Trust is a word we use a lot really, but its meaning is challenging. In order to trust someone, we need to know them and then put our entire confidence in them. This is what God wants of us humans as we were made to interact with God, find out what He is like and then learn to trust Him. Because God is perfect, we have a fantastic role model that we can copy but in fact it is only by trusting Him that we find that He does the necessary work in us to make us what we really are supposed to be. Our copying isn’t enough!

I am going through a big challenge at present and am having to learn to trust God more. Recently, I went for a long bike ride along the Wirral Way (a cycle track that borders the coast of this beautiful Wirral peninsula) and on coming back I saw what I thought was a mount for a picture to go in and it looked new. So, I picked it up from the road and on turning it over I found that it was an ‘L’ plate off a car and what I thought was the frame part of the mount was actually magnetic strips to attach to a car. I then thought about this and realised afresh that I am a disciple of Jesus and this has the meaning of ‘learner’. So I stuck this ‘L’ plate on my dishwasher door on coming home that day to help me to remember that I am a learner in trusting God. I have so much to learn in this.

When the way ahead looks clear and smooth going, it is easy to trust God. The world looks good and everything seems OK – especially in the British sunshine! However, it is at the times that we struggle and have all our plans go differently from what we expected that we need to trust God more. King Solomon wrote “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding..” (Proverbs 3:5). How I need to remember this!

As we grow in faith as adults and realise that we can trust God for everything and anything especially for our specific needs and the needs of others, then our children can grasp hold of this faith and simply make requests of God knowing that He will answer. We trust the chair we are about to sit on; we trust that the bus will arrive at the bus stop; we trust that if we put a key in the ignition of a car that it will start – yet many of us find it hard to trust the God who has given us a brief in His word, the Bible, that he is for us and not against us and that he works everything together for good to those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). As we study the character of God shown in the Bible, then we discover the many-faceted sides of God and His huge love for mankind.

As “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) may we drench our minds and hearts in His written word, the Bible, and so teach our children the wisdom in simply trusting God for everything that they are ever going to need or know. Diamond Books helps facilitate this so that our children can learn to love God’s word while getting to know the Author of it.