This week, Michael writes those who enter into God’s presence must enter in through personal abandonment and absolute trust. Trust is required before we can abandon ourselves. Absolute means 1. Literally, in a general sense, free, independent of anything extraneous. Hence, 2. Complete in itself; positive; as an absolute declaration. 3. Unconditional, as an absolute promise. 4. Existing independent of any other cause, as God is absolute. 5. Unlimited by extraneous power or control, as an absolute government or prince. 6. Not relative, as absolute space. Absolute means pure and free from any restrictions. Absolute is unquestionable, foundational, elemental, and remarkable ... exceptional without deviation from the exacting standard. Trust in God is assured reliance on God and the truth of His word. Trust is to rely on the truth that God is faithful to His word.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Evidence is the assurance, the convincing empirical tangible proof. Doubting disciple Thomas said, “I won’t believe that Jesus was resurrected until I put my finger into the wound in his side and into the imprints of the nails.” Jesus answered Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said unto Him, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus said unto him, “Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
A relationship with our Heavenly Father through His son, our Lord Jesus Christ is a supernatural reality. This relationship begins with trust. In God We Trust. To trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding is the prerequisite to our spiritual relationship. To trust in the Lord means that I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which He’s committed to me against that day of righteous judgement.
John McArthur said our faith must be tried in the crucible of life. In the heat of the purifying fire, we’ll come to know that God alone is our sufficiency. The crisis will reveal that we cannot overcome the trial in our own power. The Lord alone is able to deliver. Warren Wiersbe said that our Lord Jesus Christ is superior to the powers of this world. To be able to trust in the Lord, we need to be able to see according to the spiritual perspective of Christ’s eyes behind our eyes.
Part of trusting in the Lord is to allow God to “call an audible” change. He’s in charge of His plan, we’re not. If you have a pad and pencil on the table before you. Write a letter to God and tell him what’s on your heart. Then listen for God to respond back. Write down the letter from God that He dictates back to you.” The next two hours are the most meaningful two hours of the entire exercise. Share your personal letters from God with someone you trust.
Let's continue Michael's message on personal abandonment and absolute trust in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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