Learning to Trust God
The following is condensed and paraphrased from Richard Baxter’s “Christian Directory” –
“Be greatly affected by the almighty power, wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness of God – and how certainly all persons, things and event are in his power. Consider how powerless the world is to resist him, and that nothing can hurt you without his consent. The primary way to establish confidence in God is to know him, and to know that all things that we can fear are nothing, and can do nothing, unless by his command, and motion, or permission.
“Consider how great is the sin of distrust. It denies the attributes of God, and usually views the creature to be above him. It indicates that you doubt or deny his power to help you, or the wisdom of his promises, or his ability to rescue you, or his goodness and love, or the truth and faithfulness of his promises.
“Remember that to trust God is to put him under obligation, but to distrust God is to free him from obligation, especially when you are trusting something else more than God…God may say to you, “Let those things that you trusted in help you – you did not trust in me, and therefore, if I forsake you, I am not failing you, since you never put trust in me.”
“Believe and remember how minute is God’s providence, which remembers when even a sparrow falls to the ground, and which numbers the hairs of your head. Can you distrust him, who so carefully considers even your smallest needs? Him, who is always present, and watching over you? You do not need to fear his absence, disregard, forgetfulness, or insufficiency. Does he number your hairs, and does he not number your groans, and prayers, and tears?
“Compare God with your dearest and most faithful friend, and then consider how confidently you could trust your friend if your life or welfare was entirely in his hand. Much much more boldly you should trust in God, who is more wise, and kind, and merciful, and trustworthy, than any mortal man can be!
“Be motivated by your natural love for calm, and your weariness of anxious cares, and fears, and sorrows, to cast yourself on God, and to quiet your soul in trusting in him. God specifically made you and all other things to be insufficient, unsatisfying, and troubling to you, so that you would be motivated to rest in him alone, when nothing else provides rest for you. Anxieties, fears, and a troubled mind are such thorns and briers that you cannot naturally love or be content with them – and you must be sure that there is no way to be delivered from them, except by trusting in God.
“Remember that distrust is a sin that multiplies, and it will bring you to every other iniquity and misery if you allow it to prevail. To doubt God is to enter upon a life of error, sin, and woe. It eventually leads us to an idolatrous confidence in ourselves, and sinful decisions, and an insensitive conscience. It deceives our decisions, and makes us think that everything is lawful, which seems necessary for us to live in safety and wellbeing. It also makes everything seem necessary, which we imagine we need to live in safety and wellbeing. All sinful methods, and workarounds, and man-pleasing, and believing sinful means to not be sin, come from this distrust of God.
“Do not allow distrustful thoughts and reasonings in your mind, but cast them out, and command them to be gone. The considerations of your mind are the instruments of good and evil, and your considerations consist of your thoughts. Your are more immediately able to control your thoughts than you can control your feelings. If you cannot trust God as peacefully as you wish, or repress every fearful anxiety, then you should at least keep out, or cast out, the thoughts which lead to sin, and turn your thoughts instead to something else. If thoughts do not stir it up, distrustful fear and anxiety will vanish. What are your anxieties, but the effect of troubled thoughts? It is nothing more than continually feeding on your difficulties and troubles, and tiring yourself with wondering what you will do. Get rid of these thoughts, and the anxieties will disappear. You can make much progress in this if you try, though it will be difficult.
“When commands are not enough, then rebuke your unbelieving heart, and reason it out of its distrustful cares, and fears, and sorrow. Say to it, as David often did, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? Trust in God, for I will yet give him thanks, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” O foolish soul! Have you still learned no better how to trust in God? Does he support the heavens and the earth, and the whole creation, but you cannot rely on him? Is he not wise enough to be trusted with you? Is he not good and gracious enough to be trusted with your life, possessions, and name, and welfare? Is he not great and powerful enough to be trusted in the midst of the greatest danger, or difficulties, or opposition that you can face? Is he not true and faithful enough to be trusted, whatever unique circumstances may occur to you?…Unworthy soul! Will you atheistically deny the sufficiency, or truth, or goodness of your God? Shall your distrust, deny him, or blaspheme him?…Is he enough to be our endless happiness in heaven, and not to be your confidence on earth? Can you trust him to raise your body from the dust, and not raise your position, or reputation, or troubled mind? Either trust him as your rock and hope, or never pretend to take him as your God.
“Nothing is gained by fighting against the will of God, and nothing is lost by quietly submitting to it. So, if you love him, and desire to obey and please him, then trust in him, and he will surely save you.”
Richard Baxter (1615-1691) was an English theologian and noncomformist minister. He authored multiple books, including ‘The Reformed Pastor’ and ‘The Christian Directory.’
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