Trusting by Leaning on God November 25, 2013
JohnPaton, an 18th century Presbyterian missionary to Vanuatu, hadfinished only a few verses of his new translation of the Gospel of John when heran into a problem: the phrase “believe in”—one of the Apostle John’s favoriteexpressions—wouldn’t come across in the new language. The cannibalistic peopleof the islands had no concept of placing confidence in another person, andtheir vocabulary lacked any word for “trust.”
As Patonpuzzled over the problem at his desk, his indigenous servant entered the room.Paton shifted forward in his chair and asked, “What am I doing right now?”“Sitting at your desk,” came the answer. “And what about now?,” Paton asked ashe rocked his weight backward into the chair and lifted both feet off thefloor. In the man’s reply, Paton found his new term for trust: theindigenous word meaning “to lean your whole weight upon.”
Trustleans; it doesn’t try to stand on its own: “Trust in the Lord with all yourheart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Pro 3:5). Unfortunately,it’s the exact opposite of what we want to do instinctively. Our naturalreaction when facing the unknown is to do research or talk to an expert or tryto think the problem through on our own. Why? Because we feel the need toincrease our own understanding.
Ultimately,we want to be in control. But to trust—i.e., to lean—is the opposite of beingin control. Trust yields control to God. Why do we try to increase our ownunderstanding? Because control has become our god, and we are seeking safety init rather than in Him. Leaning on God makes us feel so vulnerable, so unsure,so precarious. He’s mysterious, and His ways aren’t like ours. This is whyobeying God is often easier than trusting Him. Obedience works itself out inrealms where we know the boundaries: what He wants us to do and how. But trustoperates in a realm without bounds—we don’t know how long this trial will last,why it has come, or how much worse it might get before it’s over.
But Godcalls us to trust. And feeble, anemic trust just won’t do. The phrase “with allyour heart” makes it personal and all-consuming. It’s risky to trust the Lordwith all your heart, but when you do, the result is confidence and rest.