Trusting More Deeply
By Gary Piper of Fort Gratiot, MI, USA
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more. —Psalm 72:1–7 NRSV
In what ways am I being invited to trust more deeply? I wonder what trusting more deeply has to do with Christmas. I experience trust as faith in action. For me, faith goes far beyond just believing. Faith without trust leads to gloom and doom. Faith begets courage, courage begets trust, and trust begets action.
What does the birth of a helpless baby have to do with faith, courage, and trust today? In short, everything! For many, celebrating Jesus’ birth ends the day after Christmas when things return to normal. The truth is, Jesus’ birth is a beginning without end. It is far more important to experience Jesus not just as a human infant but as the infant Son of God. When the doorway of heaven opened for Jesus to come into our world, it would never be closed again.
Through the birth of God’s Son born amid the humblest of circumstances and surroundings, God stepped out of eternity and into your life forever! Because God did that for you, you will never face anything (good or bad) alone. There may be times when God remains a silent partner. During those times it is your responsibility to believe, and the Holy Spirit will quietly boost the power of your faith, courage, and trust.
In what ways am I being invited to trust more deeply? My wife and I have been on what seems like a never-ending journey that started in the spring of 2009. This past year it seems as if the Lord is extending the invitation to trust more fully in spite of the lack of light at the end of the tunnel. Life has not been easy for us, but the message of Jesus’ birth is that God is with us no matter what, and because of God’s perfect love for us, he will see us through to the end.
Advent Prayer Phrase
Anticipation deepens within.
Invitation to Spiritual Practice
Spend a few moments dwelling in God’s presence. Pay attention to where your heart feels drawn into prayer. What words, images, or themes in this story lead you to reflect on your own faith journey? What is God’s invitation to you this day?
