Psalm 25:1-2
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
O my God, in You I trust
I spent more time reflecting on this passage this weekend at the retreat we (Wellspring) hosted. These two lines have become my prayer, daily prayer, for almost two years now. Has it made a difference in my life?
I cannot really quantify that answer very well, but this I know, I do a lot more running to God when life presents difficulties. Even when things are going well I still find myself drawn to this prayer of surrender. In this short little prayer I am confessing I don’t really control much, and that only God can be trusted. I know I have no way of making life always work out the way I want. I can’t trust my soul to this world or to the circumstances of life…even if they are good and pleasant circumstances. If I did, I am sure to be in a bigger mess than I already am.
As I prepared to lead and teach on these two verses something emerged: trust seems to be the opposite side of worry. Worry is this unsuccessful way of trying to control circumstances.
Trust in God is letting go of worry. Worry seems to be the way to control situations. However, worry does not add one thing to life; it takes away; it robs of life.
Worry is a tight fisted life; trust is open handed. Worry says it is mine; trust says it is God’s, a gift for me to enjoy not control. Worry is angry when something I think I should control or keep is taken away; trust is knowing that God gives better than I can imagine and so I can have peace in all situations.
Trust sees the good; worry and fear sees that this will all turn out badly.
But trust is not magic. It takes surrender. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane had to let go of control and His desire for another way, and surrender to the Father’s will.
Brenning Manning writes of trust: “The splendor of a human heart that trusts and is loved unconditionally gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of 10,000 butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom. Trust is our gift back to God, and he finds it so enchanting that Jesus died for love of it.” {From Manning’s discussion of his book Ruthless Trust)
Manning also stated something important about trust in difficult times: “The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust—not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God. I’d also add that biblical trust grows out of love. My trust in God flows out of the experience of his loving me, day in and day out, whether the day is stormy or fair, whether I’m sick or in good health, whether I’m in a state of grace or disgrace. He comes to me where I live and loves me as I am. “
So I keep praying this…until I see Him face to face and the struggles of this life fade away in the glory of His presence. I keep working on surrender and trust in a God who loves.
Blessings, Scott for Wellspring © copyright 2009
