Daily Devotionals

A Lesson in Trust

Posted in Trust/Patience

Scripture: “My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.” – 1 John 4: 7-8 

Growing our relationship with God helps us grow our relationships with others. Recently, as an Eastminster Experience (E2) intern, I had the privilege to serve the church by helping with Vacation Bible School. Throughout the week, I learned so much and realized the importance of our relationship with God and others.

My role was to assist with the rising first graders. Although it might be harder for some of us to remember this time in our lives, it is a very fundamental stage in both our upbringing in the church and our growth of relationships with peers.

Watching the children reminded me that trust is foundational in relationships. They helped me to understand the “blind trust” that they have in their mentors and God. Immediately upon my arrival, the kids in my group trusted me completely. It was not because of anything that I had said or done to them, but they knew that because I was working for the church that I could be trusted because they trusted God. Even though they did not have a complex understanding of who God is, they know that he is good, and by extension, myself and the other mentors are too. Their beautiful childlike trust in God was inspirational. As adults, maintaining that childlike trust in God is met with obstacles as life progresses.

As the week went on, we talked about the story of Joseph and his relationship with his brothers and God. These lessons reinforced the idea that it is easier to trust in others and build relationships with them when we first trust God. Through Joseph’s trust in God, he was able to restore his relationship with his brothers.

This lesson in trust was not only valuable for the children, but also for me. As today’s scripture teaches us, “Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God” (1 John 4:7). I am very grateful that we have a merciful God who teaches us about trust and relationships.

Prayer: Dear God, please be with all of us as we try to live our lives in love. Help us to have trust in you as we overcome struggles that hinder our relationships with others and cast doubt in our faith. Thank you for teaching us that trust is foundational in loving you and others. You are a God to be trusted no matter the circumstances. Amen. 

Submitted by Millie Laird, E2 Intern

(Millie is a rising Sophomore at the University of South Carolina. She is the daughter of Chad and Susan Laird.)