GO BOLDLY: TRUST

Mistrust has a powerful impact in our lives.  Mistrust makes us uncertain, fearful, and cautious.  We are more mistrusting than ever in American life.  Every study confirms that each year we have less confidence in our government, institutions, and the church.  Mistrust and fear are always powerful companions because one enhances the other, and they become a tag team for discouragement and despair.   In our sermon series, Go Boldly, the second title of the sermon is Trust.  What we trust and who we trust makes an incredible difference in our lives.  Trust gives warmth, strength, and hope to any relationship, home, or nation.  It gives us security in difficult times and certainty in our relationships.  We cannot hope to “Go boldly” without a sense of trust.  This is especially true when we are willing to trust God with our lives.  Although this sounds easy, one of the greatest challenges that we face is to grow in our trust of God.  This week, we turn to Isaiah 12:1-6, a short song that highlights the power of trusting a living God who cares for his people.  It is a Word from God through the prophet Isaiah to share with God’s people a new vision and a greater hope that is based upon their trust that God will be their help and their defender.  By trusting God in the difficult times, by holding on to the truth even in face of confusion and fear, one can find God’s strength to endure and excel despite the challenges faced.  This is our most earnest prayer for each of you as read Isaiah 12:1-6, that with joy you will drink deeply from the living waters of salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ! Isaiah 12:1-6:

 In that day you will say: “I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. ² Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” ³ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ⁴ In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. ⁵ Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. ⁶ Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.” (NIV)