Trust Me.  Perhaps you've heard those words before - maybe more than once.  Perhaps you heard them from a parent, an instructor, a spouse, or a friend.  You may have been uncertain about something, and even after you heard them say -"just trust me" - you were still a little doubtful.  Yet, something in their words sparked you to step out into the unknown.  You trusted.

Did everything turn out all right, just like they said it would?  If so, great!  If not, then you may find it difficult to ever trust anybody again.

The fact is, not everyone can be trusted.  In life we have to learn the difference between who can be trusted and who can't.  We must also know that there are times when even those who we trust the most will fail us.  However, there is One that you can trust that will never fail you.  And when He says - "Trust Me" - it will never disappoint.

Jesus said - "Don't be troubled.  You in God, now trust in ME..." (John 14.1 NLT)  He is a God who can be trusted. -We may not be able to trust anybody else - but one thing is certain: we can trust Jesus.  There is no element of failure with Him.  He doesn't lie, He doesn't make mistakes, He doesn't fail - ever.

Deuteronomy 31.8 NLT tells us - "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor forsake you."

The Lord is the One who goes before us.  He has already been where we are going.  He's already encountered the obstacles, the trouble, and the difficulties on the path.  And as we make our journey, He will be with us.  He won't fail us or forsake us on our path.  In fact, Isaiah 26 says that the Lord will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him.  For the righteous, the path is not steep and rough.  The Lord is a God of justice, and He smoothes out the road ahead of those who trust Him.  (Isaiah 26. 3, 7 NLT)

When the Lord says, "Trust Me", we can be perfectly confident that the outcome will be right.  No matter what may be going on in our life, when we Trust Him, He will always lead us in the right direction.  We can depend on Him without fear, for He is not  man that He should lie. (Numbers 23.19)

Psalm 56.3 says - "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You... In God I have put my trust;  I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Whenever we are afraid, we can put our trust in God.  What can mere flesh do to us when God is on our side?!  When we trust Him, He said that He will give us help from trouble.  It is God who treads down our enemies.  (Psalm 108.12-13)

Our trust is not to be in man alone.  The Scriptures tell us that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man, better to trust is the Lord than to put confidence in rulers.  (Psalm 118.8-9)  Does this mean that we should never trust anyone but God?  No, not exactly.  It means that we shouldn't trust in man alone.  No more than man should live on bread alone (Luke 4.4).  Our trust is to be in God - and in His Spirit in people.  As well-meaning as any of us can be, as mere humans we just don't have what it takes to be perfectly trustworthy.  But we can and we do have it when we depend upon the Spirit of God inside of us.  We can trust one another only by trusting God's Spirit within each of us.  That is key.  Everything still comes down to Trusting HIM.

The word "trust" in the Scriptures can often refer to "refuge".  When we "trust" in the Lord, we are taking "refuge" (or depending on) His faithfulness.  Psalm 62.8 says - "Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."  And Psalm 40.4 says - "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord His trust (refuge)."  The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord - He is their strength in the time of trouble.  The Lord will help and deliver them from the wicked and save them, Because they TRUST IN HIM.  (Psalm 37.39-40)

Trust is a vital element of life - both trusting God (including trusting God in others) as well as being trust-able ourselves.  When trust is lacking in a relationship, or in society, everything is thrown out of balance.  When trust is absent, fear (in one form or another) is always present.

Even when it seems like there is absolutely no one that we can trust, we must choose to trust Jesus and allow Him to show us how to detect sincerity and trustworthiness in others.  If we do not take this step, we will have a tendency toward being cynical - always believing that everyone's actions are motivated by selfishness, and denying (or disbelieving) the goodness or sincerity of other people ‘s motives.  That tendency is completely fear-based and is an attempt of self-preservation against experiencing further hurt.  Such precautions do not solve the real issue, but rather make it worse.

