When pressures or problems or pain envelop our lives, we tend to trust God … plus our doctor or our lawyer or our counselor or our banker or our leaders or our own effort or our___________ (fill in the blank).
Yet God seems to demonstrate His power and glory to those who trust Him completely … who just let go without reservation. Which is why He often allows us to reach the end of our human resources or run the limit of conventional wisdom before He steps in and does the impossible. The miraculous. Could it be that’s why He is allowing our nation, our leadership, our media, and our culture to be saturated in wickedness and evil? It’s time to trust God. Alone.
Read Luke 23:46 …
Trust God
- Using the following verses, put Jesus’ prayer in context. Write out a description of His circumstances, and the way He may have felt spiritually, emotionally, and physically: Luke 22:47-48, 53, 54, 60-62, 63-65, 70-71; Matthew 26:65-67; Luke 24:5, 10-11, 15-16; Matthew 27:26-31; Luke 23:20, 33, 35-37; Matthew 27:39-44, 45-46.
- Which aspect of His circumstances emotionally, physically or spiritually, can you relate to?
- Compare the lying, the jealousy, the corruption and the wickedness of those who condemned and crucified Jesus to our present day.
- How do you think it was possible for Him to put His life into His Father’s hands at such a moment?
Trust His Character—Father
- What is implied by the way Jesus addressed God? Luke 11:1-2; John 14:19-21, 23; 17:25-26.
- What aspects of God’s character can we trust today? Write out descriptive phrases from the following verses: 2 Samuel 7:28, Psalm 56:3-4; Psalm 20:7; 31:14; Psalm 52:8; Isaiah 26:4; Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalm 62:8, Isaiah 59:1.
Trust His Control—Into Your hands
- What does it “cost” us to put our lives, our plans, our loved ones, our desires, our future, our finances, our careers, our circumstances … into His hands?
- What do we have to give up in order to give in to His control?
- What encouragement to place everything in His hands do you receive from the following verses? 2 Samuel 24:14; 2 Chronicles 6:4; Psalm 111:7; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 25:9, Proverbs 29:25; Psalm 91:2.
- What is the risk involved in trusting God’s control? Explain.
Trust His Care—I commit My Spirit
- Do you believe God is good? If not, why? How does this one issue affect your willingness to trust His care?
- How do the following verses help overcome doubt of God’s goodness? Psalm 55:22; Nahum 1:7; Matthew 6:25-33; 12:20-21; John 10:11, 14,15; Ephesians 5:29-30; 1 Peter 5:7.
- When are we to trust God’s care, according to Isaiah 50:10; Psalm 37:1-6; Proverbs 3:5-6; Daniel 3:28?
- In the end, did Jesus lose or gain by trusting God’s care? Philippians 2:6-11.
Trust Him Completely
- What is keeping you from trusting God completely?
- What blessings are reserved for those who trust God completely? 1 Chronicles 5:20; Psalm 28:7; Isaiah 25:8-9; Romans 15:13.
- Is trusting God completely an option? Matthew 16:24 and John 12:24-25.
- How do the following examples encourage you to trust God completely? Hebrews 11:11-12, 17-19; Exodus 14:10-22; 1 Samuel 17:1-11, 32-50; Daniel 6:1-23.
- Who is encouraged to trust God completely by the example you set?
What evil is swirling around you? What policy is threatening you? What impossible obstacle is stopping you? What incurable disease is hurting you? What terrifying possibility is paralyzing you? What system is defying you?
Whatever it is, it can’t compare with the cross. Follow Jesus’ example. Commit whatever it is to the strong, loving hands of your Heavenly Father. Trust God … completely. And remember. After praying this prayer and trusting His Father completely, Jesus experienced the resurrection and the glory and the crown!
