The Weak Fool

Intro

Psalm 4:5 says “put your trust in the LORD.” Psalm 37:3 says “Trust in the LORD, and do good.” Proverbs 3:5 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

It’s clear that we’re supposed to trust in God, but what exactly does that mean? What does it look like to trust in God? What does the Bible say about it? Why should we trust in God?

My desire is to be a man who really trusts in the Lord. I want to turn to Him in every instance. I want to hold fast to Him, and rely on Him. I want to know more about this trust, and be changed by the Word to grow more in this area. In the midst of difficult times, when things are uncertain, I want to be firmly rooted by my trust in God. I want to have peace in the storms of life, and I think that truly trusting in God is the way to have that.

I’ve gathered a small list of Scriptures to look at regarding this topic. Certainly not exhaustive, as many more verses could be looked at and studied. But my hope is to learn something from these passages, and ultimately to put my trust in God more and more. May the Lord move my heart to place all my dependence on Him, and nothing else.

The Scriptures

I’ll list the Scriptures that I used for this study below. Feel free to read through them and meditate on them. Most of them also will be mentioned throughout the study.

For this particular study I used the New King James Version of the Bible.

• Deuteronomy 28:52
• 2 Samuel 22:2-7
• 2 Samuel 22:31
• 2 Kings 18:5-6
• 1 Chronicles 5:20
• Job 13:15
• Psalm 2:12
• Psalm 4:5+8
• Psalm 5:11
• Psalm 7:1-2
• Psalm 9:10
• Psalm 11:1
• Psalm 13:5
• Psalm 17:7
• Psalm 20:7
• Psalm 31:6
• Psalm 34:22
• Psalm 44:6-7
• Psalm 56:3-4
• Psalm 118:8-9
• Proverbs 3:5
• Proverbs 11:28
• Proverbs 28:26
• Isaiah 26:3
• Isaiah 31:1
• Luke 18:9-14
• 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
• 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
• Ephesians 1:13
• 1 Timothy 4:8-10
• 1 Timothy 6:17-19

The way that I found these passages is by searching for the word “trust” in the Bible, and then looking through all of the passages that contained the word “trust” and deciding which were relevant for this study. If I had wanted to go deeper, I could have looked up other words similar to trust and also looked through those passages to gather more relevant verses, but I did not want to overwhelm myself.

What Does it Mean to Trust in God?

To trust God involves our minds, our hearts, our words and our actions. To trust God is to have a view of God that properly depicts His reliability, and His worthiness of our trust. Probably the best passage I’ve found for this is David’s song in 2 Samuel chapter 22. David describes God as his rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, the horn of his salvation, his stronghold, refuge and his Savior.

These terms show us that we can run to God. We can hide behind Him, and in Him. We can rest in Him. We can rely on Him to save us. He is mighty and sure. He is safe. The words rock, fortress, stronghold and refuge are all places we run to for safety. God can be that for us if we have the proper view of Him. Do we see God as being this for us? When I am in need, do I think of God as being my fortress?

It also means keeping our mind on Him, like it talks about in Isaiah 26:3. The New King James says that the man whose mind is “stayed” on God will be kept in perfect peace. Trusting in God means “staying” our mind on Him. Thinking about Him all the time, and remembering who God is. The truth about God is that He raises the dead and He will ultimately deliver. Having this proper view of God, and remembering what is true about Him is a huge part of trusting in Him.

To really trust in Him means to hear and receive the gospel. In Ephesians 1:13, Paul talks about how they trusted in Him after they heard “the word of truth, the gospel of [their] salvation.” This is crucial. A person might say, “yeah, I trust in God.” But if they reject God’s message, and the way that God has offered salvation, then they are not trusting in the God of the Bible. If we trust God, we will trust His message. And certainly the gospel is the climax of what He has revealed to us, because the death and resurrection of Jesus is what He has used to offer us forgiveness and eternal life. The gospel is the message of God. We cannot trust Him and yet deny this most important truth. If I really trust somebody, then I believe what they say. The Gospel is what God has said about His plan of salvation.

To trust in God means that when we are in need, and when we need help, we cry out to Him. He is the One we call to for help, He is the One we seek, He is our first and our last resort. We run to God for help before we consider turning to any other place for comfort. Many will trust in other things, whether it be horses and chariots, or even themselves, but to trust God means that He is the One we turn to. I think a great example of this is king Hezekiah in 2 Kings chapters 18 and 19.

