A very famous line from the movie The Karate Kid. The line was part of training for Daniel and he did not understand it until it came time to use the Karate for self-defense and also later in the karate tournament. Mr. Miagi knew what needed to happen to train Daniel for the tough fights ahead and Daniel had to put his life in the hands of Mr. Miagi and trust him with the results. Wow! Trust? This is a difficult lesson for me because I have had so many people disappoint me in life and it has caused me to feel like I cannot trust anyone. This is beyond a forgiveness issue and when you get hit so many times you become a little mistrusting and expect everyone to lie to you or try to hurt you. Mistrust (def) - a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something. This is a condition or attitude many ministers have in today's world and I can tell you from experience it is not something to be taken lightly.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. This scripture is a lifesaver for me because it reemphasizes the trust I must have and do have in the Lord. No matter the circumstances. But then I must live that trust out with other people who, so far, have not lived up to that trust. So what should we do? For me, I must trust the Lord even more and ask Him to calm the spirit of heaviness within me. James wrote this in James 1:5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. It is in God's Word where we find true wisdom and when we ask Him God will supply. Also, remember the Holy Spirit who is in us sympathizes with our doubts much more than any person could do. The Holy Spirit also guides us into what we should pray and shows us how to approach God in that time of need. He is the calming force who intervenes for us and gives us the strength to make it through the tough times.
When following God we make a conscious effort to trust Him for the results in life situations, but that doesn't keep the human element from intervening and drawing us back into the mistrust that can defeat us. At our core, we should be able to trust God and trust people also, but it is not easy and we do live in a fallen world where the unbelievable happens around us every day. Only God can cut through the unexplainable that we face and only God can bring a trusting heart back and cut through the noise of our world. Paul wrote the following to the churches in Galatia in Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Life is not easy, and life in the Spirit is at times sketchy, but God is faithful, so He is our rock when the sand of life is shifting. Stand on that rock!!
The Pilgrimage Continues
David Warren