Message Series // Trust Issues – Why God?
Message Date // April 26, 2020 (Scotty Priest)
Big Idea
Trust is something we all have to deal with in our lives. There are areas where trust is easy for us to give, but there are also those areas in our lives where we have trust issues. Maybe we’ve been hurt or betrayed by others. Maybe we have a tough time believing what others tell us, or we have a tendency to keep people at a distance. Maybe we have a bent to expect the worst. And it’s one thing when it’s difficult to trust people, but it’s quite another thing to have trust issues with God. Maybe you are having a tough time trusting God in this season. No matter what, the bottom line is that trust is needed in every relationship…especially when it comes to God. Why? How we trust God can either develop or stunt our spiritual growth. We can either be paralyzed with fear, or we can use this season as an opportunity to learn what God is doing in our lives. God wants you to trust Him, and He knows that you will come out of this season better if you do.
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:13-14
Discussion
When it comes to trusting God, we will face seasons when we are going to need to trust His timing. We will be put in positions where our prayer simply becomes…”When God?”. Share some times (or maybe you are currently experiencing it) when you have asked God, “When?”. Was it easy or tough for you to trust His timing?
In the Old Testament, there is a powerful story of a man named Joseph who had to wait on God’s timing. His story is told in Genesis 37-50. As the story unfolds, we become aware that it was 22 years (17 years old to 39 years old) from when Joseph was sold into slavery from his brothers until he is re-united with them. There are a lot of struggles and painful things Joseph had to go through during those 22 years…but the bottom line is that all of Jewish history hinges on Joseph being faithful to God all these years of waiting. Why is faithfulness to God while waiting for God’s timing so crucial?
There are 5 key lessons we can learn from Joseph’s life when it comes to building trust in a season of waiting…
- God is WITH me…even in the adversity and uncertainty. (Genesis 37:2-3, 39:20-23)
- PERSEVERANCE is not PASSIVE…because there are lessons in the preparation. (Genesis 37:4, 39:22)
- Be FAITHFUL to God despite my FEELINGS and FRUSTRATIONS. (Genesis 39:8)
- I can trust God to bring GOOD from the BAD…because God is orchestrating pieces around in the waiting. (Genesis 50:2)
- God has the LONG VIEW…because it ultimately is not about me and my timing. (Genesis 41:46)
Which one of these key lessons jumps out to you the most? How have you personally learned these lessons through your own seasons of waiting.
Next Steps
Maybe today you are in a challenging place and asking God…”When?”. In this time, rely on the truth that as long as you are breathing, God is not done with you. What is one next step you can take to build your trust in God’s timing? How can your small group come alongside to help you take this next step during this season?
Isaiah 41:10
James 4:7
1 John 1:9
Philippians 4:19
2 Chronicles 7:14