TRUST AND OBEY
Guest post written by: Keith Ivester
As a small child, sitting with my grandmother in church, I remember so vividly her crying every time they sang the old song “Trust and Obey”. I would look up at her and put my small hand into her hand as a way to comfort her I thought. But, after service, she would explain to me that the only way to really serve the Lord was to put our total trust in Him and whatever He told us to do, we should do it. Obey His Word and trust in His unfailing care and love for us.
I believe we so often are sidetracked by trusting ourselves and everyone else to direct our footsteps and the outcome of our lives. I’m guilty of trusting myself in decision making and then turning right around and trusting man to tell me what I should or should not be doing.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t take advice and follow those over us in the Lord. That is biblical. We should do that. However, ultimately, the decision to trust and obey God and His Word is the most important thing we can do.
Sure, things do not always pan out as we think and want. That is what I call life. Life is hard and disconcerting at the best. Bad things happen. Wrong decisions made. Hurt, anger, jealous attitudes take us over at times. That’s ok. We are human and vulnerable to what life throws at us. But, if we stay in the Word, trust the Word, believe the Word, obey the Word – then things will fall into place at the right time and the right season. If we don’t hold onto this, we will not exemplify what Christ has called us to be and that is light and salt to the world.
Verse one of that old song says:
“When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way; While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey”.
Verse two:
“Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away:
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey”.
Chorus:
“Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey”.
There’s no burden, no sorrow that comes our way that trusting and obeying the Lord cannot solve. He is bigger, stronger and more powerful than anything the enemy can throw at us anytime of the day or night. All we need to do is recognize that “greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world”. Trust Him in every situation, every decision making process and then when He speaks through His Word – obey what He says. It sounds so simple, yet it is life changing and life freeing!
