Trusting in God is the theme of all our scripture lessons this morning. Take time to read them slowly and see if you see the thread of trust tying them together. After looking at the Word of God through the lens of trust, are you encouraged by the testimony of these witnesses to trust God with your life, your mind, your body, your spirit, regardless of what is going on in the world around you?

Just imagine for a bit that you were Abram and Sarai 3500 years ago, leaving the world they knew, trusting God enough to go into the unknown, with no Google Maps, no GPS, no Wikipedia to give you clues about what might lay ahead. Really take time to imagine what that trust would feel like for you.

Imagine the absolute trust filling the heart of the psalmist who lived about 3000 years ago when he testified: “But the Lord’s will stands fast for ever, and the desires of his heart from age to age.”

Imagine being the Apostle Paul choosing the story of Sarah and Abraham written all those years before to enable them to trust that God was still at work in the world, raising Christ Jesus from the dead to show them the power of self-giving love.

Imagine your being Matthew in our gospel having the courage to give up your power, your livelihood, your way of life to follow Jesus when he called.

Imagine you are the woman who has been ostracized by the community for 12 years trusting so much in the Lord's healing power that you could face the fear of what the crowd might do if you were identified as the one who touched the fringe of Jesus’ cloak.

Imagine you can feel the desperation of the leader of the synagogue entrusting his dead daughter into the hands of Jesus.

How do you feel after putting your mind and heart in those various situations? Are you ready to:

“Trust in the Lord with all thy heart,

Lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him.

And he will direct thy paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)