"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee; Trusting Thee for full salvation, Great and free.
"I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, Ev'ry day and hour supplying All my need."
In our hymn we express a statement of childlike faith: "Jesus, I trust You." This is the humble trust that Jesus asks of His followers. Welcoming the children brought to Him for His blessing, Jesus said, "Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it" (Mark 10:14b-15). "Jesus, I trust You." In Baptism the Holy Spirit places those childlike words into our hearts and by God's grace through simple trust in Jesus Christ we are brought into His kingdom. Yet sometimes living as a citizen of that Kingdom is not so simple. When facing the ordinary challenges of daily life and the stress and worry of work, finances, and family relationships, we can find it difficult to say with confidence, "Jesus, I trust You."
In the power of the Holy Spirit, we joyfully and firmly trust in Jesus for "full salvation, great and free." In His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus canceled the debt of sin that we owed, a debt that we could never pay. Our sins are forgiven and, receiving that gift, we boldly say, "Jesus, I trust You." Our Savior rose to life in triumph over death. His victory is our victory. When He returns in glory on the Last Day, we too will rise from death to live in His presence forever. That is our sure and certain hope, and in that hope we boldly say, "Jesus, I trust You."
If we trust Jesus for those great gifts, now and forever, can we also trust Him in our ordinary, daily challenges? We already know the answer. Jesus has promised to be with us always as He guides us in love and care, "ev'ry day and hour supplying" all that we need. As the apostle Paul asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31b-32). We already know the answer to the apostle's question. Jesus gave Himself into death and rose to life for us. Nothing can separate us from His love. Trust Him. After Jesus spoke of receiving the Kingdom with childlike trust, He gathered the children in His arms and blessed them. That is where we are each day, each moment—safe in Jesus' arms. Trust Him!
WE PRAY: Jesus, I trust You. Keep my heart relying on You in all things. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus," which is number 729 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. Who trusts you the most? Why?
2. Earning one's trust is not easy. How do we know we can trust Jesus in what He says?
3. Can you explain what it means to say you trust in Jesus? How does that play out in everyday, real life?
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 7-9 1 Corinthians 7:20-40
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