God is Trustworthy, Part 4
God is Trustworthy, Part 4
Characteristics of God, God is an Example to Imitate
What Can We Expect to Happen if We Trust in God?
Last week, we looked at the consequences of not trusting in God. The results weren’t pretty. We talked about discipline, God’s wrath, removal of God’s presence, shame, defeat, and death. This week, we’ll look at the opposite side. What can we expect to happen if we do trust in God? Let me tell you, the answer this week is a whole lot better than last week! There are a lot of benefits to trusting God, so I’ll try to combine some of them with a single verse or passage if possible. You may also see some of the benefits in more than one group because so many verses discuss multiple benefits.
Salvation/Deliverance/No Shame
When we are under attack, the ideas of needing to be saved or delivered and not wanting to face shame all go together. When we put our full trust in God, God is there to save us or deliver us from our enemy. He will not let his people see shame if they truly trust in him.
Psalm 22:4-5: 4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
Salvation/No Fear/Strength
Similarly, when the enemy is chasing us, we tend to fear what will happen if he overpowers us. But if we trust in God to fight for us, we will not have fear. We know that whatever happens is part of God’s plan for our lives. In the end, God will be the one who gives us strength, who defends us, and who saves us.
Isaiah 12:2: Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.”
Not Shaken
When we face battles in our lives, it seems like the ground could just fall out from under us, leaving us shaken and broken. But God promises that if we trust in him, if we make him the foundation of our lives, that foundation will never be shaken.
Psalm 21:7: For the king trusts in the Lord;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.
Victory/Presence of God/Answered Prayer
When we looked last week at what happened when the Israelites did not trust in God, we found that they were faced with defeat and God’s wrath. God was so angry that he removed his presence from the Israelites. The opposite happened when the Israelites, led by their kings, trusted in God. Instead of defeat and removal of God’s presence, when they trusted in God, they received victory and answered prayer. God was with them when they trusted in him, just as he is with us when we trust in him.
2 Kings 18:5-8: 5 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6 He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.
1 Chronicles 5:20: They were helped in fighting them, and God delivered the Hagrites and all their allies into their hands, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him.
Salvation/Mercy/Joy
A couple more verses about God saving us. These verses have a bit of a different tone to them. Whereas the verses above seemed to be dealing with outside enemies, these verses appear to be just between God and his people. These verses are filled with joy for God’s salvation and mercy that comes when we trust in him. Whereas the first two passages had a tone of relief, these verses have a tone of celebration.
Psalm 86:2-4: 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
Isaiah 25:9: In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Joy/Peace/Safety/Hope
Keeping on the theme of joy, God will fill our hearts with joy as we trust in him. Why? Because he brings us peace, he brings us hope, he provides for us, and he provides safety. What a great list of reasons to trust in God!
Psalm 4:5-8: 5 Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the Lord.6 Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
7 Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Straight Paths
Sometimes the road of life seems confusing. How does God want me to spend my life? What job should I do? What school should I go to? What church should I go to? Who should I marry? We have so many questions about life, and God has a simple answer: Trust in him. If we submit to God in all our ways, he will show us the way to go.
Proverbs 3:5-6: 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Blessing/Bear Fruit
One of the goals of a Christian life is to bear fruit. That fruit comes in the form of developing characteristics that are like God’s (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc., see Galatians 5:22-23, John 15:1-17). That fruit comes in the form of sharing the message of Jesus and seeing others come to faith in him. If we trust in God, he will bless that trust by causing our lives to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8: 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”
Conclusion
You know what I noticed as I read through these passages? When we trust in God, God is the one who does all the work to give us all the benefits of that trust. We don’t have to do anything else. If we trust in God, God delivers us and saves us. If we trust in God, God gives us joy and hope and peace. If we trust in God, God shows us which path to take. If we trust in God, God will bless us and cause us to bear fruit. The trust isn’t really about me. It’s all about God being trustworthy. We can trust in him because he is trustworthy to do all he has promised. Once we understand that, the trust on our part should be easy.
Premium Resources
Each individual characteristic of God study will come with two resources: a word search just for fun (including an answer key), and a list of verses for if you want to investigate that individual characteristic of God more completely.
You can access these resources by clicking here: God Is Trustworthy Resources
Or you can download them here:
