Childlike Trust
In addition to childlike humility, God requires a childlike trust from us.
Two little girls were counting their pocket money together. The first one put down a R5 coin and said “I’ve got R5.” The second put down a R5 coin and said “I’ve got R10”. Her friend said “hang on… no! You’ve got the same as me, R5.” The second girl said “my daddy told me he’s going to give me R5 when he comes home from work today. I have R10.”
It’s a simple illustration of childlike trust. My Father promised it, so it is fact! I believe it!
It reminds me of probably my favourite line from the book of Proverbs: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV)
Trust God's Wisdom
Don’t lean on your own understanding. Your own understanding is limited. Trust in God, trust with all your heart in the one whose understanding is perfect.
As we grow up, we tend to stop trusting our parents. The 5-year-old child on the first day of school clings to their parent’s leg – a safe place, somebody to trust. The 14-year-old stepping into high school says please drop me off a block away from school. And don’t you dare try kiss me. You don’t get what it’s like to be me.
You can’t tell a teenager anything can you? They lean on their own understanding in spite of how flawed it is. And as a parent you want to say trust me. I’ve been there. I love you and want to help you to thrive. But all you get back is you don’t understand me.
I think many of us are ‘spiritual teenagers’. We used to cling to God our Father and trust in His words. But now we’re saying you don’t get me. You ruined my life. Put food on my table and then go away. What do you know?
We lean on our own understanding because our Father seems like an old out-of-date relic. Jesus says you must become like a child. Not a teenager! He says you must trust that your Father knows best.
And please remember that God is far superior to any earthly father! Some people can’t get this part of Jesus’ message, because their own father was so awful, and they were terrified of him rather than ever finding any comfort or solace in him.
Trust God's Promises
God is not like that. He is the perfect father. In fact even the best earthly father in the world doesn’t hold a candle to the heavenly father who created us and cares for us deeply!
I wonder if you have been snappy and distant with your heavenly father. Or perhaps just indifferent to him. Hear God’s tender words to you today: my child, trust me. I know what is best. Even though you can’t understand, trust me!!!
Do you need to go scouring through your Bible again, and find promises of God to hold to with all your heart?
If he said it, believe it like a child… because He fulfils his promises.
