By Everett Henes
Trusting God is a challenge. Christian parents teach children to trust God in all things. We do our best to model that. But if we are honest, it is difficult to truly trust God. Why do you think that is? I can think of a couple obstacles to trusting the Lord. The first is that we do not see him. This is the fear associated with that “trust fall” exercise that used to be popular. You couldn’t see if your group was there to catch you. Even if you didn’t hear them run away, you still couldn’t see them. We cannot see God, and so it is hard to trust him.
Another reason we can struggle to trust God is that we have limited understanding. We see so little when it comes to human history. It is hard for us to know how suffering fits in with God’s good plan. We are taught to believe that God’s plan is good and right, but it’s difficult to see that when things are difficult. This is true in our individual lives, and it is also true on a bigger scale. As we continue to go through this pandemic, and all the difficulties associated with it, it’s hard to see that this is all part of a bigger plan that is good.
God’s people throughout the ages have struggled. Trusting God has never been easy. When the people of God were told to cross the Red Sea, as their enemies bore down on them, it was not easy. When New Testament Christians were being beaten for their faith in Jesus, it was not easy. Even around the world today there are Christians who suffer in many ways. Trusting God is something that we do, not because it is easy, but because it is right.
Peter writes, in 1 Peter 4:19, “Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” First notice that he doesn’t disconnect our suffering from God’s will. He says that it is “according to God’s will.” He makes clear in the previous verses that this isn’t talking about just any kind of suffering. There is suffering that our sin brings on us. We cannot disobey God, live a life that is displeasing to him, and then when things don’t work out turn around and claim that we are suffering unfairly. That’s not how it works. God’s people will suffer in this world, for God has willed it. We have already considered why this is. Suffering is formative. Suffering helps us to identify our priorities and to order our lives rightly. Suffering proves our faith.
God’s people are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator. The word that is translated entrust carries with it the idea of a continual committing. It gives the idea of placing one’s life completely and unreservedly under God’s protection. Peter identifies God as the Creator. Who else can we trust than the one who spoke all things into existence? God is the one who made all things and has a reason for all the things that he made. We entrust ourselves to him because he is trustworthy. He is faithful. God always follows through on his promises. We have the entire Bible to teach us this one great truth. Whether we turn to the Old or New Testament we find God making promises and keeping them. God promised that he would fully and finally save his people, and he has done this in Jesus. Jesus is proof that God is faithful, both in the promises he made to send a redeemer but also in his resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus was not abandoned to the grave, we can know that we will never be forsaken by God.
Peter’s words remind us of our call. We are to entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator while doing good. Here he is undoubtedly reflecting on the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Suffering exposes us for who we really are. I have seen outwardly kind people become incredibly bitter through suffering. God calls his people to avoid bitterness. They are called, instead, to bless people and to do good. When we entrust ourselves to God and do good to others, we take our eyes off ourselves and our circ*mstances and we become a blessing through our suffering.
Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.
