuel for great things. God is going to use our adoption story to advance His kingdom. And Satan is trying to put a stop to this. But, we have one who will fight this battle for us. Psalm 35 reminds me that God will contend with those who contend with us, He will fight against those who fight against us, He will come to our aid and scatter those who are our enemies without cause.

And so, you will see me at church on Sunday. I am going to lift up my hands, sing through my tears, and praise my God who is my God in the best of times, and my God in the worst of times. His love reaches to the heavens. His faithfulness to the skies. His righteousness is like the mighty mountains. His justice like the great deep. His unfailing love is priceless (Psalm 36:5-7). He will give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies (Psalm 60:11-12). He will defend the cause of the weak and fatherless. He will maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. He will rescue the weak and needy, delivering them from the hand of the wicked (Psalm 82:2-4). He is a refuge for the oppressed. He is a strong hold in times of trouble. We can trust in His name, for he has never forsaken those who seek Him (Psalm 9:9-10).

He’s been faithful before. He’ll be faithful again.