Developing a Trusting Heart

Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

–Hebrews 11:6

God desires for each of us to have a heart that is obedient to Him. But our lives will never be characterized by consistent obedience to God until we learn to trust Him.

The Bible uses “trust” as a synonym for “faith.” When we talk about trust, we’re really talking about faith. For example, in Matthew 17:20, Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.”

If we’re going to have the kind of faith God wants from us, we have to know what faith is and what it isn’t.

First, faith is not the ability to predict the future. Somebody might say, “I’m trusting that God will give me this job,” or, “I’m trusting that God will heal me.” Unless God has given you a specific word that He is going to do those things, that is not faith; that is presumption.

Second, faith is not the absence of doubt. Years ago, I took a group to Turkey and Greece to retrace the missionary steps of the apostle Paul. However, my wife and kids were not able to go with me. So before I left, I called a friend and said, “In case something happens, I want you to make sure Amy and the girls are taken care of.” Now, I had enough faith to take the trip. I believed our transportation would go smoothly. But my belief was not enough to erase all doubt. I had just enough faith to take action.

Faith is believing that God is going to do what He promised to do and acting accordingly. It’s not the quantity of our faith that matters but the object of our faith. Remember, Jesus said a teeny-tiny amount of faith is enough to move a mountain. Think about Abraham. He had just enough faith in God’s promise that he was willing to move to a country he had not seen. I imagine he had a few doubts, but he had just enough faith to move his family. Or think about Noah. He had just enough faith that God was going to destroy the world by a flood that he was willing to build a boat. I imagine he had doubts, but he had just enough faith to do what God told him to do. That’s what God wants from us too.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Developing a Trusting Heart” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.