Are you worthy of trust? Trust is defined as "to have confidence or faith in". It is a firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. Trust is a multi-faceted attribute of love. Intent is connected to trust. You can gain the trust of another person as that person comes to know your character. Your actions under duress reflect your character. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Ultimately your words will reflect your character. If you are around someone long enough, you will see (and hear) their character. Most people convey an illusion of who they think people want to see and hear. Our clothing choices are designed to project an image, i.e. dress for success. This is not to say that we should not dress for the occasion. Our dress should not be offensive to our brother. However, our dress should not belittle our brother.
When we project an illusion, trust becomes obscure. An illusion is a sensory perception that causes a false or distorted impression, or a misrepresentation of a "real" sensory stimulus. Are we projecting something that the other person cannot have confidence in? In Scripture, the word "trust" is defined as: to seek refuge, flee for protection. Our loved ones do not want to flee to an illusion. They want to be protected by the real you!
When you walk in love, you promote trust, you promote a refuge for others to seek a reliable and safe place. Are you reliable? Do you project reliability? Are you a long term player in relationships or do you have fleeting, temporary relationships? Look back at your personal history? Have you sustained multi-year relationships? If not, why? Love sustained the Father’s relationship with mankind for eons. Love builds relationships with trust. Your closest friend should be able to take refuge in your relationship. Trust eliminates guarded words in a relationship. The other party knows that you will not use their words against them.
Trust promotes the truth. When we live under an illusion, truth is hidden away from those who encounter us. Our relationships must be based on truth, not illusions. Illusions are like sand castles, they look great until the tide washes them away. They have no foundation or substance. Once a challenge or test is presented to the life of illusion, it is washed away and nothing is left.
Wealthy people are plagued by mistrust. Each person they encounter is scrutinized for motive. What does this person want from me? Do they want a relationship with me or my money? Is this mistrust developed because the wealthy person had similar motives while acquiring his wealth? To the pure all things are pure. To the impure, all things are impure. Once a wealthy person begins to truly walk in love, his wealth will no longer be his god. When he sees a need or is given a revelation of what his money should be directed towards, he will act. At that point, he will follow Jesus, not as the rich, young ruler who lived his life with regret. We are told many times to not trust in riches. Wealth has wings. We are told to "trust in the Lord" with all of our heart and lean not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). It is The Father who gives understanding. Worldly understanding is incomplete and subject to pitfalls.
Trust promotes the protection of love. Love will lay down its life for a brother. The trust with love creates a shelter for your family. During times of trouble, this refuge will be in use. The following Psalm reveals the revelation of the Father’s refuge:
Psalm 61: 1Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
In the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, trust is mentioned often. The people were placing their trust in graven images and lies. A graven image is a created thing. Why would we trust in the created rather than the creator? In the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet Hananiah was lying to the people. The name Hananiah means "God has favoured" but Hananiah spoke what the people want to hear instead of speaking the word of The Lord. He took Jeremiah’s wooden yoke off him and broke it. Jeremiah replied:
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’"
17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
During this time, the people were ready to believe in a lie. They were living under the rule of Babylon and wanted change. They were ready to listen to anyone who would relieve them of this wooden yoke. Hananiah obliged. The people wanted to trust a lie rather than hear the Word of the Lord. It was a situation where "if we think it, it will happen", the power of positive thinking. Thinking will not evoke trust. Hearing The Lord promotes trust. There is much written today on the the power of positive thought. The people are being deceived into believing that miracles will occur by thinking your way out of your problem or situation. People are placing their trust in an illusion. Hananiah did not hear the word of The Lord, Jeremiah did. He told Hananiah that he would die that year. The Lord spoke it, it happened.
Hananiah died in the seventh month. This particular month always points to the fall feast of Tabernacles. He prophesied falsely to the people. He prophesied out of his own understanding, not the word of The Lord. In the big picture, the false prophets will be removed once the fulfillment of Tabernacles takes place. Once again the people will trust in God and those who are Godly and walk in love.