Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

This is perhaps the best book I have ever read on this subject.  It tackles the crux of the battle of our walk with God - can we truly trust (I love Webster's 1828 dictionary definition for the word trust - a confidence, a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity (invariable expression of the truth), or justice... emphasis mine) but can we truly trust God - ESPECIALLY when we don't see or feel or sense Him in any way, shape, or form in our misery, suffering, and/or pain?    

The short answer is resoundingly yes.  The answer we arrive at in the middle of hellish circumstances is often harder to arrive at, but it is always YES, God is the Person in whom we can rest our minds.  

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Mr. Bridges tackles the hard points - he addresses the fact that there will be pain and suffering and misery and we won't understand.  

But understanding is not the point.  

I think often times I miss the truth of Proverbs 3: 5 - Trust in the LORD with all of your heart (that means don't hold a single thing back) and lean NOT on your own understanding (emphasis mine).  I tend to try to lean into the understanding so that I can trust, and God is saying - NO, trust me - rest in Me, lean in to Me, NOT your own understanding.

Ironically as I read through this book, I took a slight detour from the plan printed in our Bible reading plan workbook and followed the chronological plan I read last year.  The plan that I used last year places the book of Job right after Genesis 11.  So, while I am reading this book I am also reading the book of Job.  And again I am struck by the fact that God never answered Job's why - He answered with Who.  

We don't need to know the why as long as we know the Who.  

In my life - I cannot tell you how many tears I have shed and how much anxiety has swirled around the "why" of circumstances.  Why do my girls struggle with chronic health issues?  Why are simple things so hard?  Why are we so different?  Why can't we just do A, B, or C like so and so can? Why, why, why...(often coupled with lots of "what-ifs").  Those questions, while normal and natural to ask when something first happens are NEVER where you want to dig down and try to build trust from.  Those are the sand questions.  

Instead, try this.  Try digging down into the solid Rock of 'Who' - Who is God?  What is His character revealed through His Word?  Build your trust from this point.  

And ask God to show you.  Ask Him to enable your heart and mind to see what He is teaching you about Himself through this experience (this idea is addressed on pg. 133 of the kindle version)

My review does not do this book justice.  There is simply no way to cover the full impact this book will have on your walk with God except to read it.  

*He does caution at the beginning - that if you are in the middle of painful circumstances right now, maybe consider waiting until things calm down before tackling this book.  

Also read The Diary of Anne Frank and At Home in Mitford, but will cover those in my Brighter Winter review.  Trusting God fulfilled two challenges - first one - read two books by the same author for BW,  and it fulfills G3 - read a book about faith.

Anne Frank was read a book you hated as a child

Mitford fulfills the read a book about neighbors