How God Challenged My Heart to Trust Him More

Welcome back to our journey to deeper trust in God! This is a series I am offering because I believe we are living in a time that challenges our commitment and trust in the Lord. Did you catch the first two articles in the series? If not, you can read them by going HERE and HERE.

Today, I wanted to give you a peek inside my own journey and share a few of my journal entries with you from early 2019, the year that the word ‘trust’ was my OneWord2019. I hope this will be an encouragement to your heart on your own journey of trusting God more.

For many years, around September 1st I have begun praying and asking the Lord what my WORD will be for the upcoming year. You can read my 2020 OneWord post HERE, and also see some of my past words. On January 1st, 2019, I wrote these words in my journal:

A New Year! As I step into 2019, I do it with the challenge of my OneWord: TRUST. I know a couple of the reasons the Lord gave me this word, but I also know there will be many opportunities to trust Him. Help me, Lord, to trust Your heart in every part and situation of my life.

I had NO idea how God would use this word in my life, but boy, did He!

Then, on January 10th, 2019, my journal reveals these words:

In recent days, the Sovereignty of God has been a great comfort to me and I am leaning into it like never before. Nothing big or bad has happened to turn me toward this attribute of God. It is simply something the Lord is impressing deeply on my heart as I lean into my OneWord 2019: TRUST.

I am overwhelmed and eternally grateful for God’s Sovereignty. He knows all things–from before time began to eternity’s forever-ness. He sees the BIG, completed picture and has perfect plans for it—for me. I do not have to sit and hope that everything will work out for my good. His Sovereignty assures me that it will. Praise You, Father.

In April 2019, I went with Compassion International to Peru to see the work that Compassion is doing there. This trip required a lot of trust in God, and He came through in such beautiful ways. Other opportunities that the Lord gave me to trust Him in early 2019 included the suicide of a friend’s husband, the arrest of another friend’s husband, and my a couple of health challenges.

In May of 2019, the Lord put a book in my hands that encouraged me to trust God more. It was entitled “Devotedly” by Valerie Elliot Shepherd (affiliate link). This is the story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot and their love story. One of the things that Elisabeth Elliot said in her later years challenged my trust in God. She said, “God does all things well.” I wrote the following in my journal the day I read that.

Oh Lord, help me to trust you completely in all things. All things.

On May 23rd, 2019, my journal revealed how deeply God was working in my heart. I had experienced not only the bronchitis, but another viral-type illness. For someone who is almost never sick, these weeks had been a challenge.

Because of the viral illness and bronchitis of the past week, I have spent a lot of time in rest and solitude. I feel great peace and such an enhanced closeness and intimacy with Christ. My OneWord 2019 keeps coming to mind: TRUST. I praise God for this time, even in the midst of illness. I have sensed His tender care of my body and my heart. He truly does all things well. It is I who do not do all things well, unless I am being absolutely obedient to Christ. Help me, Lord, to listen for Your voice & to obey.

My trust in God and His sovereignty was growing!

I hope that entering into my trust journey will be a blessing and an encouragement to you on your own journey. Perhaps next time, I will continue to share how God used the word TRUST in my life in 2019.

Questions to ponder: