To Encourage You

John 4:21 “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me. . .”

My youngest son has Down Syndrome.  For anyone who knows him, they would say that one of his most wonderful qualities is that he’s almost always joyful. It’s amazing how quickly he falls asleep at night and how soundly he sleeps. His sleep is sweet, because he’s not afraid of anything.  He doesn’t fear because he obviously trusts. He trusts me and he trusts my wife.  He knows we’ll take care of him. He knows his needs will be met.  Likewise, I know he trusts the Lord.  It is a simple but a profound reality, this faith of his. 

One of the things that I’ve thought about as I’ve thought about my son is that if he knew me like I know me, he probably wouldn’t be so trusting, at least in me.  I know my weaknesses. I know my failures. I know that there have been times in my life when I didn’t have what it took, and I’ve feared because of it.  Thankfully, I haven’t passed that fear down to my son. Perhaps I’m good at disguising it.  And while I would like to say to my son, “you can always trust me to take care of you,” truth be told, I have no idea what the future may bring. It’s because of our own awareness of ourselves that to say to someone else, no matter who it is, “You can trust me, no matter what!” might be a very foolish thing to say.  In fact, it would be a foolish thing to put our trust in anyone who may say such a thing, for everyone has their weaknesses.  Everyone has their limitations.  There are some things for which no one is powerful enough or knows enough or is wealthy enough to have the answers – but for One! 

You see, when Jesus spoke the words above to the Samaritan woman at the well, it was said with a force and certainty that is like no one else has ever spoken. When the Bible talks about putting our faith in Jesus Christ, it’s really calling us to absolutely trust everything He has ever said.  And because it is Jesus, Himself, Who actually gave us His Word, in a sense, whenever we read the Bible, we are being urged by Jesus Himself with the words “Trust me! Believe what I have said!” At its heart, that’s all that faith in Christ is.  He said that if we will just believe Him, we will be saved for all eternity (Acts 16:31). He’s told us that if we will just bring our needs to Him, He will supply every one of them (Philippians 4:19). He’s told us that He will come back and take us to be with Him so that where He is, we will be also. And then He said, “if it were not so, I would have told you” (John 14:2).  With each and every promise, with each and every word, Jesus is telling us “Trust me!” 

So, do you trust Him?  Do you trust your very life and your eternity to what He has said?  If not, why not, for who has He ever failed?  And who, then, are you trusting in? Is it yourself, or some other no less fallible being? 

You see, like my son, sleep is sweet to those who trust, especially if the One they trust in is the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent Christ (Proverbs 3:24). To trust anyone or anything else is to trust in that which is far less.  So, ask yourself, “Why would I ever trust that?”