When people in life let me down, and break my heart, I hold back from trusting them. A lot of times I stop trusting Jesus, my heart just gives up on the notion that I can trust Him. My heart whispers to me, "please don't let me break again!", and I hold back my trust from everyone. But Jesus is the one we can always trust!
Trust - Confidence in the certainty of future. Belief that the person or thing will come through. Faith that a person is reliable, and will not leave.
Trust - Confidence in the certainty of future. Belief that the person or thing will come through. Faith that a person is reliable, and will not leave.
Hope - a person or thing in which expectations are centered.
We can walk in hope and trust in Jesus. He is the only person who really deserves it. I have been through so many trials, and terrible situations. I have given my hope and trust to people who didn't deserve it. You see, trust and hope should be built on a foundation of truth. Several times I have given out my hope and trust freely based on a foundation of the love that I felt for that person. Love is a feeling that is so fragile, and sometimes love cannot be trusted, it has to be tested.
Jesus gave us a strong foundation and building block to place our trust upon. He gave us his life, most of all (How many people have given their life for you?) Jesus gave us a perfect model of what the criteria are for trusting someone.
We can walk in hope and trust in Jesus. He is the only person who really deserves it. I have been through so many trials, and terrible situations. I have given my hope and trust to people who didn't deserve it. You see, trust and hope should be built on a foundation of truth. Several times I have given out my hope and trust freely based on a foundation of the love that I felt for that person. Love is a feeling that is so fragile, and sometimes love cannot be trusted, it has to be tested.
Jesus gave us a strong foundation and building block to place our trust upon. He gave us his life, most of all (How many people have given their life for you?) Jesus gave us a perfect model of what the criteria are for trusting someone.
1. Jesus always did what he said he would do. He Told His disciples that he would die, and come back to life again: Luke 18:32 " He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again." Then Jesus did exactly as he described.
2. Jesus preached about how Christians should act, and he followed his own teaching. Mark 12:29-31 "Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'listen Israel': The Lord your God is one; so love the lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: Love others as well as you love yourself. There is no greater commandment that ranks these." Jesus certainly lived this out! He loved people so much that he took time to hear their story and heal them, and then He willingly gave his life up!
3. Jesus was humble for sure! He lived on whatever people gave Him, He didn't own anything, and He never tried to make Himself look good. The greatest example of Jesus being humble is that He was born in a barn, and slept in a manger. Luke 2:7 "She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel."
4. God longed to be close with us so very much that He sent Jesus, in human form, to be with us, close with us! John 3:16 " For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."
5. Jesus cares about and is concerned about the things that go on in our everyday life! 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." Jesus wants to know about us, he cares about how we are doing, and wants to console us.
6. Jesus wants us to be free. He came to earth so that we could be free from sin. Galatians 5:1 "In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]." Jesus also gave us the freedom to choose to be with Him or not. Romans 6:23 "For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord."
7. Jesus gave His life to free us from sin, but in order to do that we have to confront our sin, and realize that what we did was wrong. Throughout the bible Jesus told many parables that helped the people to realize that they were sinners, and then to repent. The only way to heaven is to be forgiven!
8. Jesus never varied from his beliefs, He always stood steadfast and consistent in His ministry. He also Always did what He knew God expected of Him. John 4:34 "Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work."
9. Jesus was always a positive influence. Because Jesus lived a sin-less life, His influence could only be positive. He was always encouraging others, lifting them up, and healing them. The best example I can think of is 1 Corinthians 13 which speaks of how to love someone. Love is: Enduring, patient, and Kind. Love never envious or jealous, boastful, vain, or haughty. Love is not conceited, rude, or unbecoming. Love does not insist on it having its own way. "for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]."
10. Jesus always did what was best for the people around him Despite what Others thought should happen. John 11:5-7 "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.] Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was. Then after that interval He said to His disciples, Let us go back again to Judea." Even though Jesus loved These three, He knew what was best, and He did what was best despite what he was feeling emotionally, or what He wanted to do (I think if it were up to Jesus, he would have rushed over and took care of Lazarus).
2. Jesus preached about how Christians should act, and he followed his own teaching. Mark 12:29-31 "Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'listen Israel': The Lord your God is one; so love the lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: Love others as well as you love yourself. There is no greater commandment that ranks these." Jesus certainly lived this out! He loved people so much that he took time to hear their story and heal them, and then He willingly gave his life up!
3. Jesus was humble for sure! He lived on whatever people gave Him, He didn't own anything, and He never tried to make Himself look good. The greatest example of Jesus being humble is that He was born in a barn, and slept in a manger. Luke 2:7 "She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel."
4. God longed to be close with us so very much that He sent Jesus, in human form, to be with us, close with us! John 3:16 " For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."
5. Jesus cares about and is concerned about the things that go on in our everyday life! 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." Jesus wants to know about us, he cares about how we are doing, and wants to console us.
6. Jesus wants us to be free. He came to earth so that we could be free from sin. Galatians 5:1 "In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]." Jesus also gave us the freedom to choose to be with Him or not. Romans 6:23 "For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord."
7. Jesus gave His life to free us from sin, but in order to do that we have to confront our sin, and realize that what we did was wrong. Throughout the bible Jesus told many parables that helped the people to realize that they were sinners, and then to repent. The only way to heaven is to be forgiven!
8. Jesus never varied from his beliefs, He always stood steadfast and consistent in His ministry. He also Always did what He knew God expected of Him. John 4:34 "Jesus said to them, My food (nourishment) is to do the will (pleasure) of Him Who sent Me and to accomplish and completely finish His work."
9. Jesus was always a positive influence. Because Jesus lived a sin-less life, His influence could only be positive. He was always encouraging others, lifting them up, and healing them. The best example I can think of is 1 Corinthians 13 which speaks of how to love someone. Love is: Enduring, patient, and Kind. Love never envious or jealous, boastful, vain, or haughty. Love is not conceited, rude, or unbecoming. Love does not insist on it having its own way. "for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]."
10. Jesus always did what was best for the people around him Despite what Others thought should happen. John 11:5-7 "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He held them in loving esteem.] Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was. Then after that interval He said to His disciples, Let us go back again to Judea." Even though Jesus loved These three, He knew what was best, and He did what was best despite what he was feeling emotionally, or what He wanted to do (I think if it were up to Jesus, he would have rushed over and took care of Lazarus).
Psalm 31:24 - "Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!
*Jesus I pray now for all those who are struggling to trust you Lord. I thank you that you will use their seeking heart, and that you will allow them to see that you are worth of their trust. I thank you Jesus for being a perfect example of what we can trust. Thank you that when we look to you we can test our relationships for trust, and know whether we can put hope in them. We love you Jesus! *