God is our help, in him we trust

To trust is to put confidence in someone or something. It is to exercise faith and dispel fear, committing one’s life or situation to another, believing him to be on top or able to handle it. Trust carries the sense of leaning or putting one’s whole weight on another.

The Christian life is a life of trust. It starts with trusting Jesus as Lord and Saviour and develops or continues in trusting the Lord through all circumstances and trials of life.

The Bible says a lot about trust and urges us to develop unflinching trust in God. God has shown or proven Himself to be both able and willing to deliver/help those who trust in Him. History is in fact, “His (God’s) Story” of demonstration of power and faithfulness. God has persistently been our Help. So, we have every reason to affirm and declare with the Psalmist: “In God, whose word I praise— in God, I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:4, 11).

In times of fear, trials, temptations, difficulties and anxieties, the Lord enjoins us: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (Jn14: 1).

Moreover, aside from the fact that God has the capacity and disposition to help, He is also the only reliable help. No one else is sufficiently reliable to help us. This has been clearly shown in this COVID-19 pandemic when the acclaimed powers and superpowers are themselves helpless and literally brought down, while the perceived ordinary people walked shoulder high. Thus, the Psalmist is also right in his declaration: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psa. 121:1-2, NKJV). “God is our Refuge and Strength, an Ever-Present Help in Times of Trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Unless God helps us, no one can.

Jesus called on His disciples to trust God for the provision of their needs. The command: “Do not worry” was repeated three times in Matthew 6 (Vs 25, 31, 34) for emphasis. It does not imply a complete lack of concern, nor does it call people to be unwilling to work and supply their own needs. Food, drink, and clothes are less important than the life and body that they supply. It is God who sustains our lives and gives us our bodies. Therefore, we can also trust Him to provide the food and clothing, which He knows we need. Worry immobilises us, but trust in God moves us to action. We work for our money to supply food and clothing, but we must always remember that these ultimately come from God’s Hands. We should play our part, but conscious that all we can do is worth nothing unless God blesses the deeds. So, we cannot do without God. We surely need Him and should seek and follow Him.

God is our help; in Him we trust, and not lose hope. Things will surely turn around in our favour because the Lord is on the throne and holds the world in His Hands. It shall be well.

The Ven. Dr Princewill Onyinyechukwu Ireoba is the Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State.