A friend and I were flying across country recently. My friend was not
a strong believer. High over Kansas I asked him, “What is the pilot’s
name on this flight?” “I don’t know,” my friend responded. “Do you
know where he went to flight school?” “Of course not,” he came back.
“Do you know whether he even has a pilot’s license, or if he was
drinking before we took off?” “What’s your point?” my friend asked.
“You mean you got in this airplane and let someone you don’t even know
fly us all across the country?” “I guess so,” he said. I returned,
“Then you put your trust in someone you don’t know and have never
seen.”
My friend trusted a total stranger beyond his own understanding. Why
is it so hard for us, then, to trust God beyond our own understanding?
God made the pilot, made the plane, created the skies we were flying
in and planned our whole trip before we even thought about going on
the trip? Those of us who fly occasionally remember the safe flights
we’ve had in the past.
In Proverbs 3:1 Solomon tells his son, “Do not forget my teaching.”
Every one of us, if we stopped to consider our lives could probably
fill a legal pad with the things God has already taught us. The times
we have watched God work in our lives are vivid memories we rarely
forget. If God got us through storms in our pasts can’t we trust him
in the next crisis without understanding how He’s going to do it? Our
ability to trust what God says allows us to trust him beyond our
understanding. Don’t doubt in the darkness what God has already shown
you in the light.
Another way to trust God beyond our understanding is to be sensitive
to the things that matter in life. A sensitive spirit allows you to go
through difficulties and struggles without turning bitter or angry. If
you are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit you will not
develop negative emotions or allow negative experiences from your past
to rob you of your trust in God.
We can also trust God beyond our understanding by refusing to rely on
our own understanding as Proverbs 3:5 teaches. Refuse to rely on what
you can see to determine your level of trust. Rely on your ability to
look beyond the immediate issues of life. God pleads with us
throughout His word to remain in His Presence all day and that we have
the Great I Am with us every moment. But God also teaches us to look
past our current circumstances with a view of heaven to be able to
trust Him in all things. Colossians 3:2 reminds us to “set your mind
on things above, not on earthly things.” We can trust that God is with
us with each step we take; at the same time we can trust that we are
strangers on earth and our true home, security and safety is with God
in heaven.
Keeping God as your highest priority in life will also enable you to
trust Him beyond your own understanding. If God is your highest
priority, above your spouse, children, job, car, possessions and such,
He will order your steps and meet all your needs beyond your
understanding. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first His
Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things (everything you
need) will be added to you.” And Paul teaches us in Ephesians that
God, “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20.
Also, if we believe that God has a plan for our lives that is much
better than anything we could think or imagine, it makes trusting Him
much easier. Isaiah 30:21 teaches us, “Whether you turn to the right
or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘this
is the way. Walk in it.’ ” And Jeremiah 29:11 teaches us, “For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Do you
believe that? Do you believe Him? If you believe what He says in His
Word you will be able to trust Him beyond your own understanding.
And last, to trust God beyond your understanding allow humility to be
the anchor of your soul. Pride will ruin you. Period. You’ll wind up
being a train wreck. You will lose all the things you hold near and
dear to you. However, if we cultivate a humble spirit and allow that
humility to control us it will open the doors for us to trust God in
the midst of trials and for every occasion in your life.
The only way to learn all this stuff is to bathe yourself in His Word
every day. Speak to Him, listen to Him, meditate on Him, think about
Him, read what He says in His Word and then you will learn to trust
Him beyond your own understanding.