Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Bad Bite of a Bay
I was in my early grade school years when my dad bought a little Bay horse for me. I named her Judy, which must have been one of my favorite names because I also named one of my baby dolls Judy. This horse was a well-behaved animal and I liked her. One day when I emptied the feed scoop into her trough, she turned her head and bit hard on my abdomen as I walked away. If she had simply nipped me with her soft lips, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But because she hurt me, I couldn’t trust her anymore. I never rode her again, so Dad sold her. I didn’t care, because I no longer liked her. I couldn’t trust this equine any further than I could throw her.
“Some trust in chariots. Some trust in horses. But we trust in the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7 NIRV). Although I found out I couldn’t trust my horse Judy, I have proved that I can always trust God. I’ve been trusting Him for over 58 years and He’s proven to be a faithful and never-changing Father. He’s not up one day and down the next. He’s not an angry God. He’s patient and kind and not willing to leave us alone even on the darkest night.
David sang this scripture song to the Lord on the day He rescued him from all his enemies and from King Saul: “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God is my strong fortress and He makes my way perfect“ (2 Samuel 22:31-33 NLT). Even though God sometimes does things we don’t understand, He remains trustworthy.
We can trust God with everything because He is reliable. Here is a strong affirmation of faith: “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand…” (Psalm 31:14-15 NKJV). The latter portion of this scripture has been a huge comfort to me in recent years. Our lives can be so disrupted and different from what we assumed it would be, that we have to resign ourselves to God’s care. Let’s face it, our times, our lives, and our future simply cannot be in our own hands. Why? Because God didn’t design us to be in charge of our own lives. Believers must entrust every part of our lives to the One who makes our way perfect.
It’s sad when a Christ follower says, “I know I should trust God, but I don’t.” In this case, my humble advice is to make a decision to believe what God’s Word says. A change of mindset is absolutely necessary to take appropriate steps toward trusting God in every circumstance — past, present, and future.
Solid principals for trusting God in difficult times are found in His Word. “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 AMP). God is telling us not to depend on our frail human understanding, but to trust Him to know and do the perfect thing in every tough and mind-boggling situation. He’s got a great track record from Genesis to Revelation. Need proof? Read it for yourself.
The Key: No matter how bad you’ve been bitten, you can always trust God.