The king of Assyria defeated Israel and took them away captive. Then they turned on Judah and captured their fortified cities. Then the king sent messengers with a large army to Jerusalem to intimidate and taunt them. These were not just mere words either. At this point, Assyria had proven itself as an unstoppable force, and so to threaten Jerusalem the way they did was not an insignificant thing. What we see king Hezekiah do at this point is a wonderful picture of trusting in God. While many kings might seek the help of foreign countries, or even false gods, Hezekiah went to the house of the Lord, and he sent word to Isaiah, a prophet of the Lord. Practically speaking, he trusted God and he ran to Him. He did not turn to anything else. He knew where help could be found.

God answered Hezekiah’s prayer, and the messengers of Assyria were led away due to a different conflict that was going on, but the king of Assyria sent Hezekiah a letter to continue to assure him that they would be back and that they would take Jerusalem. Again, Hezekiah’s response to this is awesome. He went back to the house of the Lord and he spread the letter out before God. I think this is such an amazing picture of someone trusting in the Lord. Not to get too metaphorical here, but are we spreading our letters out before the Lord? When we get news, or problems, or threats, are we going before God and spreading it out before Him in prayer? That’s what I want to be like.

Just recently I lost my job. In the days following, I got to work figuring out what I was going to do. I called places, lined up some stuff on the side, had a plan. Sure, I prayed about the situation. But the magnitude of my prayers didn’t match the severity of the circumstances, and really I was looking to myself and other things for the answer. I did trust that God was going to work it out, but I trusted He would use my efforts to do so. Finally after a few days I was overwhelmed and pretty lost. I got on my knees and cried out to the Lord in humility and trust. After that, it became clear what direction I should go, because He was faithful to guide me when I turned to Him for the answers. I should have, from the very beginning, spread it out before God.

Hezekiah didn’t gather the armies, and then pray a little, and then send out some letters for help, and then pray a little, and then consult his advisers, and then pray a little. He ran to the Lord in prayer immediately. This should be my first response as well.

Trusting God is not just a state of mind or heart either. Truly trusting in God will affect our actions. If we really trust in Him, it will lead to obedience, like it did for king Hezekiah. For Hezekiah, (a man who, according to 2 Kings 18:5, trusted in God more than any other kings of Judah), trusting in God meant turning to Him in any trouble, and it also meant casting away idols and obeying the commands of God. I think if we really trust God, that will manifest itself as obedience, and a forsaking of idols. If we have idols, and are not obeying God’s commands, then I think it’s fair to ask if we’re really trusting Him or not.

In 1 Timothy 4:8-10, Paul talks about how the trust they had in God had led them to labor, and also to suffer reproach. I don’t think this is a unique circumstance for Paul. I think trusting in God can have a price, and if we really believe in the Lord, then we will count that price as worth it. We have a promise not just in this life, but of that which is to come. We also trust in the One who raises the dead, and will deliver us in the end. If we really believe what He says, we can trust Him even if it meant our death in this body. We must remember His power, and His promises of the future. Does my trust in God lead me to a willingness to experience hardship and even suffering? Do I trust Him in that way?

Lastly, I’ll mention that trusting God looks like relying on Him and not our wealth. This is mentioned more than once in the Scriptures so it’s probably worthy to note. It can be easy to see how wealth could gain our trust since it tangibly provides for us not just our needs, but also our wants. the Bible says that these riches are uncertain though, and that instead of making that our hope, we ought to be willing to spend our wealth towards good works, ready to give and willing to share. 1 Timothy 9:19 says that this is how we store up a good foundation for the time to come. Trusting in God means using our money open handedly, willing to spend it for the kingdom, not trusting in it, but in God.

So this is another visible example of what trusting in God can mean and look like. How are we spending our money? How do we think about money? Am I holding a tight grip on my finances, as if those are a necessary component to my safety and well-being, or am I open handed with it, knowing that it is God who provides, and letting Him direct the use of my finances?

As a general overview, it seems like this is what trusting in God looks like from what I have found in those Biblical texts.

What Are Other Things We Might Trust In?

It might be wise to look at some of the other things we might put our trust in, to recognize if we are misplacing our trust. As far as I can tell, there’s pretty much no time in the Bible when we are instructed to, or commended for putting our trust in anything but God alone.

There are many things we might put our trust in apart from God. Whether it be defenses, weapons, other people, ourselves, or riches, it’s easy to rely on these things. But these things cannot promise true security, true peace, or true provision.

When we talk about trusting in something, we’re talking about believing that this thing will help us, and give us what we need. According to Oxford Dictionary, trust is a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” It’s so easy to trust in tangible things. A high and strong wall seems like it would be good to hide behind. You think that this would keep you safe and secure. But without trust in God those walls are bound to come down. They are uncertain, and ultimately unreliable.

