Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus, I behold thee as thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart;
“And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” (Ps. 9:10)
God’s love is unwavering. He is faithful to His children who are trusting in the blood of His one and only Son, Jesus. He will never abandon the one whose faith is in Jesus. To know Him begins with intellectual, or academic, knowledge. To know Him as David is referring to here is to know Him in the heart. Experience produces this knowledge, usually requiring conflict and difficulty. Though the storm is frightful and disturbing, the calm after the storm is delicious—the sun shines, the air smells fresh—the crashing waves have settled, and blue skies have returned.
So it is with us. God breaks us away from the harbor safety into the stormy, swelling tide of unwavering faith in Him. We cannot stay like a ship inside the smooth waters of the harbor bar. Safe, yes. We are secured by cables and anchors, immature in our faith, not all that we were created to be. When untested by the tidal surges, we are uncertain that God will see us through the rough seas. It is time to venture through the bar into the ocean deep. We do not go alone, for Christ is with us (2 Cor. 13:5). Stormy seas may threaten our little ship, the winds heaving, the waters churning, our ship tossing and turning. It is here that we learn by experience to rely on the trustworthy Captain of our ship, Jesus. On the stormy seas, the ship becomes all that it was meant to be. It is in the storms of life that we become what we were meant to be. We learn to give the helm to Jesus, He guides us to safety. We gradually gain the heart knowledge of what it means to trust Jesus when we relinquish the wheel to Him. It is here that we come to know Him not only in our head but in our heart, a heart that has tasted Him. A heart that has gained the knowledge that He is trustworthy; He will never reject or desert us in any situation.
Are you facing a life storm? Are you gradually relinquishing the helm of your life to Jesus? You can trust Him. He wants to guide you gently, lovingly, and carefully. He is all-wise, all-knowing. You have been in the harbor long enough. Now you are in the ocean deep where He is teaching you to trust Him. You can rest knowing that the sun will shine again, you will breathe easier, and the storm will pass. Let this be your prayer today, “Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus, I behold thee as thou art, and thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart.”