According to the dictionary the word trust is defined as: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence; Confident expectation of something; hope. The following words are synonyms of trust: certainty, belief, faith, Trust, assurance, confidence. All these words imply a feeling of security. However, trust implies instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something. Assurance implies absolute confidence and certainty. Confidence implies conscious trust because of good reasons, definite evidence, or past.
Which of the three does God wants from us? Does God want from us an unquestioning, blind, implicit trust? This would make us virtual robots and, God made us to use reason and discernment. Does God want us to have a trust that it's based on evidence and experience?
Confidence is generally described as a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. This would imply reproducibility and repeatability. For example, I am certain because time and time again I have had the same outcome.
Now, certainty can be defined as either (a) perfect knowledge that has total security from error, or (b) the mental state of being without doubt; something that is certain; the quality or state of being certain especially on the basis of evidence; assured in mind or action. Objectively defined, certainty is total continuity and validity of all foundational inquiry, to the highest degree of precision. Something is certain only if no skepticism can occur. Certainty comes from Vulgar Latin certanus, which in turn comes from certus, the past participle of cernere, which means to sift, discern, and decide; akin to Greek krinein to separate, decide, judge. (Cernere is the same word from which we get the verb to discern.) So, you study the evidence and separate what is good from what is bad.
In terms of our relationship with God and based on the above definition confidence is a better word than trust. Has God given us enough evidence for us to have confidence in Him? Has He given us proof that beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can believe His Word? And, if this is true then what is the implication? In other words, what does it mean to and for us? How will our belief that God has given us enough evidence that He is good and loving be displayed in our life?
We see one example is John 14: 1,
John14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In the Greek the word believe as used in this text is pisteuō. This word not only means to be or to think to be true, or place confidence in, but also to be persuaded of. To be persuaded means to make somebody believe something, especially by giving good reasons for doing so. There is a change of mind because the evidence presented is certain beyond the shadow of a doubt. And, since it is certain, then we can have confidence that it will produce that which it promised it would, hence we can wait for it to be fulfilled. Hence, we have no need of worrying or being troubled. Can we say this of God? If the answer is yes, then we have no need of being troubled because God has provided, is providing and will provide for us. God is taking care of us.
As we get to know God we realize what He says in Isaiah 41:10 is true. Let us read the text,
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Jesus said to the disciples to consider the evidence in nature. Let us read Matthew 6:26 – 30,
Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Matthew 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Matthew 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
So we can be confident that God will take care of us no matter what the circumstance we are in. Therefore there is no need to be troubled, anxious or worried. As the Hymn says, "Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you."
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Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com
