“Knowing Christ is the best thing that has ever happened to me, although winning the US Open was a pretty good second.”

Alison Nicholas

Trust

Just nine words but what important words. Of course, it begs the question: what does it mean to trust and in particular to trust God? For the writer trusting in God, means that his hope is in God all day long. It implies waiting for God, accepting God’s timing. The writer expects that, in response to his trust, God will:

Never put him/her to shame; (v 3)
Guide him/her in the truth; (v 5)
Show mercy and love; (v 6)
Forgive his/her sins; (v 7)

In verse 9 the Psalmist writes that God guides the humble. Trusting in God requires a humble attitude, recognizing that we cannot do it alone.

But we live in the real world and we have to be sensible and practical. When I was co-ordinating Olympic chaplaincy a few years ago, one potential chaplain told me he would not be applying, he was just trusting the Lord that he would be appointed. Needless to say he wasn’t.

If you want to be in the next Olympics, you need to train every day. If you want to be a doctor, you need to study medicine. “Trusting in God” alone will not get you there.

But if we work hard, do our part and do it with an attitude of trusting in God – or as the Psalmist writes having your hope in God all day long, then you are in with a chance. And if it does not work out exactly as you wanted, it is not the end of the world. You can still trust God to get you to where you need to be.

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