Can God be trusted?

When is the last time you went outside and looked up? I tried it. I went outside and I looked, up, down and all around; I’m here to tell you what I found.

As I considered these things, many thoughts crossed my mind:

I remembered how, just a few days ago I went to church. I looked and saw the trees all around and we had to stop and marvel. Some had their trunks twisted and turned in the most interesting fashion only to make beautiful canopy at the top. Some just went straight up, standing bold and tall. And as we sat that day under the sanctuary of nature, I couldn’t help but look up. And I saw just how the umbrella of branches and leaves covered us from hot scorch of January sun. Often, the breeze would blow, and beat modern, man-made air conditioning while shaking the branches of the trees around so the leaves would fall on us.

I remembered how I got home after a sad day and looked up. And I saw the most amazing sunset. I got a bit angry that God had the time to beautify the earth thinking that instead nature should be gloomy and groan with me. But I know it did wrought a healing balm. And I can’t tell you how many times I have had to steal away at the end of the day just to watch the sun set. Because I know that when I see it die into the western horizon, and how the scanty cotton-like clouds are painted in its golden tint, it does something to my soul.

But time would fail me to write how even the sky looks at night. How the stars twinkle in their meager white light, but because the sky is black, I can see them shine. How the wayside flower is alloyed in most charming colours and fragrant perfumes only to go unnoticed or wither the next day.

On that night, as I considered these things, I was led to a higher look. I was led to the throne of the One behind these things. And I marvelled at the thought of the Creator. A God who holds the whole universe in place, but has time to paint the sky with beauty and the flowers with charm. Who is in the middle of a great controversy but has time to put flavour in mangoes and grapes and decide the tilt of our nose, the arch of our lips and the complexion of our skin. “God is good!” I exclaimed, and grew deeper in love with Him.

However, almost immediately I remembered the state of the world. I recalled how many times I walked to school only to see children less than half my age beg for meager bread. I rembered the excruciating pain when my loved ones were taken away by death. Even here, time would fail me to tell of atrocities like the Rwandan genocide, the war in Ukraine, the sick down my street, the unjustly treated, the lady raped multiply by men she thought she could trust and the list continues…

Where was God? David Asscherick made this statement, ” Everything that God does is an act of love, but not everything that happens is an act of God.” I believe that. I receive that. Yet I still shuddered to think that He would allow these things. Would I still believe if my dearest on earth was taken away, if I was not assured of the stability of a job after school or whatever stability looks like, if I lost everything and everyone in a day,Job, remember? Would I trust? Yes, God did not cause these things, but how could He allow?

I don’t have all the answers. And sometimes we need healing more than answers. But God did assure me of these two things:

KJV Romans 8
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

We serve a God that was willing to die eternally than spend eternity without us. He despised the shame and pain of the cross if it would mean that we are saved. Ultimately, the Cross is the insurance to our assurance that God is for us. I may not understand all things, but this I know, God is on my side.

And the second thing is this, that God will add grace when it is needed. His mercies are new every morning. And as the day, so the strength He giveth His own. One day at a time. If He shall bid me bear some pain or grief, then He shall enable me bear it, for His biddings are enablings.

Reader, we can trust this type of God.