The Chaos You Cannot Tame
We often imagine that trusting God is a calm, linear path, but for many of us, it is a battlefield. Like the man in Mark 5, we have lived among the tombs of our own brokenness, bound by chains of anxiety and fear that no amount of willpower can break. You may feel like Legion, overwhelmed by a multitude of voices and worries that scream against your peace. It is exhausting to fight alone in the mountains of your mind, crying out in the dark.
Yet, even in that chaos, there is a turning point. The moment the man saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped Him. Trusting God does not require you to have it all together; it requires you to turn your face toward Him. When you feel the chains of your circumstances pulling tight, remember that Christ’s presence is the only force strong enough to silence the storm. He meets you not when you are perfect, but when you are desperate.
But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.— Mark 5:6-7, KJV
The Humility of True Trust
Learning how to trust God book often focuses on strategies, but Scripture points us to posture. In Luke 18, Jesus contrasts the Pharisee’s pride with the publican’s plea. The Pharisee trusted in his own reliability, standing tall and thanking God he was not like others. But the publican, far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. True trust begins when we stop trying to earn our safety and start relying on His mercy.
If you are struggling with trusting God, it may be because you are trying to stand as the Pharisee did, relying on your own strength to hold up your life. But Christ invites you to stand as the publican did, acknowledging your need for grace. When you admit you cannot save yourself, you open the door for Him to save you. This is not failure; it is the very foundation of faith. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
And the publi can stood afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breasts, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.— Luke 18:13, KJV
You do not need to have all the answers to trust God. You only need to know who holds the answers. Let go of the chains of your own effort and run to Jesus, the Son of the Most High God. He is able to break every bond that holds you captive and to hear the prayer of the humble heart. Rest in the truth that He is with you, even in the tombs, and He will bring you out into the light of His grace today.