Trusting God: A Journey of Faith and Surrender

 

Summary

Trusting God to work ahead is a profound journey of faith and surrender. As we embark on a new year, it's essential to place our confidence in God's guidance for the future, fully trusting Him in every aspect of our lives. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. This trust is not blind but is built on past experiences of God's faithfulness. Reflecting on where we were and where we are now can strengthen our trust, as we recognize that our current position is not solely due to our efforts but to God's guidance and grace.

The Israelites serve as a cautionary tale of forgetting past deliverances and failing to trust God. Despite God's provision, they complained and doubted. We must learn from their mistakes and remember God's past faithfulness as a foundation for our trust. Trusting God requires relinquishing control, which is often challenging. We naturally want to fix problems ourselves, but true trust means allowing God to work in His timing and way.

When we don't trust, we miss out on blessings and create unnecessary problems, as illustrated by the story of Abraham and Sarah. Impatience and taking matters into our own hands can lead to complications. Instead, we should wait on the Lord and trust His perfect timing. Trusting God means surrendering our desires and plans, acknowledging that He knows what we truly need. As we move forward, let's commit to trusting God, knowing that He will lead us to greater heights.

Key Takeaways:

1. Trust Built on Experience: Trust in God is not automatic; it is built on past experiences of His faithfulness. Reflecting on where we were and where we are now helps us recognize God's hand in our lives, strengthening our trust in Him. [04:54]

2. Learning from the Israelites: The Israelites' failure to trust God despite His provision serves as a reminder to remember past deliverances. Trust is rooted in recalling God's faithfulness and using it as a foundation for future confidence. [06:32]

3. Surrendering Control: Trusting God requires letting go of our desire to control everything. When we surrender, we allow God to work in His timing and way, leading to greater blessings and peace. [12:21]

4. The Consequences of Impatience: Impatience and taking matters into our own hands can lead to unnecessary complications, as seen in the story of Abraham and Sarah. Waiting on God's timing is crucial for receiving His best. [16:35]

5. Trust Without Understanding: Trusting God doesn't require understanding every detail. It's about believing that God is in control and has our best interests at heart, even when we can't see the full picture. [19:49]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:47] - Trusting God for the Future
- [01:56] - What Would Your Story Say?
- [03:06] - Certainty in Uncertainty
- [03:54] - Trust Based on Experience
- [04:54] - Reflecting on Past Experiences
- [06:32] - Lessons from the Israelites
- [08:28] - God's Faithfulness
- [10:29] - Trust Without Explanation
- [11:49] - The Illusion of Control
- [12:21] - Letting God Work
- [13:30] - Consequences of Distrust
- [15:20] - Impatience and Its Pitfalls
- [17:32] - Surrendering to God
- [19:06] - Missed Blessings Due to Distrust
- [21:11] - Trusting God's Provision
- [22:28] - Drawing Closer to God
- [29:31] - Prayer and Surrender

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide: Trusting God to Work Ahead

#### Bible Reading
1. 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."
2. Genesis 16:1-4 - The story of Abraham and Sarah's impatience.
3. Psalm 27:25 - A reminder of God's faithfulness.

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Proverbs 3:5-6 teach us about the nature of trust in God? How does it suggest we approach our understanding and decision-making?
2. In the sermon, how does the pastor describe the Israelites' failure to trust God despite His provision? [06:32]
3. What example from the sermon illustrates the consequences of impatience and taking matters into our own hands? [16:35]
4. How does the pastor use personal reflection to build trust in God, according to the sermon? [04:54]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 16:1-4 illustrate the dangers of impatience and lack of trust in God's timing?
2. What lessons can be learned from the Israelites' experience about the importance of remembering past deliverances as a foundation for trust? [06:32]
3. How does the pastor suggest we balance the desire for control with the need to trust God, and what are the potential outcomes of each approach? [12:21]
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that trust in God is built on past experiences of His faithfulness? How can this understanding impact our future decisions? [04:54]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to trust God's timing. What were the consequences, and how might you approach a similar situation differently now? [16:35]
2. How can you actively remember and reflect on past experiences of God's faithfulness to strengthen your trust in Him today? [04:54]
3. Identify an area of your life where you are trying to maintain control. What steps can you take to surrender this to God and trust His plan? [12:21]
4. Consider the story of the Israelites. How can you ensure that you don't forget God's past deliverances in your own life? What practical steps can you take to keep these memories alive? [06:32]
5. Think about a decision you are currently facing. How can you apply the principles from Proverbs 3:5-6 to ensure you are trusting God rather than leaning on your own understanding?
6. How can you cultivate patience in your life, especially in situations where you are tempted to take matters into your own hands? [16:35]
7. Reflect on a blessing you might have missed due to a lack of trust in God. How can you prevent this from happening in the future? [19:06]

Devotional

Day 1: Trust Rooted in Experience
Reflecting on past experiences of God's faithfulness can strengthen our trust in Him. Trust is not something that happens automatically; it is cultivated through recognizing God's hand in our lives. By looking back at where we were and where we are now, we can see that our journey is not solely the result of our own efforts but is deeply intertwined with God's guidance and grace. This reflection helps us build a solid foundation of trust, knowing that God has been faithful before and will continue to be so in the future. [04:54]

"Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!" (Psalm 105:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a specific time in your life when you experienced God's faithfulness. How can this memory encourage you to trust Him with a current challenge?


