Trusting Jesus

“Many shall look on in awe and they shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40: 4b

I believe that all of us were created to trust. I think trusting is natural. If this weren’t true, then how come when someone has a hard time trusting we say they have a “trust issue”? In fact, I think as we go about our days we trust all day long without even being conscious of it. For example: we drive over bridges all the time. And while some of you might have trust issues with large, high or long bridges, most people don’t even think about it when they drive over most bridges. You just simply trust that whoever designed and built the bridge did their job properly so you won’t go plunging into a river at 60 miles per hour (which might put a damper on your day). Or think about the building you are in right now: school, home, a library, etc? How many of you reading this have been sitting around worried about the roof caving in on you? Probably not many. You have simply trusted that those who designed and built the building you are in did their job properly and that you will be safe.

The problem is that we develop trust issues in two ways:
1. People we should be able trust betray our trust. People like parents, teachers, coaches or even clergy.
2. We put too much trust in people who have no more wisdom, knowledge, experience or perspective then we do and we get burned. This is particularly true for young people.

I know many of you reading this have trust issues. I know many of you have been hurt deeply by others. I know there are even some of you who don’t trust anyone, including yourself. And you feel all alone. And you feel overlooked. You might feel little or unloved.

So I want you to picture Jesus on the cross. I want you to see His blood, His pain, His tears. And then ask yourself: who would do this for you? Think about it all: Jesus was betrayed in the garden by one of his best friends. He was beaten and chained. He was whipped until his back was shredded. He was crowned with a helmet of razor-sharp thorns. He was forced to carry a splintery, heavy crossbeam through a gauntlet of angry people up a hill to his place of execution. Once there he was stripped naked, ripping open His wounds. He was thrown down on the ground and nailed to the cross beam through both wrists. He was hoisted up and then had both feet nailed together to the cross. He hung on that cross for three hours, pushing and pulling on the nails in His wrists and feet to get His body up high enough to take each breath. And then, right before He died, He forgave everyone who killed Him (including you and me). Who do you know that would do this for you? The reality is that I don’t know anyone that would do all that for me. But Jesus already did. And we can trust in this kind of love.

So the next time you are feeling alone, or little or overlooked, simply pick up a crucifix and look into the face of love and know that you are loved. And we can ALWAYS trust in Jesus. He already proved it in the way He loved us and continues to love us.

Jesus I trust in You. Amen.