“Do Not You Think You May Trust Him?”

Saturday, February 09, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Matthew 6:26–29

In 1653, Oliver Cromwell trusted Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke with a delicate mission. He was to go to Queen Christina of Sweden to negotiate a treaty of alliance with her. The instability brought about by the English Civil War and the overthrow of the king had upset old friendships, and Whitelocke was uncertain how he would be received. The night before he was to sail to Sweden, he could not sleep. When his servant saw his distress, he sought permission from Whitelocke to ask him a question.

“Pray, sir, do you not think that God governed the world very well before you came into it?” he asked. “Undoubtedly,” Whitelocke replied. “And pray, sir, do you not think that He will govern it quite as well when you are gone out of it?” the second question came. “Certainly,” Whitelocke said. The servant asked one final question: “Then, sir, pray excuse me, but do not you think you may trust Him to govern it quite as well as long as you live?” Without a word, Whitelocke turned over and quickly fell asleep.

Faith is not the belief that nothing will ever go wrong, but rather the certainty that God will remain in control. People who trust God sometimes lose their health, suffer financial reversals, and endure hardships. But they believe that God knows what is best and trust Him to do it.

Today's Growth Principle: 

There is no circumstance of life that is strong enough to sidetrack God’s plan for our lives.