Day 2: Learning from the Israelites
The story of the Israelites serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of remembering God's past deliverances. Despite witnessing numerous miracles and provisions, the Israelites often fell into doubt and complaint. This narrative warns us of the dangers of forgetting God's faithfulness and encourages us to use these memories as a foundation for future trust. By recalling how God has provided and delivered us in the past, we can cultivate a deeper confidence in His ability to guide us through present and future challenges. [06:32]

"And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a past deliverance or provision from God that you have forgotten. How can you remind yourself of this event regularly to strengthen your trust in Him?


Day 3: Surrendering Control
Trusting God often requires us to relinquish our desire to control every aspect of our lives. This surrender can be challenging, as we naturally want to fix problems ourselves. However, true trust means allowing God to work in His timing and way, which can lead to greater blessings and peace. By letting go of our need for control, we open ourselves to experiencing God's perfect plan for our lives, which is often beyond what we could imagine or achieve on our own. [12:21]

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday." (Psalm 37:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to relinquish control? How can you practice surrendering this area to God today?


Day 4: The Consequences of Impatience
Impatience and taking matters into our own hands can lead to unnecessary complications, as illustrated by the story of Abraham and Sarah. When we act out of impatience, we often create problems that could have been avoided by waiting on God's timing. Trusting God means believing that His timing is perfect and that He knows what is best for us. By waiting on the Lord, we position ourselves to receive His best, avoiding the pitfalls that come with impatience. [16:35]

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where impatience led to complications. How can you practice patience and trust in God's timing in a similar situation today?


Day 5: Trust Without Understanding
Trusting God does not require us to understand every detail of His plan. It involves believing that God is in control and has our best interests at heart, even when we cannot see the full picture. This kind of trust is rooted in faith, knowing that God's ways are higher than ours and that He is working all things for our good. By embracing trust without full understanding, we can find peace and assurance in God's sovereignty and love. [19:49]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God because you don't understand His plan? How can you practice trusting Him today, even without full understanding?

Quotes


Trust is based upon past experience. Now, it does not have to be my experience necessarily, but I got to know something about it, or it don't work. Okay? So when I think about trust, I think about where was I in January, in February, and March, and when I was 14, when I was 15, when I was 10, when I was 5, and then where am I at now? [00:04:54] (33 seconds)


And I know where I'm at now have nothing to do with me because I have to make some stupid decisions, I have to make some dumb decisions. So, therefore, we have to be able to trust God in order to be able to walk in this world, not the other way around. I know that. So, trusting, again, is based upon past experiences, okay? Now, we have the example of the Israelites. [00:05:27] (29 seconds)


The Israelites, though, you know, they were brought out of the Eden, and they got into the land, and they forgot their past. They forgot their past, and they started mumbling, and complaining, and they stopped talking. And even though God... I took care of them still with a mask and gave them enough that they're all full, gave them enough clothes that, you know, that the clothes never wore out, the shoes never, you know, wore out, but they still didn't trust me because they didn't learn from their past. [00:06:07] (46 seconds)


And the most important, the most always there, remembering where you were and thinking of where you are now. So I say the same thing to us today, is that we remember where we were, using that as a base for our choice. Okay? Now. [00:06:50] (20 seconds)


The fact of the matter is that we don't have to worry about why. It doesn't matter. Just believe that whatever we're going through, it's going to be okay. Because that's the key. That's the thing with trust. Trust is not having it explained. You don't have to know that. You don't need to know that. People want to know why. Because why might be the cause of you? Just know that God is there. He's got it. [00:10:37] (50 seconds)


One of the things we've got to do is we've got to be ready to control it. It's difficult. We always want to be in control of everything. You can't be in control and all go to us. It's impossible. You can't do both. If you're in control, you're not trusted. That's something that we don't really understand. And we don't always understand it and I know something comes up, I want to fix it. [00:11:49] (40 seconds)


What happens when we don't trust? What happens when we don't trust? We don't trust. He has a problem. He loses. He loses. We never can win when we don't have faith. We never can win when we don't have faith. [00:13:25] (24 seconds)


When we talk about Abraham being the father of faith, that's what we talk about. The Bible says that. But he is weak in that moment. He is in trouble. And it created a problem. It created a problem. Let me back up now. Let me back up now. I talked about the girlfriend and boyfriend. The girl said, I don't have a boyfriend. I see all my other girlfriends, they don't have a boyfriend. I don't have a boyfriend. [00:14:59] (38 seconds)


And God said, well, I've got some good for you. And she went to sleep the next morning. Where is he? I don't see him. God said, just wait. Then she goes down to sleep. She goes down to sleep. She sees a guy. He's wearing a nice suit. He's about 89. He looks like Dill Washington. Come on, that's right. He's the one. He's the one. And then when she gets home, he freestyles her. [00:15:41] (39 seconds)


He never goes to church with her. All he wants to do is go to bed. And then he sees the friendship that I went that way. Could have waited. Could have trusted. But you have to do it on your own. Instead of waiting for God to do it on his time. God has a time. He has the person for you. He's already, you should be preparing yourself so when that person comes, they will be attached to you. [00:16:19] (41 seconds)


I sometimes think about some of the things that I have not done because I didn't trust. And I missed out on some blessings. I missed out on some blessings because I didn't trust God. I didn't steal life. I found all the reasons why not to do it. Because it didn't make sense. I didn't understand. I didn't understand that I needed to understand. I don't need to understand. [00:19:06] (34 seconds)


All I need to do is trust. Trust in God. That's all I need to do. That's all I need to do. That's the only thing I want to do from the very beginning is that when we go forward here, that whatever you struggle with, you don't have to. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you that it's going to happen tomorrow. I'm not saying that. Because something we want, we don't need. [00:19:55] (37 seconds)


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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?