Learning to Trust the Lord

See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them. – Deuteronomy 1:8

Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was supposed to be quick and full of trust. However, it was the opposite. Though the Lord had already demonstrated His power by delivering the Israelites from slavery, bringing them through the Red Sea, providing food and water for them in the wilderness, and guiding them by His presence, their fear overcame their faith when they stood at the edge of Canaan. They saw the strength of the land’s inhabitants, forgot God’s faithfulness, and had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. It appeared that hope was lost. It was not. Deuteronomy 1 reminds us that the forty years were not proof that God had abandoned them in anger, nor were they wasted years. Quite the opposite. God taught them that life with Him is not about arriving at a destination; it is about learning, along the way, that our Lord is trustworthy. The circumstances that expose our fears, weaken our self-reliance, and teach us to depend more completely upon His promises. 

Our spiritual journeys can feel much the same. We may wish that God would take us immediately from difficulty to blessing, from uncertainty to clarity, from struggle to victory. Yet our Lord is often doing deeper work in us as we journey with Him. He teaches us to walk by faith rather than by sight and reminds us of His past faithfulness when we face uncertainty. Just as the wilderness was not evidence that God had abandoned them, our seasons of waiting, hardship, and uncertainty aren’t signs of His abandonment either. That’s what the Devil wants us to believe. Rather, the wilderness is a sign that God is working in us to shape us into the men and women he wants us to be. In His providence, our hardships and difficulties are instruments of His grace that teach us to rest in Him, change our behaviors, and reflect the character of our Lord Jesus. The goal is for us to learn to confidently say, “The Lord will be faithful as He always has been,” as we walk in faith toward our heavenly home. Will you trust Him to be faithful? 

Suggested Scripture Readings

• Psalm 78:52–55 
• Proverbs 3:1-12

Questions for Reflection

1. What circumstance in your life is currently requiring you to trust the Lord rather than rely upon your own understanding or strength?
2. How can remembering God’s past faithfulness help you face the uncertainties of your present journey?