We “trust” in cars to get us places, homes to keep us warm and safe, bridges to connect us land to land, airplanes to land in our target destination, friends to be friendly, spouses to be there for us, and so much more. But what did Jesus mean when he called people to trust in him?
The word faith in Hebrew is emunah. The verbs “to trust” and “believe” have the same root letters. In the Hebrew mind, “to trust” and “to have faith” have the same meaning and are very powerful. Words in Hebrew have so much depth and meaning. We get “Amen” from this word. When we say Amen, we are expressing belief in God’s Word, his faithfulness, and his will. Emunah means to securely trust or rely upon. It implies faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty. It is an active trust.
The first time this word is found in Scripture it describes Abraham’s relationship with God. Abraham had a profound reliance and dependence on God, to the point of trusting God with his own son. He believed the promises that God had made to him, and his actions displayed that belief. Abraham trusted God with his life—with his son’s life. God declared that Abraham was righteous because of his faith. It's this emunah that enables people to choose God during under persecution. It's this emunah that enables us to seek his will for our lives over our own will. When we say we trust God, we trust in his promises and rely on him and live in his will. It means so much more than intellectual assent. It’s not based on reason. It’s similar to seeing firsthand.
The miracles and the ministry of Jesus were seen firsthand. He called on the people he interacted with to have faith—to believe in him as the promised Messiah. When we put our trust in Jesus, we also believe the promise that through him we would be made righteous and enter into a personal relationship with God.
It’s a dynamic word. Our “emunah” should be so integrated into our lives and in our character that it affects all of our actions. Acts 17:27-28, “Yet he is not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being.” It should affect all of our relationships—especially our relationship in marriage.
How can we trust God unless we know him? The more we know him and recall his faithfulness the easier it will be to trust him. His promises, his plans—all of these are for his children to enjoy and depend upon. He has given us his Word so that we can know who he is and know what his promises are. In order for our faith to grow we need to do our part in nurturing our relationship with God. He has created us to know him and he has made a way for us to do it. At his own expense.
When you read the Bible, look for God’s character. Write down some of the verses that describe him. Memorize verses that inspire you to praise him. It’s a faith-building journey that will never end. And how rich life is when we emunah our great Savior.
Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
