Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 21, 2016
I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers. Nehemiah 13:13
God’s primary prerequisite for service is trustworthiness. He is not looking for the most gifted, the most talented, the wealthiest, the most attractive, or the most popular. God is interested in bestowing His blessing on those who can be trusted. Trustworthiness is an attribute that invites God to participate. It is an invitation for His encouragement, His wisdom, and His responsibilities. Being in a position where God can trust you is a humbling place. His trust is both energizing and daunting. The God of the universe trusts you to implement His will for your life. Because of your good name and faithfulness, He trusts you to represent Him well. He trusts you with His reputation, His truth, His children, His wisdom, His church, His spirit, His work, and His Kingdom.
You serve and love a trusting heavenly Father who enjoys extending Himself to those who can be trusted. Therefore, do not shrink back from God’s trust. He has given you this opportunity because He trusts you. You are responsible because He has put you in this position of authority. Your role is to represent Him responsibly, so be quick to give Him the credit for the success you are experiencing. Remain trustworthy, for He can withdraw His blessing as quickly as He gave it.
Continue to bathe each day in prayer and thanksgiving. Seek wisdom and counsel from those smarter and more experienced than you, for a trustworthy individual is teachable. You are a lifetime learner who understands the need to grow with the organization. Education and experience are meant to be tools for developing and extending your trustworthiness. Daniel trusted God in the middle of his test. “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” (Daniel 6:23).
People trust others who are trusted by God. The character qualities that are attractive to God are the same traits that elicit the trust of family, friends, and work associates. Your good name is your most valuable asset. Guard it with a God-fearing vigilance. People love and respect you. This is an honor much greater than fame or fortune. People follow those they trust. Their investment of time and money is in direct proportion to your level of trustworthiness.
“This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone” (Titus 3:8).
So let your life and actions—not your words—prove you are trustworthy. Do more than what’s expected. Keep your word and follow through. Attention to the little things builds big blessings. But, above all else, focus on “being” rather than “doing.” Be who you are in Christ, and the proper “doing” will follow. In Christ, you are loved, accepted, forgiven, and trusted. Abide in Him, and others will clamor for your attention and time. Are you considered trustworthy? If so, your life is an invitation for God and people to join you. Trust Him and others, and you will be trusted by both.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I trust You to keep me trustworthy with Your favor and blessings.Post/Tweet today
People trust those who are trusted by God. #WisdomHunters #trustworthyWorship Resource
6 minutes – Gaither’s: I Surrender All Today’s reading is taken from Boyd’s most popular book: Seeking Daily the Heart of God, a 365 day devotional. Check out Boyd’s newest devotional book Two Minutes in the Bible for Men. Order now! If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider giving now to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision. Learn how to help. Our free Apple app Our free Android appComments are closed.
As often happens when I am seeking wisdom in an area, the Holy Spirit uses these devotions to guide me in truth. Typically, He uses the article to confirm what He’s been teaching me. When it comes to today’s topic of God trusting us, however, I find myself digging deeper into God’s word, which is a good thing, and asking questions.
Whereas God “entrusts” us with the gospel (1 Thes. 2:4), He does so knowing full well that man is not trustworthy due to our sinful nature. In other words, it is not because we are truly trustworthy. Scripture tells us, in fact, that man should not be trusted (Jeremiah 17:5, Psalm 118:8, Isaiah 2:22). Instead, our trust should be in God (Proverbs 3:5), who never changes.
The good news is that even though we are untrustworthy, and Jesus knows our hearts and to whom He would entrust the gospel or not, (John 2:24-25), He still chose to die for all mankind. Throughout the Bible we are reminded of this: man continually turned from God while He continued to pursue. God is faithful and trustworthy; man is not.
Yes, when we are redeemed and as we are transformed we become more like Him, but are we ever truly trustworthy? It seems more like our Creator chooses to “entrust” us. He knows full well that we aren’t worthy of trust, but He sees us as who He created us to be, not as we are.
I would really like to hear the scriptural and doctrinal basis for the devotion. Would you please send me the verses or precepts on which you’re basing this idea of God trusting us? Usually you include verses to support your message, and I only see the one in the heading from Nehemiah.
Thank you so much for writing Wisdom Hunters. They have been and continue to be a great blessing to our family.
Dear Karen,
Thank you so much for reaching out to us after reading “Considered Trustworthy”. You raised some valid and convicting points about our trustworthiness here on earth. Your question “…but are we ever truly trustworthy?” is one that we can all ask ourselves in our faith walk. We can strive to be, as Jesus followers, but we are never completely (and purely), as our Creator is, trustworthy.
“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3: 23
I looked back to past devotionals that Boyd has written about our trustworthiness. One of these devotionals, “Character is Trustworthy” (October 14, 2009) reminds us again of the connection we have when we trust Him and He trusts us. ” Because He can be trusted, you can trust Him and you can be trusted. Your trustworthy character is founded on the trustworthiness of your Creator. Do I trust my Lord’s character and can my character be trusted?”
There were a few other scripture verses mentioned in “Considered Trustworthy” in the body of the devotional that further explained Boyd’s thoughts. One was Titus 3:8 and the other was Daniel 6:23.
I was thinking of people that God truly trusted in the Bible and the first one that came to mind was Mary. God trusted her to be the mother of Jesus. He knew her heart as He knows ours.
“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13
Then, there was Moses and Joshua.
Karen, I appreciate your thoughts on this. I am not alone, I am sure, after reading your comments, in searching and examining my trustworthiness in the eyes of God. If you would like to further the discussion, please feel free to email me gwynne@wisdomhunters.com
We are thankful your family is being blessed by the Wisdom Hunter’s devotionals. We give all the glory to God!!
In His Love,
Gwynne
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all of my ways.”
Psalm 139:1-3
*the other devotional Boyd wrote that may address your question is “Trust Required” Oct. 21, 2015