"... because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?'" Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV)

I want life to be as predictable as a math problem. Two plus two always equals four. It will equal four today, tomorrow, and into the tomorrows years from now.

Math equations don’t experience breakups and letdowns. They don’t get cancer. Or have their best friend move across the country. They don’t have affairs or unmatched affections. They are highly predictable. Therefore, math equations are easy to trust.

But sometimes, life doesn’t add up. Sometimes we can’t make sense of what God is allowing. All of which makes us hold our trust ever so close to our chests, until it becomes more tied to our fears than to our faith.

That’s where I was when my friends Bob and Maria invited me to a retreat at their mountain home. I needed God to untangle some of my trust issues. And the retreat was going well … until someone handed me a helmet. We were about to do a ropes course.

The grand dismount of this course was a leap from a platform to catch a bar suspended several feet away. I started looking around for the emergency exit.

And then Bob appeared. With his enormous smile, he said, “Lysa, this isn’t about finishing the ropes course. This is about conquering your hesitancy, resistance and fear. These ropes holding you will only let you slightly drop if you miss the bar.” He whispered as if he had a window view inside my soul, “Then they will catch you, and you absolutely will not fall.”

I looked at the space between the edge of the platform and the bar. I saw death. Bob saw life. What a visual for the word "trust." What we see will violate what we know — unless what we know dictates what we see.

Bob knew the ropes would hold me. And he knew my ability to survive this jump had nothing to do with my efforts. I was safe while standing on the platform. I would be safe in midair. And I would absolutely be safe whether or not I caught the bar.

I can’t tell you how long I stood there. It felt like days and milliseconds all at the same time. The world swirled and tilted and shifted without me so much as twitching a muscle fiber. I forgot to breathe. I couldn’t even blink.

I imagine you’ve been in situations that felt quite paralyzing as well. And it’s in these times I have to tie my heart to soul-steadying verses like Hebrews 13:5-6: “Because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’”

The peace of our souls does not have to rise and fall with unpredictable people or situations. Our feelings will shift, of course. People do affect us. But the peace of our souls is tethered to all God is. And though we can’t predict His specific plans, the fact that God will work everything together for good is a completely predictable promise (Romans 8:28).

Finally, I closed my eyes, and without any other conscious thought, my soul kicked in where my brain could not. My feet exploded off the platform and into midair. I touched the bar — but did not catch it. I didn’t need to. Because trust caught me.

Lord, I can’t thank You enough for the promise that I can trust You at all times. Even though people may fail me … even though others may abandon me … You never will. I’m choosing to let that truth steady my heart today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Trust is the oxygen of all human relationships. But it’s also what trips you up after you've been burned. Maybe a friend constantly lets you down. A leader or organization you respect turns out to be different than they portray themselves to be. A family member betrays you. And then you begin to wonder, If God let this happen, can He even be trusted? Lysa TerKeurst understands and wants to help you process these thoughts and feelings with her new book, I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t: Moving Forward When You're Skeptical of Others, Afraid of What God Will Allow, and Doubtful of Your Own Discernment. Preorder the Proverbs 31 Ministries Exclusive Edition, and start reading today!

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).

What makes it difficult for you to trust God sometimes? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2024 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.