"You are my hope, O LORD God; You are my trust from my youth."
Psalm 71:5
Each person has a different developmental task at different stages in life. The first developmental task everyone has is from birth until 18 months of age. It's about the relationship of a mother and her baby. According to Erik Erikson, the baby learns the first lesson of life from the mother. It's called trust. The baby must trust another person for every need to be met. The infant cries out to the mother for help. It is the cry of the helpless one. If a person doesn't develop that trust with mother, it affects the person in all relationships of life, including our relationship with God. The psalmist learned to trust God from his youth.
Do you trust God to be there for you? He is trustworthy. We cannot have a meaningful relationship with anyone without trust. That includes God. Learning to trust God more and more is the way to spiritual maturity. How is that accomplished? It comes from God working in our hearts. He gives us hope. This is an abiding gift from God's Spirit (1 Cor. 13:13).
Trust grows over the years from our experiences with God. We trust in the name of the LORD, His covenant name. He makes covenant promises for all who trust in Him. More and more, we discover that each one of those promises recorded in the Bible is trustworthy.
From time to time, God will allow us to be in circumstances which are trying and maybe difficult. He is not punishing us, but He is allowing us to learn to trust Him more. During the ordeal, we may be very uncomfortable and anxious, but as we trust Him, we shall discover His faithfulness. We find Him trustworthy through it all. If you are in a difficult time today, read God's Word to you. Know His promises. Trust His name. One day you will look back and know that He meant it for good. "Oh for grace to trust Him more."
God, give us grace to trust You more.
