Can you trust God? I hope the easy answer is yes, though we don’t always act like it. Why can we trust God?

The reason we can trust God is that list of unchangeable qualities about God we started the course off with. We have to know who God is. If we can know who He is and hold onto that understanding, we’ll be able to trust God through anything. If we know He is good, then we can trust His plan for us. If we know He is sovereign, then we can know no one can mess up His plan for us. If we know He is loving, we can know that His plan is only for our best. If we know He is powerful, then we know He can carry out the plan no matter what obstacles are in the way. If we know He is all-knowing, then we know He sees and understands the situation and has all the details, including any secret motives in hearts. If we know He is wise, then we know He’s got it all figured out. There’s just no way around trusting God in any circumstance if we can hold onto who He is.

And who He is never changes. They are immutable traits. That’s the fancy word that means who God is not only won’t change, but cannot be changed.

I mentioned in the lesson on Jesus as Miracle Worker that I’d talk about unanswered prayer, about when God doesn’t heal. Jesus healed everyone who came to Him, so why aren’t we all healed now when we go to God in prayer? People going to Jesus expected a miracle and got it. Do we really expect a miracle from God and look to Him for it, or do we run first to our own means of salvation because we aren’t really trusting God? Ask God to search your heart and show you what you are truly relying on.

However, God is bigger than all that, and God’s sovereign plan is being working out. Sometimes I have been full of faith, and sometimes I haven’t been. I see God’s hand in my life working in me the faith that led to trusting for miracles, but sometimes there was a different plan, a good and perfect plan.

I do believe in healing. Our God heals. But, we see men of God get sick in the Bible. The great prophet Elisha dies of a sickness, but the Spirit is so strong in him that his bones bring someone else back to life! How is that possible to have both sickness and the Spirit of life in us? God is sovereign. God rules over all. Everything is ultimately submitted to Him.

I have a son in a wheelchair. We were told he would die. The Lord kept him alive, obviously. I told you the Lord restored his sucking reflex (Lesson 64). Eighteen months later he couldn’t eat or drink anything; he could only nurse. That also meant he wasn’t talking yet. One day he reached for my drink and I let him try it. He drank normally. That night I served him dinner with us, which also meant he started talking. He always spoke perfectly clearly. I also told you in Lesson 64 about the healing of his hips, what the doctor said was “impossible.” We’ve seen healings. But he’s still in a wheelchair. I have things in my own body that are not healed. However, I know God can heal it all. I know He is healer. I don’t get mad at Him for the things that aren’t healed. I thank Him for the things that are and wait on Him for the rest. I don’t know what we’ll see here on earth, but we know we all get a new body in heaven. None of these things are forever. It’s all temporary, but God and all His goodness is forever. If something isn’t healed or just isn’t healed yet, we trust who God is. Yes, He’s able to heal. I believe we can know that God wants to heal. So, if we’re not seeing healing, there’s something better. We can give thanks! He can only act in love toward His children. God is loving His children even when there isn’t healing. You can always know that is true.

There are many other problems in the world besides needing healing. We ask God to solve our problems. We want the miracle fix. Sometimes we get it. Sometimes we don’t. We need to remember how big God is. We’re focused on our own lives and problems. He’s working out our salvation and the redemption of the whole world. He’s up to a lot. We need to trust Him with the big picture and keep our eyes on Him instead of being focused on ourselves.

We must hold onto who we know God to be. We need to want to know and love Him more than we want the things we want in this world. There is something much better for us than the things we ask God for. The something better is Him! Set your heart on desiring God and He will satisfy you with Himself.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Lesson Point: We can always trust God no matter the circumstances.

Challenge Question: Is there an unanswered prayer that you aren’t trusting God with? How are you doing with holding onto the truth of who God is? Are you absolutely convinced that He is good and loving?

Here’s the story of Elisha’s death. It’s from 2 Kings 13:14-21.

¹⁴ Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” … ²⁰ So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. ²¹ And as a man was being buried, behold, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.