We might be tempted to trust in armies, forces and weapons. If we could have enough of the right weapons then we would be safe against our enemies. Maybe there are some who think they better have some guns and some ammo just in case things go south. Certainly I’ve had this thought before. But there is only one thing that determines the outcome of a disaster or a war, and that is God’s sovereign will. There are many, many examples in the Bible to prove that numbers and strength, horses and chariots do not guarantee victory. The only thing that guarantees victory is God’s favor and God’s decision. And yet, we still gather up swords and bows, horses and chariots, guns and ammo, and we find some comfort in these things.

We can also wrongly put our trust in other people, men and princes. But our confidence should not be placed with others. It should be placed in the Lord. This is stated in Psalm 118:8-9, which says “it is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man… [or] princes.” How often do we look to another person for comfort, protection or provision? No man is God, and only God can truly provide. Am I putting my hope in politicians? Presidents? People in high places? Am I hoping that they will do the things that bring about peace and comfort? Am I overestimating their abilities to satisfy my desire for security, or even abundance?

A big thing that many put their trust in is riches. They promise to provide. They tangibly get us our needs and wants. They offer security, and peace of mind, and even comfort and pleasure. How easy it is to place our trust in riches, yet how hard for the rich man to enter God’s kingdom. I think the reason for that is because one cannot trust in God and money at the same time. And it actually is unfortunate for the man who has enough money to provide over abundantly for himself, because it will be all too easy for his trust to be found in his wealth.

The Bible says riches are “uncertain.” They may seem like a certain way to obtain what we need and want, but in Proverbs 11:28 it says that he who trusts in them will fall.

Another thing the Bible talks about us wrongly trusting in is idols. Back in the day, these were often physical statues that people would worship. We might think we’re more sophisticated today, but to worship anything as a god that is not God is idolatry, and is very foolish. Is there anything in my life that takes a seat of importance before God? What is it that has too much value in my heart?

The last thing I’ll mention that the Bible warns about, is trusting in ourselves. Whether it be our own understanding, our own heart, our own righteousness or our own sufficiency. These are things we may want to have confidence in, but they are not worthy of our trust. We cannot trust ourselves. We need God for everything. We cannot assume our hearts will lead us into what’s good. Jeremiah 17:9 says “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” How true of a statement this is.

Even the Apostle Paul, no doubt a godly man, speaks of facing struggle for the purpose of keeping him humble and not trusting in himself. God did not want him to trust in himself. God wanted Paul to rely on Him. In Luke 18:9-14, when Jesus saw people who trusted in their own righteousness, He told a parable about the need for humility and desperate dependence on God, rather than resting in one’s own “good deeds.” God does not want us to trust in ourselves. We cannot live up to that trust. Only God can be truly trusted with the needs of life.

Why Do We Trust in God?

In the Bible, there are many promises for those who trust God. It’s funny, because we often want to trust in tangible things that provide clear physical results, but if we believe what Scripture says, then trusting in God also provides some clear results. And in fact, what God promises for those who trust Him is far better than what anything else can promise.

When we trust God, He is our shield. 2 Samuel 22:31 uses this imagery. If we trust God, we can hide behind Him for safety. We can trust in His protection. This is something that’s mentioned several times in the Scriptures. God defends and protects those who trust in Him.

This does not mean that we will not have any trials. David is a great example of someone who found joy and peace in trusting God and yet regularly faced different struggles and hardships. In Psalm 13 David even asked God how long he would be forgotten. In Psalm 7 David talked about being persecuted by those who wanted to destroy him. In Psalm 11 he talked about the wicked attacking the upright. In Psalm 34:19 he said that “many are the afflictions of the righteous.”

Paul also is a good example of a man who joyfully trusted in the Lord and yet faced many trials. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 Paul spoke of a struggle where they were “burdened beyond measure, above strength,” so that they “despaired even of life.” Some pretty real struggles there. In 1 Timothy 4:10 Paul talked about laboring and suffering reproach BECAUSE of their trust in God.

All this to say that trusting in God does not remove us from the struggles of life. We are guaranteed to still face struggles, and the Bible is clear about that. Sometimes the struggles may actually come because of our trust in God specifically. So trusting in God does not offer the promise of a struggle free life. It’s important to understand that, because we don’t want to assume anything that God doesn’t promise. So then, how is it that God can still be our shield? How is it that God still defends us? What does the Bible say that we get from trusting in God?

Despite the fact that we will still have problems, the Bible teaches that we will be blessed if we trust in God. Psalm 2:12 says “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” In Psalm 4:8 David speaks of lying down in peace and sleeping because the Lord alone made him dwell in safety. Certainly David was not always safe, but if he was safe, it was the Lord’s doing, and just trusting in the Lord brings about a sense of peace.

