In Whom I Trust

“...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12b (NASB)

I was struck recently while reading this passage from Paul in 2 Timothy. In context, Paul is encouraging believers to be loyal to the Gospel and trust in the one that holds our hope. Clearly, he is speaking of holding onto the hope of salvation because we believe that the Lord is able to keep and fulfill that covenant. That was not what stood out to me in my reading that day. I hold to the security of my salvation until my death or Christ’s return quite easily at this point in my Christian journey. What convicted me was the second half of verse 12. 

“...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” Yes, I am convinced that the Lord will protect that most precious of gifts but what about the other things in my life? My hopes and dreams? My family? My friends? My security? Two questions spring forth… Have I actually entrusted these to my Father’s care and do I truly believe they will be protected until the end?

The first question is one of letting go and trusting the Father to work all things together for our good. Some areas are easy to turn over to the Lord, like my personal possessions and my personal health. Others are harder for me, like my hopes for the future and the safety of those I love. What about you? Is it easy to lay certain things at the altar while others are firmly grasped in your hand? Human nature at its finest. Ask the Lord to show you what you haven’t fully entrusted to Him and to give you strength to relinquish control with the full peace that comes from truly knowing in Whom you are entrusting those precious items.

The second question might come before the first in our process of reconciliation. Do you trust the Lord to protect what you entrust with HIm? Not do you trust the Lord CAN protect but do you trust HIm to actually do it? That requires a heart to heart and honest examination of the Father’s will. I know the Lord can protect all I hand to Him but I also know that might not look like I would like. Just as we are told in Romans 8:28 that the Lord works it all together for good, people are often disappointed that what IS good doesn’t always FEEL good.  Are you okay with the Lord’s plan? This will most likely be a daily question. Some days it’s easy to say yes and skip along life’s pathway. At other times, I want to sit down and not move out of fear, frustration, heartbreak and disappointment. 

Yes, I’ve been disappointed and frustrated with God’s plan more than once in my life but I’ve learned to tell Him that. It doesn’t mean I’ll magically understand but it does mean that my heart is honest before my Maker and He can flood me with peace that only comes from Him. 

The irony of this whole verse is that I easily entrust the Lord for the very thing I so desperately need but can't do myself. Maybe that’s the key? I know my salvation is His alone without an ounce of ability to save myself. However, my prideful heart still convinces me that I can do better or work quicker than the Lord. I vainly believed that I saw some detail He missed or had a more creative perspective. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad and sinful. That was what struck me in my reading that day. How after nearly 40 years of this game, I still have trouble truly letting go of it all but the good news is that the Father doesn’t love me less, give up on me or rip things from my clutches. He patiently waits with open hands to receive it all including me which allows me to breathe a sigh of relief “...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day” even if I don’t always understand.