Trust. It can be a difficult concept.

Maybe you have been burned so many times by people, you feel you can only rely on yourself. You may be someone who is too trusting of others; you have a firm belief in people and their abilities or behaviors. 

Do you trust God? He is the ultimate definition of trust. We can count on Him, even when we cannot rely on others. But like anything else, even trusting in God in certain situations is much easier said than done. 

We, as humans, love to “trust our instincts” and lean on feelings rather than truth. The Bible tells us to trust in the Lord and not our own understanding or others. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:4-5

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust humans.” - Psalm 118:8

One story that strikes me regarding trust is an encounter between Simon Peter and Jesus. In Luke 5, we are told how Jesus called his disciples, to be, well, his disciples. He had been teaching at the Lake of Gennesaret when he saw two boats left by some fishermen. Now, the fishermen were finishing up their work and washing their nets. Jesus stepped into Simon’s boat, had him set out a bit offshore, and continued to teach the people. When Jesus had finished, he told Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down your nets for a catch.”

 Now, let’s stop right here. Imagine you are Peter for a moment. You are probably familiar with this fella Jesus, as he just healed your mother-in-law from a high fever in chapter 4 of Luke, which is no small feat. Even so, you have worked hard all night and didn't catch a single thing. Even more, you’ve already cleaned your nets. You’re done. You want to go home, take a hot shower, eat a good meal, and rest. You have already cleaned your nets. I would have a deep sigh and an eye roll for a comment like the one Jesus made. 

But Simon responded, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Would you have responded in the same way? I like to think Simon did it with some attitude, but maybe not. I don’t know if I could give the same response, but if I did it would definitely include some sass. 

As we learn from the rest of the story, when they let their nets down again, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Simon signaled his partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be fishers of men.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.

These are just a few verses in the Bible, but such an incredible stories. What if Simon Peter had said no to Jesus? He would not have experienced the miracle which ultimately led to his life-changing radically. 

Is God calling you to something and you’ve been saying no? Has the door been closed for too long and you don’t trust He will open it, even though He is telling you He can? 

Trust. Trust that God knows what He is doing. He defines truth. Talk to Him and see which way He is steering you, maybe He wants you to try once more. If you can’t trust God, who can you trust?