Like A Son Learning to Trust: Part II

Deuteronomy 1:32-33

³² In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, ³³ who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
I always wish Deuteronomy 1 had ended with verse 31.  I mean, who doesn't like happy endings.  We're scared, broken, discouraged...and our loving Father comes along, sweeps us into His arms, and carries us the whole way home. 

But right when we think the story is over and the curtain is drawn...comes verse 32-33.  Right when we're about to soak in the glory of a marvelous happy ending- in walks self to ruin the finale.  You heard me: self.  The irony of this chapter is that it ends with you and I.  It's a mirror into our souls reminding us of our inability to give ourselves fully. 

"Despite this...you did not trust Me".  After all He had done, after the miracles, signs and wonders.  After coming to them like a cloud by day and a fire by night.  After leading them step by step, and showing them incredible things.  After fighting for them the entire journey and opening doors they could have never opened themselves...somehow, they are unable or maybe unwilling....to trust. 

Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  I mean, if it were you or I we might be thinking, it wouldn't take much more than watching the Red Sea part for us to trust.  But, I'm afraid we are only fooling ourselves.

You see, this sore, weak muscle called trust must be developed in all of us.  It is a muscle that is so quick to atrophy, so quick to dull and die.  It is a muscle that needs to be exercised daily...and not just once, but time and time again.  It is a muscle that is quick to forget all that God has done in our lives, and even quicker in remembering the hard times. 

I'm guilty of this.  I can imagine Jesus looking at me like a hurting Father sometimes and saying, "Seriously?  After ALL that?  You're still having a hard time trusting me.  What more do I have to do to prove myself to you?"  In spite of all this, sometimes I still refuse to trust.  Like a stubborn child, afraid to let daddy hold her in the water for the first time...(when all along...the water is only 3 feet deep). 

This devotional comes in two parts, because the second part takes the responsibility and puts it in our hands. 

There is great truth in understanding that our Lord carries us like a Father carries his son...but there even greater responsibility in allowing Him to carry us.  He won't carry us by force.  He won't force us to trust Him.  Nothing made of love can be forced.  He will just wait, proving Himself over and over to us until we learn to let go.  Until we learn to lift our arms in desperation and allow Him to pick us up and lead us where He will.  Until we learn to trust Him. 

Maybe we've tried.  Maybe we have been so let down by the world.  Maybe we have been so hurt by others that we tend to associate the idea of trust with pain and disappointment.  Don't allow the mistakes of man to be placed onto God.  Don't allow yourself to transfer your feelings of fear and pain onto the face of God.  Give Him a chance.  Let Him take that pain from you.   

Let Him show you that He can be trusted.