Another reason you might find it difficult to trust God is probably because He’s let you down so many times.
(Did I really just write that?)
Yes, I did. God has let me down more times than I can count. I’ve felt forgotten by Him, tricked by Him and ripped off by Him.
At this point, you might be thinking, “But God promised to never leave or forsake us!” And you’re absolutely right.
The writer of Hebrews says that in chapter 13, verse 5, but let’s take that in context.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” – Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV)
Did you know this beloved verse about God “never leaving us” starts off telling us to stop chasing material wealth and be content with what we have? Is it any wonder we get discouraged with the Christian walk when we want to quote the latter part of this verse, but not the former?
I can’t hold God to His promise not to leave or forsake me if I’m not going to follow the attached command to keep my life free from the love of money and be content with what I have.
If you’ve felt let down by our Heavenly Father, like I have, that only means you have the same problem I do: you can’t stop living for yourself. You see…
If I insist on living the “Christian life”, believing God’s going to reward me accordingly, I can’t help but be disappointed, because I’m not living for Him – I’m living for me. And God doesn’t live for me; He lives for His glory.
If you keep having the wrong expectations, you’re going to continue to experience disappointment with God. It can’t happen any other way. If you don’t get what you expect, you’re going to be disappointed.
QUESTIONS:
- When was the last time you were disappointed with God? Did He actually fail to fulfill His promises, or did He simply “fail” to meet your expectations?
- What do you think God means by saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you?” Is that the same thing as saying “I’ll never disappoint you?”