It is only when we put our absolute trust in Jesus that we are truly kept safe and will begin to find that we can trust Him in others also.  It is also as we trust Him that we ourselves are able to be trustworthy.  Apart from Him, Jesus said, we can do nothing (John 15.5).  But when we trust Him He will help us to be faithful and trust-able.

Proverbs 3.5-7 (MSG) instructs - "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure everything out on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;  He's the One who will keep you on track.  Don't assume that you know it all.  Run to God!  Run from evil!"

The wonderful thing about trusting God is not that we aren't able to figure things out on our own, but that we don't have to!  When we trust Him, He works out all the details of what we are going through.  What a relief!  All we have to do is run to Him and make sure that we trust Him and obey Him in everything we do, everywhere we go.

Psalm 32.10 says that "he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him."  And Psalm 33.18 further reveals that "the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him, on those who hope (trust) in His mercy."

When we trust in the Lord, His mercy surrounds us.  The Message translation of Psalm 32.10 states - "God affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around."  God's unfailing love and mercy surrounds us when we trust Him.

It is an inevitable part of life that we will encounter questions we don't have answers to, problems to which we have no solution, and situations that we don't have a clue why it turned out like it did.  Regardless of what we don't have or we can't do, we have Jesus who can and who will solve every issue we face when we Trust Him.  Sure things may look impossible, but we must continue to believe that NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD, like His Word has said.  Proverbs 16.20 MSG says - "It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in God..."  Trusting is by no means a passive, complacent action.  While it is internally and externally peaceful, trusting God is also very firm and inwardly aggressive.  It is not easily relenting.

When we trust God for something, giving up should never be an option.  Continuing to believe and trust Him is what pleases God.  Even when it seems like all odds are against you, if you will continue to trust God, trust what He has said in His Word, the circumstances will just have to change.  When we trust God, He makes the impossible possible in our life.

In Psalm 89.33-34 NLT, concerning those who trust Him, the Lord said - "I will never stop loving him, nor let My promise to him fail.  No, I will not break My Covenant; I will not take back a single word I said."  God is always true to His Word.  In His Holiness He cannot lie.  Therefore we can put our full trust in Him, knowing that He will make good on everything He has said.

We must learn to trust Him in each area of our life.

In Malachi 3.10, the Lord commanded - "Bring all the tithes into the Storehouse, that there may be [provision] in My House, and try Me now in this," says the Lord of Hosts, "if  I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing there shall not be room enough to receive."

A good way to interpret this verse is - Bring a tenth of your finances into the Temple treasury so there will be ample supply in My temple.  And TRUST ME NOW IN THIS, says the Lord, Let Me prove it to you.  See if I don't open heaven itself for you and pour out blessings beyond what you can dream.  And I will protect you from the devourer and keep safe and secure your possessions.  (paraphrase)

There may be economic crises going on all around, but God is saying to us - "Trust Me with your finances.  Give and Trust Me.  If you will Trust Me, I will make you to prosper and flourish even when everything else in the world is failing."   Jeremiah 39.18 NLT assures - "I [the Lord] will rescue you from those you fear so much.  Because you trust Me, I will preserve your life and keep you safe.  I, the Lord, have spoken!"  God said He will keep in perfect peace (wholeness) the one whose mind is set on Him, because they trust in Him. (Isaiah 26.3)

Trusting Jesus and doing what He says is the key to victory in every area of your life.  You may have little or no clue what to do in your situation or how things will ever work out, but Jesus said "Blessed are those who have not seen and believe anyway."  (John 20.29)  If we will trust Him, He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Jeremiah 17.7-8 tells us - "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the water, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, NOR CEASE FROM YIELDING FRUIT."

I urge you to increase your trust in the Lord.  As you trust Him with all your heart, He will direct your path. 

He said - "If you hold onto Me for dear life, I'll get you out of any trouble.  I'll give you the best of care if you only get to know and Trust Me."  (Psalm 91.14 MSG)