Hidden Keys

READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 1:35-39, 43-46; 4:28-30

Would you give the key to your home to just anyone? Probably not! Usually we guard those spare keys, securing them in hiding places to avoid detection. My spare house key is so cleverly disguised, I’d challenge you to find it. Yet, there are a few people on this planet who know the secret. I can trust them with the key to a place that holds everything I own in the world.

One of these trusted people is my dog-sitter. I let her in on my clever secret because I got to know her. I interviewed her, checked out her references, and watched her interacting with my dog. Over time, I’ve come to know her better and better, each encounter deepening my trust in her ability to be true to her word, to take care of my puppy, and to do what she says. In fact, my interactions with her only deepen my conviction that we’re super blessed to have her in our lives!

In Psalm 91, the psalmist declares they will trust God. What a great way to live! It’s like they’re giving God the keys to their home. But how do we get to a place where we can say, like Psalm 91:2, the Lord is “my God, in whom I trust”? How can we be ready to give Him access to everything we own in the world? How can we have the assurance that He really is trustworthy?

We learn to trust God the same way we learn to trust anybody. We get to know Him. Kind of like how I spent time intentionally getting to know my dog-sitter.

By spending time with God in prayer, in Scripture, and with other believers, we get to know Him better and better. The Bible is the best way to know Him, since He wrote it. It’s all about Him, His love for us, and His extraordinary plan to bring us into relationship with Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We often find that, over time, we discover more and more about His trustworthiness as we read the Bible. And our trust has opportunities to build naturally with every encounter with God. We see that He is always true to His word and that He genuinely cares for us. Eventually, we may even give Him the keys to our home. • Kristen Merrill

• Building trust takes time, and God is so patient with us. Can you think of a way you’ve seen God’s trustworthiness, either in Scripture, in your own life, or in the life of someone else?

• Even after we’ve put our trust in Jesus for salvation, trusting Him with the day-to-day details of our lives is often a process. What is one area of your life God might be inviting you to trust Him with today?

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2 (NIV)