In the Bible, we are commanded to trust in God. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” In this verse we see that in order to trust in God we can not lean on our own understandings. But how do we get to the point where we can put ALL of our trust in God? The best way to trust God is to understand who we are putting our trust in.
God is powerful. When I think of power, I think of water, because it is an unstoppable force. In the past months we have seen good examples of water’s power in hurricanes and typhoons that have been hitting land. Hurricanes have the power to rip trees out of the ground, blow over houses, and ruin cities. When a hurricane is hitting, the only thing that can stop a hurricane is the hurricane itself. The same can be said for God, nothing can get in His way except for us. God’s power is His Word. If we read and follow His Word we will put all of our trust in Him. If we put our trust in God, we have His power on our side. God shows His power throughout the Bible to encourage us to trust in Him. In the Bible, God uses water to display His power. In Exodus, God shows Pharaoh His power by turning all the water in Egypt into blood. Exodus 7:17 says,
“Thus says the Lord: ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood.”
God had the power to turn all the water in Egypt into blood. That is impressive in itself, but what makes it even more impressive is that Egypt is known for having big rivers. All of Egypt’s huge rivers were also turned to blood. God turned the water into blood to show Pharaoh His power. If God has the power to turn water to blood, He also has the power to help us through our daily lives. We should trust in His power.
A second example of God’s power through water is in Exodus 14. In this account He parted the Red Sea for the Jews escaping Egypt. Exodus 14:21 says,
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters divided.”
God had the power to make water separate from itself. God made a river have a dry pathway through it. As the Jews were escaping, a group of Egyptian soldiers were chasing them. God parted the water to protect the Jews. He also re-closed the pathway on the Egyptians to protect the Jews. God had the power to kill all of the Egyptians who were chasing the Jews. The Jews trusted in God and He protected them.
One last example of God’s power through water was when God cleansed Naaman’s leprosy through water. 2 Kings 5:14 says,
“So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the sayings of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
God had the power to restore a man’s skin back to full health. The disease Naaman had is considered incurable. God had the power to cure an incurable disease by simply having a man dip in the river. Naaman demonstrated his trust in God when he followed His commandments. When Naaman demonstrated his trust, God rewarded him by restoring his health.
If God has the power to turn water to blood, part the Red Sea, and restore a man’s health, don’t you think He has the power to help us with our lives? God has the power to walk with us and help us through our lives. As long as we have trust in God, He will protect us. Proverbs 18:24 says,
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
This can describe our relationship with God. God will stick by us in times of need and times of celebration. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Paul makes this statement while sitting in a prison. This verse means during the highs and during the lows, if we trust in God we can make it through anything. We need to know the power of God because when we know His power, it is easier to trust in Him.