Episode #141 When You Need Someone You Can Trust – God’s Love for You is Steadfast

Have you ever walked through a season where it's just hard to trust God?

Maybe it feels like chaos around you and it's hard to get square footing for your feet. Maybe there's unexpected circumstances coming up or severe wounding. Maybe you're even walking through a season of grief or of recovery, or you're still in the midst of an ongoing pain that has yet to be resolved.

Whatever that looks like for you, know that God's love for you is steadfast. And because that is true, we can trust him.
I'm reading for us today from Psalm 52, and this is another Psalm of David, this was written in the time that David's life was in danger. He was running and hiding from Saul, moving from one location to another because he did not want to enter physical conflict with the king, with God's anointed. But Saul had determined that he was going to kill David. And the heading here, it says that it's a song that was put to music. “To the choir master, a Maskil of David, when Doeg, the Edomite, came and told Saul, ‘David has come to the house of Ahimelech.’”

Now Ahimelech was a priest who gave David provisions and went to God on David's behalf to seek counsel.

And the psalm begins,

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.” (Psalm 52:1)

Thinking about God's steadfast love enduring all the day is easier for me when I'm in an easier day. If the hard part is over. If the area of pain has been resolved. If I'm in a more restful, more pleasant season, then it's easier for me to say, the steadfast love of the Lord endures all the day.

But David is saying this in a season where he is still on the run, where he has yet to be vindicated from his human enemy, from King Saul. And a spy who's loyal to Saul is telling on him—where he's been going and what he's been doing.

We’re going to skip down a few verses where David is talking about his choice to put his trust in the Lord. it says,
“See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction*!” (Psalm 52:7)

The notes here in my Bible say in his work of destruction.

That stands out to me because in really difficult times, I can tend to trust in my own work, to seek refuge in the effort that I can put towards something. But David equates putting our trust in those things as denying God as our refuge. And David makes a different choice.

Picking it up in Psalm 52:8, it says,

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)

God's steadfast love is loyal and faithful. It does not end. It is not fleeting, and it holds up to us putting our trust in it forever and ever. He is worthy of our trust.

I love the visual that David gives us here: But I am like a green olive tree. I trust in the steadfast love of God. We see that imagery of trees repeated throughout scripture, especially here in the Psalms, where it talks about how we can be trees who are planted by streams of living water (Psalm 1).

Where we can be oaks of righteousness planted for the display of God's splendor and for his name to be glorified (Isaiah 61:3). I love the simplicity of this, but I am like a green olive tree, a tree that is where it is planted, that puts down roots.

That knows that it will be taken care of. A tree can't go and make its own shelter or search out better land or find food for itself. And I'm not suggesting here that we don't take action. God invites us to participate in what he is doing in our lives. But any action we take comes first from the trust that we place in him.

Because his love is steadfast, we can be planted by the Lord. We can be those who take refuge in Him. We can be like trees, who aren't off trying to make their own plan, but know that God is their provider, and who trust His steadfast love and care.

And so in our question for God today, we're gonna ask Him to give us a picture. David used the analogy here of being a green olive tree planted in God's house. God might give you a similar image. Or he might give you a picture of something totally different. And so as you ask him the question, I'm especially encouraging follow up questions. Ask him about the picture he gives you, ask him about what that means and how you can live with that awareness. Our question today is,

God, will you give me a picture of what it looks like for me to trust your steadfast love?

As I ask God this question today. He actually showed me a picture of me sitting down with my feet on the ground. It's easy for me to try and make my own path, to figure out my own things. And to miss opportunities to slow down and to notice him. And that immediately came to mind.

So God showed me this picture. And then I started asking him, God, why is that the picture you're giving me? What do you want me to see about that? How can I live like that picture you've given me? What does that look like practically today? And I encourage you, as God shows you the picture, ask Him follow up questions. See what other revelation He wants to give you about this.

God's love for you is steadfast, and you can trust Him.

God, will you give me a picture of what it looks like for me to trust your steadfast love?

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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