Growing in Trust

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.”
                                                 Proverbs 3:5,6

As we prepare for Christmas and, perhaps with some trepidation, look to the year ahead, my prayer for you is that you would learn to trust the Lord more.  Trusting the Lord, really trusting him, is learned and we grow into it gradually.  And, perhaps, it is the thing we need most from God.

If we grow in trusting the Lord, we experience more peace, no matter our circumstances. As we trust the Lord, our fear has no place to grab onto our thoughts and lead us astray.  Since it is so important God does not make it difficult to do.  But we can make it more difficult than it is. 

The key is found in the first commandment.  Jesus told us, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39) The apostle John tells us that we cannot love God as we should until we believe that he loved us first.  (1 Jn.4:10)

Most of us know, in our heads, that Father God loves us.  That is why he sent Jesus to take the penalty for our sin, so we might live with him forever.  Can I ask?  When was the last time you sat and just received his love? 

Romans 5:5 tells us that the Holy Spirit fills our heart with the Father’s love.  As we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with God’s love, it drives out fears.  It enables us to face our problems with confidence that God will use them for our good.  When our ability to receive God’s love grows, our trust grows. As our trust grows, we are able to live relying on Christ’s victory for us every day, in every occasion.  Would you agree, this is what we need as we face the year ahead?

Dear friends, be richly blessed as you trust that Father God loves you and develop a discipline of receiving more of his love daily.  Be delighted as you realize that his love flows from you to bless the people in your life.  May you smile as you face the year ahead overflowing with his love and trusting in God more. Amen.

Mary Sumner ~ December 2, 2025