In ________ We Trust

John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

Where do we turn in times of trouble? God desires for us to come to Him in our worries and pain – to know Him, to trust Him, and to know His Word – so that we can live the abundant life victoriously in the midst of even the most challenging circumstances. Our small group Bible Study has been tackling the spiritual issue of physical and psychological trials and tribulations of life to learn from the Holy Spirit and the united interaction to live fruitful godly lives with love, joy and peace despite the condition and situations surrounding us. So that in the storms of life, we don’t look at how big the storms are, but focus on how big God is, who is carrying us through the storm with love and purpose. In the verse above, spoken by the Lord Jesus, the word “troubled” is translated from the Greek word, ταράσσω “tarassō”. It means “to take away calmness of mind.” It implies an action that strikes a person’s spirit with fear and doubt. Think about all the empty distractions that people reach for when a troubled mind takes them to the “end of their rope” (i.e. drugs, alcohol, buying thing, gambling, money, entertainment, pleasure, Hindu yoga mediation, psychologist, et cetera). Distractions are only attempts to cover the pain. But Christ tells us the cure for the troubled heart, mind and soul … “believe”. Believe is translated from the Greek word, πιστεύω “pisteuō”. It means “to be persuaded of, to place confidence in, to trust, to rely upon.

1 John 5:4-5 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Now, look at the Greek word translated into English as “faith” in the above Bible passage, πίστις “pistis”, and see the similarity of this word translated into English as “believe”. Believing according to God’s Word is the action that appropriates faith. This is what James 2:17-26 means by “faith without works is dead”. It’s not the promise to deliver our trust and obedience that God is expecting; it’s the delivery of our trust and obedience in the works in action of believing faith of the Believer. Does that make sense? Believing is for the “now”. We are not supposed to have troubled hearts, nor are we to be filled with fear and doubt. We’re instructed to keep our minds and hearts clear and calm, trusting in God and in His Son, our Lord and Savior. In God We Trust. Now the question is: Do we do it, or is it: In ________ We Trust?

Mark 11:22 And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.

In Christ, Brian