I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky. Psalm 89:2, GNT

 

Anyone in the land who asks for a blessing will ask to be blessed by the Faithful God. Whoever takes an oath will swear by the name of the Faithful God. The troubles of the past will be gone and forgotten." Isaiah 65:16, GNT

 

God is to be trusted, the God who called you to have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:9, GNT

 

When I really want to relax, I read Wild West stories by Louis L’Amour. In almost all of these stories, you read about trust between ordinary people. Written contracts were seldom used. People trusted each other to the point that the shaking of hands was enough to confirm relatively big agreements. I don’t know if this was true in all instances or just part of the story, but there must be some truth in what he wrote. Unfortunately, in our modern society, this kind of thing is the exception rather than the rule.

 

It would have been wonderful if we could trust everybody we met, especially those close to us. Recently, I learned that I should be careful who I trust. When I was still involved with pastoral psychology, one of the most common themes of lament I came across was: "If I could just have trusted my colleague, partner, father, mother or child." When trust has been broken too many times, one tends to become wary of a person.

 

To be able to trust God is therefore one of the most important things in life. I have met many people who have lost their faith in God, maybe because of the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or whatever other trauma that befell them. In such circumstances, people question whether God is always trustworthy or if he sometimes leaves you in the lurch. Many ask “Can I really trust him in everything?”

 

There is only one answer to this question. Look at how God deals with people in the Bible. In all three verses for today, his faithfulness is characterised by love and permanence. It is best illustrated by the fact that he kept his promise to deliver us from sin and made it possible for us to “have fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Yes, you can trust God.

 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we give thanks to you because you are never unfaithful. You have always done what you promised to do and we know that we can rely on you completely. Amen.

 

 

 

Elkeen in die land wat om voorspoed bid, sal dit doen in die Naam van die God wat getrou is, en elkeen in die land wat 'n eed aflê, sal dit doen in die Naam van die God wat getrou is. Die swaarkry van vroeër sal vergeet wees, Ek laat dit verdwyn. Jesaja 65:16. 1983-vertaling

 

God is getrou, Hy wat julle geroep het om verenig te lewe met sy Seun, Christus Jesus, ons Here. 1 Korintiërs 1:9, 1983-vertaling

 

As ek regtig wil onspan, lees ek graag die Wilde Weste stories van Louis L’Amour. Een van die dinge wat my opgeval het is dat hy telkemale noem dat gewone mense in die Wilde Weste baie selde met geskrewe kontrakte gewerk het. Hulle het talle transaksies te goeder trou gedoen. Jy het die ander persoon tot die mate vertrou dat julle bloot met die skud van hande die saak beklink het. Die soort vertroue bestaan ongelukkig nie meer dikwels in ons moderne samelewing nie.

 

Dit sou wonderlik wees as ons almal wat ons ontmoet kon vertrou, veral diegene naby aan ons. Onlangs moes ek uitvind dat ek nie eers die persoon wat my vrieskas kom herstel het kon vertrou nie. In die dae toe ek nog baie betrokke was by pastorale sielkunde, het ek dikwels die versugting gehoor – kon ek maar net my kollega, lewensmaat, pa, ma of kind vertrou het. Nadat iemand 'n paar keer jou vertroue geskend het, begin jy katvoet loop.

 

Daarom is dit so noodsaaklik dat ons God kan vertrou. Ek het ook al mense ontmoet wat hulle vertroue in God verloor het, miskien vanweë die dood van 'n geliefde of die verlies van werk of watter trauma hulle ook al getref het. Wanneer dit gebeur, begin 'n mens regtig vra of God jou ook nie maar soms in die steek laat nie. Kan ek Hom in alles vertrou?

 

Daar is net een antwoord en dit is om in die Bybel te gaan kyk na hoe God met mense gewerk het. In die drie verse wat ons vandag gelees het, word God se trou gekenmerk deur liefde en permanensie. Dit word die beste geïllustreer in die wete dat Hy sy belofte nagekom het om ons uit sonde te red. Eers nadat dit gebeur het kan ons met Jesus verenig lewe. Ja, jy kan Hom maar absoluut vertrou.

 

Gebed. Troue God en Hemelse Vader, ons dank U dat U nooit ontrou is nie en altyd doen wat U beloof het en ons altyd op U kan staatmaak. Amen.