Who Trusts The Lord

Even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

IT WAS FIVE O’CLOCK ON A FRIDAY EVENING, and vacation Bible school had just ended for the week. As the Christian education director, I’d started with a vision to build a beach in our downtown church’s playground. The church had just completed the construction of an outdoor play gym in the shape of a boat. I had thought a beach theme with dump-truck loads of sand, beach balls, and Hawaiian leis would be fun.

VBS had been a huge undertaking but a huge success. So many children grew in their relationship with the Lord while having a lot of fun. I still hear stories from those who attended the program that summer.

Now that the week was over, I was exhausted and ready for a break. I didn’t know how long of a break I was about to get. When I met with the church oversight committee a few days later, I was told that—despite the success of that summer session—the church had other plans for future programs that did not include me in the role of Christian education director. Just like that, what I’d thought was secure was gone.

I need to say this: Churches, like families, can be messy. It’s important for us to remember that. It can be hard to trust the Lord when the people who represent Him have let us down.

In the book of Daniel, we read about three young Hebrew men who were taken into captivity in the land of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Do you know this story? By command of the king, everyone was to bow down before a golden idol. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused. They trusted the Lord, even though the punishment for refusing to worship the idol was death. They told the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). They were cast into a fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar was startled to see a fourth man in the fire. He called to the three men, who walked out of the flames without even the smell of smoke on their clothes.

Momma, you can trust God. You can trust Him even when you can’t trust His people. You can trust Him even when you can’t trust the bank balance. You can trust Him even when you can’t trust the doctor’s report or the school’s assessment of your child or the friends in your circle. You can trust Him even when you have lost trust with your spouse or family member. You can trust Him, knowing that He can deliver you from the flames—even if you feel heat around you, He can protect you from being singed. The Lord is walking with you through every trial you’re facing. You are not alone! May you come through free and unbound.

Tonight we pray for the momma who trusts the Lord. She knows that no matter what is happening, she can put her confidence in You. Lord, she trusts You in the storm and in joy. She trusts You when she is struggling and in times of ease and rest. She knows You are good, and she worships You in all seasons. When she closes her eyes to sleep tonight, she will trust You with her tomorrow. Please grant her sweet sleep.

We ask in Jesus’s name, amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for standing with me and holding me up as I walk through the fire of . . .