In Psalm 5:11 we are told that all who trust in the Lord should rejoice. “Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them.” Trusting in God should lead to joy, because we can know that God ultimately will defend us. Also, God will not forsake us. In Psalm 9:10 it says that those who know God’s name will put their trust in Him, for God has not forsaken those who seek Him. If we really know God for who He is, this WILL lead to us trusting in Him. And if we really trust Him, then we will seek Him, and He will not forsake us. This is really comforting.

In Psalm 13, David asks God how long he’ll be forgotten. “Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” And then he pleads with God to hear his prayer and answer. In verses 5 and 6 though, he says “But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” Although David was in the midst of what was probably a very difficult time, there were two things that were true. David could trust in God’s mercy, and he also knew that God had been good to him. We too can trust in God’s mercy and rejoice in His salvation, because no matter what happens to us, Jesus has come and died so that we can have God’s mercy and salvation. The worst thing possible could happen to us in this life, and there still would be no better news than God’s mercy through Jesus. Also, in reality we should be able to say along with David, even when things are bad, that “He has dealt bountifully with me.”

In Psalm 17, David says that God saves those who trust in Him from those who rise up against them. There’s this idea of God saving us from our enemies. I think many times, this is tangibly true, and there are many examples in the Bible of God delivering His people from those who rise up against them. But what if He doesn’t? What if we are killed by an enemy unjustly? There is a very important thing mentioned at the end of this psalm. In verse 14 David talks about his enemies who have their portion in this life. They are filled and satisfied, but then they are gone. David however says in verse 15, “as for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” It is true that God will often save us from our enemies here in this life. God’s care and protection is certainly seen and felt all the time. But our trust in God has a whole other layer to it as well, and that is the life to come. This is a really important thing to remember.

In Psalm 34:8 it says “taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” The word blessed here carries the meaning of happiness. Those who truly see God for what He is, good, and then trust in Him, are happy. Seeing God’s goodness and trusting Him leads to happiness. True happiness. Later in the psalm, in verse 22, we get another look at the big picture. “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.” If we trust in God, we will not be condemned. What a wonderful truth, since we are worthy of condemnation. Rather He will redeem our souls. This is an amazing truth!

In Psalm 56:3-4 David says that whenever he’s afraid he trusts in God. He also says that he will not fear, because what can flesh do to him? Trusting in God is the only real cure for fear. It is the only proper response to fear and anxiety, because God is the only One big enough to really earn our trust and give us true security. We should also turn to God whenever we are afraid. We also get another example of the magnitude of God’s power of protection in this Psalm. David asks “what can flesh do to me?” Well, flesh can do nothing to us that God doesn’t allow. But at its worst, flesh could kill our flesh. In reality though, this is not even enough to make us fear, because our trust in God extends beyond this current life and this current body. Our trust in God is not temporal, it is eternal.

Isaiah 26:3-4 says “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.” This passage says that perfect peace is a result of trusting in God and keeping minds steadfast on Him. Perfect peace sounds like a really nice thing to have, and we can have it if we keep our minds on trusting in the Lord. Do I live my life in perfect peace? Do I trust God like that?

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, Paul talks about some serious trouble they were in that brought them to despair. He said they had the sentence of death in themselves. What Paul is talking about is some pretty serious hardship. Paul said though, that this was so that they wouldn’t trust in themselves “but in God who raises the dead.” Then he talks about God’s deliverance from “so great a death,” and their trust in His deliverance.

I think what Paul says here is really important, and I think there may be two things going on here. It seems like Paul is talking about God delivering them from their trouble in Asia, because there was trouble, and God was good to bring them through it. I think also though, Paul may be referring to a bigger, broader deliverance. This deliverance from “so great a death” I think could be referring to the true, final death. Paul talks about how God raises the dead. It’s true they were saved from death in Asia, but they all died eventually after that. Paul did not continue to live forever, and he knew that he would not. Yet he trusted in the the deliverance of the God who RAISES THE DEAD. Our trust in God transcends even the idea of a physical death, because the God we trust in is the God who raises the dead! Truly we can hope beyond hope knowing there is no final end for those who trust in Jesus. There may be a type of end, until God raises us up again.

In 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, Paul talks about how they don’t need letters of commendation or proof of their ministry because the Corinthians are the proof of their ministry. Really what he says is a bold statement of confidence. Confidence of their sufficiency in being ministers of the gospel. He states though that this trust is “through Christ toward God,” and that they were not sufficient of themselves to think this came from themselves.

