It's interesting when your kids become parents they start to tell you how you parented. You get a review whether you solicited it or not. Sometimes Karen and I found it hilarious. Sometimes convicting. Sometimes affirming. Sometimes even touching.
An observation from our oldest son really got to me. He said, "There's something you guys did that made a difference in the way we turned out." Well, I wanted to know what that was. You're not always sure at the time. He said, "You gave us a lot of trust even when it must have been scary to do it." Well frankly it was and we couldn't be sure how it would turn out. But he was telling us something very revealing. He responds to trust. He's not alone.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Trust - The Way to God's Heart."
Now we all like for someone to trust us. In fact, trust often brings out our best. In a way we're like our Creator, He'll do His best work in our lives in response to our trust. For example, in our word for today from the Word of God in Luke 8:48, a woman with a 12-year incurable medical problem is finally healed by Jesus, and He says, "Daughter, your faith has healed you." Later in chapter 18, verse 42 of Luke a blind man comes to Him and He says, "Receive your sight, your faith has healed you." That's a pretty common phrase in Jesus' healings.
Like the people who came to Jesus in the New Testament, we often come with a great need. Maybe you're thinking of a need that you've been bringing Him recently, or you need to - financial, relationship, family, medical? It's a need for some help, some answers, some company maybe. The Bible is clear in portraying Jesus as a savior who has walked in our shoes, who feels what we feel, who cares about those needs. But ultimately, it isn't need that Jesus responds to. A lot of people needed Him; but He said it was faith that triggered the answer to the need. Jesus responds primarily to faith more than need.
Everyone needs rescue from the death penalty of sin; every one of us. But faith in what Jesus did is the difference between those who are saved – rescued – and those who are not. And Jesus said it was faith that triggered the supernatural for those people that He healed. It wasn't just the need. You can see this from the flipside of that in Mark 6:5-6, in His hometown of Nazareth. It says, "And because of their unbelief, He could not do any miracles among them."
They didn't have faith. The resources of God are accessed by active faith in Him. A lot of time Jesus doesn't do miracles where people are not believing and expecting Him to.
Are you moving ahead with the confidence of someone who really believes your Savior's in charge? He's in control, not you. That He's working on a comprehensive answer, not just an instant partial one. Are you someone who believes that His promises are totally true and you can plant both your feet on them? There's a lightness, a steadiness in a believer who has total trust in their Lord to do what is best for His glory and His child's good.
Maybe today is the day you bring it to Jesus one more time, only this time in an attitude of total surrender; totally resting on His promises with this childlike trust. He'd trade your trust for His peace and ultimately for His sovereign, loving intervention. My son said, "You trusted me" and that made the difference. When your Heavenly Father touches your need with His power, will He be able to say to you, "You trusted me and that made the difference"?
By the way, maybe you don't have a relationship with Jesus. Nobody does automatically. Nobody can go to heaven without first of all exercising total trust in what Jesus did on the cross for them and His resurrection from the dead. Trust is the difference between heaven and hell. Not agreement with Jesus. Total trust in Him.
If you've never done that, make this your day. Go to our website and find out more - ANewStory.com. Trust in Jesus changes everything.