Friday Introductions: Trusting God

"Why can't we see God?' my 8-year-old asked.

"Because that's not how God chooses to communicate with us," I said.

"Why not? He could do it," she said.

"You're right, he could. But it doesn't take any faith to trust in what you can see. God wants us to have faith in Him," I said.

When my daughter asked this question the other day, I was reminded of how often we all struggle with trusting God. We trust in things we can't see every day. I don't know how my car's engine works, but I trust that it will start when I turn the key. I can't see the inner workings of my microwave, but when I push start, I trust that it will warm up my food.

Yet when it comes to God, we're often like a child who is scared of going off the diving board. We run up to the edge, look down and run back to safety. God challenges us to step off that diving board, not knowing what's underneath. He promises to catch us, but because we can't see Him, we waver. We think about it. We make lists of the pros and cons of doing what He asks. Instead of jumping, we find reasons not to jump.

God wants us to follow after Him with our whole hearts. Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." God wants us to to trust Him -- even though we can't see Him and don't always know where He's taking us.

If you struggle with trusting God, you definitely want to get a copy of today's Friday Introduction. Trusting God is a 12-week devotional study. Written by Sharon Jaynes, Gwen Smith and Mary Southerland, Trusting God will walk you through what trusting God looks like and how to let go and simply trust Him. Sharing intimate snapshots of their lives as they go Sharon, Gwen and Mary -- you might know them from the Girlfriends in God daily devotional -- take you on a journey of trust.

The book is set up to be used individually or in a group. Each section ends with a Bible study guide and space for journaling to help you get the most out of the book.

During this season where we celebrate Jesus' birth, take a step toward enjoying all the benefits that a relationship with God brings. When we truly trust God, it opens up a world of possibilities for us and our families. Learning to trust God yourself will help you to teach your children what it really means to jump off the end of that diving board, knowing that God will catch you.

Friday Introductions: For Such a Time as This

When my oldest daughter was 5, we went to a water park. She was so excited because she was tall enough to go down all but one of the slides. We had talked and talked about how much fun it would be. Then we got to the top of the slide. Where she promptly sat on the slide and announced she wasn't going down.

She was scared. She couldn't see the bottom. We couldn't go down together. She wanted to go back down the steps.

I knew that once she went down the slide, she would love it. The question was whether I could get her to go down. I had checked out the water at the bottom. It wasn't too deep. She could stand up. And her dad was waiting for her. I was going down the slide right next to her and would hit the water at the same time as her.

After five minutes of dithering and crying, I got her to sit on the slide. Then I did the only thing I could. I gave her a push. Thirty seconds later, I was climbing out of the pool with a grinning child who couldn't wait to go again.

Sitting at the top of the slide, my daughter lacked the one thing that would get her moving -- trust. She didn't trust that I knew what I was talking about when I said it would be fun. She needed a little push to get going.

And so often, we lack trust that God knows what He's talking about. When tough things come our way -- from a lost job to a chronic illness to a child who has lost their way -- we forget that God has it all in control. We're afraid to step out down a new path that God has called us to because we don't trust enough.

God wants us to trust Him. He has proven over and over again through the ages that He is trustworthy. Psalm 9:10 says "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." No matter the circumstances, God is trustworthy. He has never forgotten those who trust in Him.

Patti Hazlett has written a great post about trusting God on her blog, For Such a Time as This. She's struggling with having lost her job. Her honesty and the wisdom she imparts will make you do some soul searching about whether you really trust God. Check out it and the other great posts on her blog. You won't be sorry you did.

God has promised "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). We simply have to step out and trust those words. If we push aside our fears and take a step forward, we'll find ourselves saying to God, "Let's go again."

Trusting When You Can't See

We're on vacation this week, so I'm re-running some of my favorite posts from the last year. Enjoy some of my favorite ideas, and I'll be back with you on Monday.


My youngest daughter is petite. For much of her life, she wasn't even on the growth chart. We've spent a lot of years picking her up so she can see what all the rest of us can see without trying. She really dislikes large crowds because she can't see over or through them. For a long time, she couldn't see over the edge of the car door to see out the window, even in her car seat. We would point something out to the girls, and we would hear "Where? I can't see it!" It was really important to her to be able to see what we were seeing so she could believe what we were saying.


For some kids, believing that God is there and He cares about them is tough because they can't see Him. It's our job to help our kids understand that God loves them and they can trust Him even though they can't see Him. Hebrews 11:1 tells us "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Kids, especially young kids, are concrete creatures. They like to be able to see that what you are telling them is true. Since we can't see God, we need to show our children the evidence of God so that they can place their faith in Him. For without faith, they will never have a relationship with the God of the universe. Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Faith brings us to a saving relationship with God. It is God's gift to us, and we can do nothing to earn it.

So, how do we bring God from the realm of faith into the world of the concrete for our kids?

• Point out to your child all the things that he does that require faith. We can't see what holds up an airplane, but we have faith that it will fly. We can't always see what holds our furniture together, but we have faith that it will hold us up when we sit in it. When your kids go someplace, they can't see you, but they have faith that you will come back and get them.
• Point out the evidence of God to your child. Everything from the rocks to the rainbow scream of God's existence. The beautiful variety of plants and animals show evidence of a Creator.
• Help your child remember times when she has seen God work. For older kids, have them keep a journal of times in their lives when they have seen God work. It can be simple things, like when they prayed to do well in their soccer game and did. Or it can be big things, like if they prayed not to be afraid during a tough time and God gave them peace. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people built altars every time God did something amazing in their lives. It helped them remember the things God had done for them. Keeping a journal, helps your child create altars of their own. When things get tough, and they don't see evidence of God in a situation, they can go back to their journal and see the evidence of all the times God has shown up in their lives. If you have younger kids, keep a family journal of the way God works in your family's life.
• This activity requires at least two people. Blindfold your child. Have another member of your family give your child directions to walk through an obstacle course. When they have made it through the course, talk with your child about how hard it was to have faith in the person giving the directions because they couldn't see that person or where they were going. Explain that sometimes having faith in God is like that. Sometimes we can't see where we are going, and we can't see God. We simply have to have faith that He is there and that He is leading us safely to the other side of whatever trouble we are facing.

Faith is the central component of the Christian walk. The earlier we can help our children trust God even though they can't see Him, the easier it will be for them to continue to place their faith in God as they get older.