They passed in front of my beach chair, stooped to look at a shell or two, and walked on. These two people, side by side, walked unusually slowly. What caught my eye was the age difference between the two of them. The young man was in his 30s. The woman was older, perhaps mid-70s. She walked carefully on the uneven sand. The young man walked with his arm around her shoulder, steadying her along. She had her arm around his waist, holding onto him for support.
I watched as he walked attentively with her, stopping whenever she wanted to look at shells, or a seagull, or the waves lapping the shoreline. He was patient with her. He laughed and ran after her hat as it flew off into the wind. He seemed to love being her support and taking slow, carefully navigated steps in order for her to enjoy the beach at her pace. He seemed genuinely delighted in her delight. And she seemed to have complete trust in him.
How much more, I wonder, does my Heavenly Father delight to walk with me? Can I see him gently supporting me with his strength, his steadying hand keeping me aligned with his will? Do I trust him joyfully, affectionately, even when I can’t see my next step, when the way is treacherous, dark and stormy?
According to Merriam-Webster, trust is “the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.” Our Father God asks us to trust him and rely on his strength and ability to keep us close to himself. Proverbs 3:5-6 shows us how:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
This well known, oft-memorized verse reminds my soul that leaning against my Lord, my Helper, my Keeper, requires a whole heart full of trust. Yikes! Trusting with all my heart is a tall order for this “I’m-in-control” gal!
But the word “trust” is fascinating in that it has a second meaning: “a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another” (Merrian-Webster). In other words, it’s a treasure that is being held until a future date when the “trustee” then gives it to the beneficiary to enjoy.
In Jeremiah, right in the middle of the Lord’s rebuke of Judah’s sin, it says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7,8).
It seems that here the LORD is both trustworthy and the “trust” itself. He is both our strong support and the treasure, our inheritance. Furthermore, we are told that we have these treasures in some measure now, housed in jars of clay. This brings us full-circle back to my beach encounter. Our great God, our dear Savior, walks with us everyday as closely as this young man was walking with this dear, frail woman.
Mysteriously and wonderfully, Christ walks even closer with us who are his daughters. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have the most trustworthy source of power and support. Our “jar-of-clay” frames are not haphazardly bumping through life just waiting to fall off the back of a pickup truck and smash apart. No! We are held secure until the day we meet our beautiful Lord face to face. He values us more than we value ourselves! He walks with us, determining the best pace. He delights in what we delight in and cares for what we carry.
Do I believe this? Yes, I choose to trust him. I also believe in his inheritance for me, my “trust” fund. Some days are better than others. But that’s just me. God has no bad days. None. So he even keeps me as my trust waivers and my footsteps falter. He lifts me up when I fall. He keeps me green and fruitful. Our tender Lord, our beautiful Savior, our trusted Friend is trustworthy to the end!
