Trusting God is hard because surrender feels risky. But trusting ourselves more than God is far more dangerous.
[00:00:37] Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host Elgin Carelock. The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly dividing the word of truth and learning how to apply it to our daily lives. You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast. And now here's Elgin.
[00:01:02] Brothers and Sisters, I welcome you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus the Christ, to another edition of The Bible Speaks, where we're studying God's word together. Today's discussion is Why It's Hard to Trust God. Our scriptural inspiration comes from Proverbs
[00:01:28] 3, verses 5-6. And reading from the New Living Translation, it reads, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. This isn't me challenging your faith,
[00:01:54] faith. And it's not a question of how much you believe. This is an honest conversation about why trusting God can feel hard, especially when life has brought you to the end of what you know how to do. God made us to think, plan, build, solve problems, use wisdom, and take action. Those are good things,
[00:02:21] but the same abilities that help us move forward can also make it difficult to surrender. We get used to depending on our own logic, our own experience, our own skills, and what I like to call our bag of tricks. Then we reach a place where the tricks no longer work, and God invites us into
[00:02:44] a deeper kind of trust. Let us pray. Father God, thank you for being patient with us when trusting you feels difficult. Open our hearts to your word and help us stop leaning on our own understanding. Teach us to fast, pray, listen, and follow the Holy Spirit with humility. Prepare us for what's next,
[00:03:12] and help us trust you with every increase. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Proverbs 3 verses 5 through 6 teaches us to place complete confidence in God's wisdom rather than relying only on human logic. The promise is simple, but the practice can be difficult. When we seek his will
[00:03:39] in all we do, he will show us the path to take. Notice I said, show us, not tell us. There is a difference. These instructions sound very clear, but if we're honest, it's not always easy. Trusting God is hard because God sees more than we see. He's omniscient. He sees every version of who we
[00:04:05] could become. He sees the path we're on, the path we avoided, the doors we wanted, the doors he blocked, and the future he is shaping. We usually see one moment at a time, while God sees the whole story. That is why our own understanding can only take us so far.
[00:04:29] The challenge is that God also built us with ability. He gave us intelligence, work ethic, creativity, drive, and skill. He built us for whatever we're willing to work for. And when the Holy Spirit leads that work, God can do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think,
[00:04:52] just as Ephesians 3 and 20 reminds us. But success brings its own test. As we climb economically, socially, professionally, and reputationally, it becomes very easy to believe our increase came from us alone. We start trusting the gift more than the giver. We start using talent without surrender.
[00:05:17] We start moving by strategy without prayer. And slowly, we can begin depending on what we know instead of who we know. Then comes the season where talent isn't enough. The doors don't open. Money doesn't stretch. The relationship doesn't heal easily. The old methods stop producing.
[00:05:42] And suddenly, we realize we've reached the end of our bag of tricks. This is not always punishment. Sometimes, it's an invitation. God is inviting us back into deeper relationship. And he does so willingly. He's not standing far away with his arms crossed. He is a father. But he does require
[00:06:08] something from us. Trust him for the increase from that point forward. For those of us who spent years living what looked like to be a good life in our own way, this can be uncomfortable. We believe God is able. We know he has blessed us before. Some of us can even admit that God blessed us during seasons
[00:06:32] when we were not fully obedient. But now, he may be asking for something deeper. Humility. Meekness. A servant's heart. And a willingness to be prepared for however the blessing comes. And here's the part that stretches us. Many times, what God wants us to do is tied to what he wants to
[00:06:57] do through us for someone else. The blessing is not just about our comfort. The idea is not just about our income. The platform is not about our name. God often increases territories so we can increase impact. But we must be careful. If we do good things only to get a blessing, we miss the heart of God.
[00:07:22] Service is not a transaction. Obedience is not a trick. Generosity is not a formula. Because God looks at your heart. There comes a time when we have to stand 10 toes down and put all our faith in God. Naturally, that might sound ridiculous. Your flesh may want control. The world may tell you to protect
[00:07:48] yourself. Fear may tell you to stay with what you can explain. But your spirit knows the truth. God can be trusted. So, what do you do when trust is hard? You fast. You pray. You study the word. You ask the Lord to prepare us for what you want. You ask the Lord to prepare us for what you want to do. You ask the Lord to prepare us for what is next.
[00:08:13] We stop asking, how do I get out of this? And begin asking, Father, what are you forming in me? Who are you calling me to bless? What do you want me to surrender? Then we do what the Holy Spirit says. Not what the world says. Not what fear says. Not what pride says.
[00:08:36] We follow the God idea. The idea that may bless others and bless us in the process. The idea that may require work, patience, humility, preparation, and obedience. The idea that brings God glory. This connects us to what we talked about in You Already Have What You Need.
[00:09:02] God often gives us the truth, the tools, gifts, and the opportunity. But we still have to prepare for the life we're asking Him to give. Trusting God is hard because surrender feels risky. But trusting ourselves more than God is far more dangerous. So today, don't be ashamed if trust feels difficult. Bring that honestly to the Father.
[00:09:31] Heavenly Father, He already knows. Ask Him to help you trust Him with your next step, your next idea, your next season, and your next increase. Because when we stop leaning only on our own understanding and begin seeking His will in all we do, He promises to show us which path to take. Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to lead us beyond our own understanding.
[00:10:01] Forgive us for the times we trusted our gifts, talents, experiences, and strategies more than we trusted you. Teach us humility, meekness, obedience, and service. Help us fast, pray, listen, and follow the Holy Spirit. Prepare us for what's next. And make our increase a blessing to others and a testimony of your glory.
[00:10:29] In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. I thank you for spending time with me on today. And I look forward to our time together next Sunday. Until then, God bless.
[00:10:42] The Bible Speaks is sponsored by C Squared Realty and New Gen Construction Group to help spread the gospel to the corners of the earth. If anything you've heard poured into your life, please share it with someone.
[00:11:05] You can find The Bible Speaks on Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and many more. Follow us on YouTube at The Bible Speaks Online. You may contact Elgin at P.O. Box 5582, Ocala, Florida 34478
[00:11:30] or by email at thebiblespeaksonline at gmail.com