OPINION
Key text:
1 Cor. 10:13
Friday, January 29
Extraordinary Tru st by Rosa Rodriguez
“Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but
to trust and obey.”
The familiar hymn makes it sound simple. Obedience to defined
laws seems obvious. Trust, though, is a different matter.
As we may have experienced, being obedient Christians will not
shield our lives from the same kind of problems and frustrations
non-Christians experience in this imperfect world.
As Christians, we may even expect to be tried more intensely
than others: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil
prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”
(1 Peter 5:8, NIV). “ ‘If they persecuted me, they will persecute you
also’ ” (John 15:20, NIV). Christians in Roman times knew this all
too well. The early Christians probably didn’t pray for an easy life,
but for the strength to live it for the Lord. Extraordinary strength
comes from true trust: “No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor.10:13,
NIV).
The promise is there. We have to trust Him to do it. It has to be an
extraordinary trust. Why? Because we are to be extraordinary peo-
ple—sons and daughters of the Creator of the universe. Our trust
has to be tough enough to withstand the next-to-the-greatest force
of the universe. After all, why should Satan bother with those who
already belong to him? With God on our side we have power from
the greatest force in the universe.
Yes, it is sometimes difficult to believe in that power. Put yourself
in Carl’s shoes (see the Introduction). As a new Christian he is still
spiritually young and weak. The Israelites were also young. They
needed dramatic displays to believe in God’s care. They still did not
know God well enough to trust in His power. Trust is not an instan-
taneous quality. Instilled through faith, it can be developed and
strengthened only through spiritual growth and shared experiences
—good and bad. Sometimes these trying experiences do demand the
extraordinary from us. But Christians are extraordinary people be-
cause they serve an extraordinary God.
REACT
1. Has God miraculously intervened at some point in your life to
save you from sure physical death?
2. Has this helped or hindered your faith in God? Explain?
3. List some specific situations when God has “provided a way
out” from temptations that seemed overwhelming. What factors pre-
vented Him from doing so on other occasions?
Rosa Rodriguez is a communication intern, office of college rela-
tions, at Walla Walla College, Washington.
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