Certainly there is a lesson here that we can’t trust in our own sufficiency. Paul and his companions did not, and they did not ultimately take the credit for their ministry. But there is another lesson here. The other lesson is that we can certainly trust in God’s sufficiency. If God calls us to a task or a ministry, we can trust that He will make us sufficient. It’s not about what we can bring, or if we’re good enough, it’s about God thoroughly equipping those He calls for the task that He has assigned to them. If we trust God, we will be equipped to do what He tells us to do, and we can have bold confidence along with Paul for God’s sufficiency in that ministry.

An amazing thing that we receive when we trust in God is the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 says that after we hear the gospel and believe, we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.” An entire study could be made, and books written about this one concept. It’s such a weighty and wonderful thing that’s said here. A similar passage, 2 Corinthians 1:22 says God “has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” Having the Holy Spirit in our hearts is an amazing truth. When we trust God, which in Ephesians 1 specifically refers to believing the gospel, then God gives us His Spirit. It’s hard to imagine a better gift. He uses His Spirit to guide and direct us. We also have communion and relationship with God Himself in this way.

There’s also another facet here. This Spirit is a promise and a guarantee. It is a sure promise of the inheritance and the blessing to come. We are sealed up. We are covered over by God with assurance of what’s to come. This life WILL fade. But, there is more to come after that, and we are guaranteed this by the gift of the Holy Spirit when we trust God.

Lastly, I’ll mention something that we get if we really trust God, and obey His command to do good with our wealth, and not to trust in uncertain riches. If we are “rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,” then 1 Timothy 6:19 says that we will store up for ourselves “a good foundation for the time to come,” laying “hold on eternal life.”

This principle was written for those who are rich in this present time, but I don’t believe you need wealth to be rich in good works. I think this can refer to anybody who has a readiness to serve God, and share what they have. What we’re doing is storing up a good foundation for the time to come. It seems that to really let go of what we have here, it requires real trust in God. Otherwise we might try to hold onto what we have here. But if we trust in what God says about the future, and we trust in Him alone, using our resources here to serve generously, then there will be a good foundation waiting for us in the time to come.

Conclusion

The Scriptures I used for this study are not an exhaustive list. In some ways I probably have only scratched the surface on what could be said about trusting in God, and what Scriptures could be used to study this topic. But nonetheless, every Scripture is the Word of God, so even a small amount of them gives us much truth.

Trusting in God means a lot of things. We trust Him in our minds and hearts, and we also trust Him with our actions. If we really trust Him, then it manifests in many different ways. It starts with a proper view of Him. His power, His character and His promises. We have to truly see and believe His reliability. He must be a shield to us.

When we see Him as our shield, then we run to Him. When we are facing troubles and trials, we will run to God first if we trust Him. We will seek His face. We will pray. We will go to Him. We will cry out to Him. If we really trust God as He deserves, we will not turn anywhere else first. We will go to Him first. This seems to be the true mark of a person who trusts God. What do we run to first? Is it the Lord?

Trusting God also looks like obeying Him. If we really trust Him, then we will listen to Him, and do what He says. It also means using our resources to serve Him.

There are many other things we might be tempted to trust in. These things deceive us, and give us a false promise that they’ll provide for us and protect us. Whether it’s walls, armies, princes, riches, idols or ourselves, we often run to these things thinking that they are the answer. We take comfort in our weapons. We hide behind our big walls. We trust in ourselves and our own abilities or righteousness. We think that more money will bring us security. Lies! These are all lies! Armies will fall, walls will crumble, we will sin and err, money will rust and rot and disappear. Only one thing stands strong forever, with everlasting strength. It is the Lord God. He alone is worthy of our trust. Everything else is a vapor, here today and then gone tomorrow. But God has no beginning and no end, and He cares for those who put their trust in Him.

What is it that we receive by trusting in God? What value does that have? Well, most importantly, when we trust what Jesus has done then we have everlasting life. We have a hope that goes infinitely beyond this life. We trust the God who raises the dead. We trust the God who will deliver us from “so great a death.” We trust a God who will ultimately deliver and bring justice. We trust a God who is trustable.

Even in the hardest trials, if we are really trusting in God, we will have peace. We can have perfect peace. We can have rest. We should have joy. We do not need to fear. The only real cure for fear and anxiety is trusting in God. Though there will certainly be hardships, some may even come because of our trust in God, we know that God will ultimately deliver us, and we will be with Him forever.

Those who trust Him, and believe the gospel are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance. The promise of the future hope.

Where can a weak fool place his trust? In the living God who alone is strong and wise.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved