Joyce Meyer - Unshakeable Trust: Find the Joy of Trusting God at All Times, in All Things

I cannot think of any subject that is more important to write about than trusting God. It is a vital subject because once we choose to trust God, the benefits are countless and amazing. Trusting God is one of the greatest ways to honor Him.

From the very beginning of this book, I want to emphasize that trust is not an obligation that we owe God; it is a privilege that He makes available to us. We are invited to trust God, and by doing so, we open the door to a life of peace, joy, and fruitfulness.

When we mix a healthy portion of trusting God into everything that we do, it enables us to live without worry, anxiety, fear, reasoning, or debilitating stress. For example, I am trusting God to help me write this book. That means I recognize that I dont know everything I need to know about trusting Him and am convinced that without Him, the book will not be good. God wants us to lean on Him at all times and in all things. Nothing is too small for God to be involved in where His children are concerned.

Since individuals tend to be self-reliant and independent, it usually takes us quite a while to learn how to trust God. Part of the difficulty stems from our unpleasant experiences that often teach us that people cannot always be trusted. But Gods ways are far above those of people, and His Word teaches us that His character is such that He cannot lie or deceive.

In this book, I hope to share with you that you can learn to trust without borders and have faith beyond reason. Total trust in God should be our goal, not only because it honors God, but also because the benefits are astounding.

When we trust God, it pleases Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please Him (NKJV). Faith and trust are so connected that we cannot separate them. Faith is the substance that invites God into our lives. It maintains His presence in our lives and connects us to Him in a very powerful way.

We have an enemy, Satan, who continually seeks to prevent us from enjoying relationship with God and the life He offers us. Satan tempts us with fear, worry and anxiety, reasoning, stress, doubt, and many other things that take our mind off God and cause us to lead self-absorbed lives in which we desperately try to take care of ourselves.

The only antidote for these miseries is complete trust in God. I pray that as you read this book, you will receive grace to completely release yourself and all that concerns you to God, in every situation and at all times.

As you read and study this book, keep this Scripture in mind:

[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.

Jeremiah 17:7 (AMPC)

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of faith is the end of anxiety.

George Mueller

Anytime we trust anyone or anything that proves trustworthy, it puts an end to anxiety. Therefore it is very important to learn what trust is and how to trust. We especially want to learn to trust God.

Noah Websters 1828 dictionary defines trust as: Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. He who puts his trust in the Lord will be safe (see Proverbs 29:25).

Trust enables us to live without weights, burdens, or cares because we have confidence that another will deal with those things for us. Instead of feeling that we are continually carrying a heavy load, we can enjoy a wonderful lightness in our souls.

Putting our trust in God and casting our cares on Him requires that we make a decision to do it. The psalmist David spoke frequently about putting his trust in God. The word put is an action word that we often find in Gods Word when He is giving us instructions on what to dothings like put on love, put on the new man, put on your shoes of peace, as well as put your trust in God. (See Colossians 3:14; Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 6:15; Proverbs 3:5.)

The Bible says, Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22 [AMPC]). I like the idea of releasing the weight of a burden. We often live with a heavy heart and a burdened mind, but God is inviting us to a better quality of life that is only experienced by putting our trust in Him. Noah Webster said that trust is a resting of the mind. The apostle Paul confirmed this when he said that those who believe (trust) God will enter His rest (see Hebrews 4:3).

One of the ways we can discern that we are truly trusting God, rather than merely trying to trust Him, is whether or not our souls are resting in Gods faithfulness. If I say I am trusting God, but I continue to carry the weight of the burden by worrying and being anxious, then I have not released the burden to the Lord. I may want to. I may be trying to. But I have not done it yet.