Do you trust your weakness enough to Trust God?

It is virtually impossible to trust God completely when your trust is also in something or someone else.

Question

When you say you trust someone what do you mean? And when someone tells you they trust you, what do you understand by that?

Now, let’s peel the word “trust” a little.

Etymology online offers an apt working definition and origin of the word; “reliance on the veracity, integrity, or other virtues or sound principles of someone or something; religious faith.” This 5 letter word whose English derivative is known to us likely evolved from the word “Traust”, a North Germanic language (Old Norse, c.1200) which is synonymous with the English words; “help, comfort, protection, support”.

With this understanding, I drew 3 key lessons from the prayer of David in Psalm 86 that I wish to share. As biblical Christians;

We are constantly vulnerable before God in spite of your personal competences, prosperity and possessions.

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy. (Psalm 86: 1-2)

Only those who acknowledge their vulnerability can cling on God and trust completely

Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. (Psalm 86:2)

To trust in God is to not trust in anything or anyone else

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours. (Psalm 86:8)

In his desperate prayer, David who wrote the psalm acknowledges that he is “poor” (Some versions translate “afflicted”), “needy” (In lack), insecure [hence in need of divine protection from physical harm], “godly” [Not a self-righteous evaluation of personal virtue, but refers to his state of surrender and inclination toward God]; declares his trust in the LORD alone his God.

Who was David? (Just a Glimpse)

Now for context, the man saying this prayer for divine intervention, comfort and deliverance from real danger, threats and death itself in the hands of bloodthirsty enemies had a reputation of a warrior having conquered an entire army when he killed their giant ‘General’ Goliath. For his subsequent conquests, David was not alone, he had many fighters and loyal warriors who served him. On top of that, he had a most functional ‘intelligence network’ to keep him many steps ahead of his enemies: His archrival Saul’s children were his closest allies- Michal, his beloved, loyal wife and Jonathan his best-friend. In fact, 1 Samuel 19: 1-3 records Jonathan aiding David’s escape from assassination by Saul and 10 verses later, we see Michal letting him down through a window to escape to safety.

In short, David was ‘well-connected’ and personally competent, yet in spite the apparent power, privilege and resources, he knew who he truly was in the grand scheme of things- a helpless, mere mortal, in dire need of the one true, sovereign God’s grace and mercy.

We all are David, in most respects. While we don’t have the wealth and privileges, we certainly are as needy- in desperate need for the daily graces and mercies of God.

David’s cry to God models for us humility, submission and utter trust in God so counterintuitive for one with the kind of advantages he had- the sure promise of his kingship in Israel notwithstanding.

My prayer is that we may learn from David to submit and surrender in all ways, to the sovereignty of God; that our puny- yet often-puffed perception of our privileges and possessions does not cloud our judgement of who we truly are, apart from Christ- before the almighty and Holy God.

For it is in acknowledging our utter weakness [spiritual, moral and even physical], that we can hope to find strength in God. It is in acknowledging our poverty [spiritual depravity] like David that we can hope to enjoy the true riches of his glory through Jesus Christ. It is in acknowledging how foolish even the best [intellectually] of us are that we can hope to be wise by the measure of our all-knowing God.

Reference Scriptures: 1 Samuel 19: 1-3, Proverbs 9:10, 2 Corinthians 12: 9