Daily Devotional
To Believe Is To Trust
February 8, 2018
John G. Patton, a missionary to the South Sea Islands, set out to put the Gospel in the native language of the tribe with which he was working. When he came to the word “believe,” he had a difficult time finding a word in the tribe’s language that was a match. He wanted to communicate commitment and trust, but as he talked with the natives, they never could understand just the word he wanted.
One day he was in his house writing and a messenger came in. He had run across the island with a message and was out of breath. There was a big chair in the room, and this native plopped down to catch his breath. He sat for a few minutes and rested.
Patton asked the messenger, “What are you doing? Give me the word.” The messenger gave him the word for what it meant to put your weight in a chair and relax. That’s the word he used in the translation for “believe.”
And that, my friend, is what it means to believe—to quit trying and simply trust in the Lord Jesus. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
