Wednesday Wisdom #1: Do I Trust You, Lord?

Many are the times I have been inspired by the words of others.  Often it is by authors of old that are no longer “the thing” to read…authors like A.W. Tozer and John Calvin or, perhaps, it is by godly women like Elisabeth Elliot or Elizabeth George.   I have also been amazed at how the Lord will use song lyrics or podcasted sermons to speak to exactly where I am struggling.  He has frequently used the words of others to strengthen, grow, and encourage me.  On Wednesdays, I would like to introduce you to some of my favorite passages, songs, and poems.

The thing I would like to share for my first Wednesday Wisdom post is a song that God used in my life this week.  I had heard something on Saturday that really disturbed my spirit.  It had happened to someone I didn’t know, but the tragic event, the unspeakable murder, and the heartbroken family members left with a quenchless void sent me reeling headlong into anger, doubts, and fear.  I know that death is a part of life.  But such an evil, horrible death seemed beyond imagination.  Why this particular event struck me so deeply, I cannot tell, but I found myself struggling since then with the relentless question of WHY?

Why God?  Why didn’t you stop this?

And then, God started to subtly place things in my life to help me with this struggle.  I was listening to a podcasted sermon by Alistair Begg and part of the sermon was on this topic.  And then, as I was reading an old Puritan book, along came a few pages dedicated to just this subject.  I didn’t look for, nor expect, to read about this topic that was troubling me…I just “happened” upon it in my consequential reading of the text.  And then as I put my ipod on shuffle, several songs came on which spoke volumes to me.

And I realize that I am a minute speck in the timeline of the universe and He is God.  Who am I to even ask the question?  And I am filled with my smallness.  I am still sorting through it all, but I know my God is faithful.  I know that He cares.  I may not understand, but I have seen Him work in the smallest of ways in my life and in lives around me.  If we can’t trust God with our question marks, can we trust Him at all?

One song, in particular, is an old song with which I am sure many of you are not familiar.  It is called Do I Trust You? and is by an artist named Twila Paris.  God has used this song to minister to me many times through the years and He brought it back for an encore just this week.  Here are the lyrics:

DO I TRUST YOU?

Sometimes my little heart can’t understand
What’s in Your will, what’s in Your plan.
So many times I’m tempted to ask You why,
But I can never forget it for long.
Lord, what You do could not be wrong.
So I believe You, even when I must cry.

Do I trust You, Lord?

Does the river flow?
Do I trust You, Lord?
Does the north wind blow?
You can see my heart,
You can read my mind,
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love.
Do I trust You, Lord?
Do I trust You?

I know the answers, I’ve given them all.
But suddenly now, I feel so small.
Shaken down to the cavity in my soul.
I know the doctrine and theology,
But right now they don’t mean much to me.
This time there’s only one thing I’ve got to know.

Do I trust You, Lord?
Does the robin sing?
Do I trust You, Lord?
Does it rain in spring?
You can see my heart,
You can read my mind,
And You got to know
That I would rather die
Than to lose my faith
In the One I love.
Do I trust You, Lord?
Do I trust You?

I will trust You, Lord, when I don’t know why.
I will trust You, Lord, till the day I die.
I will trust You, Lord, when I’m blind with pain!
You were God before, and You’ll never change.
I will trust You.
I will trust You.
I will trust You, Lord.
I will trust You.

NOTE: You can hear this song here.