Golden Thread

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Be still, and know that I am God.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.

Psalm 46:1 and 10a     Psalm 37:5 Berean Standard Bible

I hope it’s not hard to notice the golden thread, woven throughout my writing, speaking and teaching. A thread that the Lord continues to daily weave throughout my own heart. Offering me ongoing life lessons, and providing real-life opportunities to put the thread into practice. And to answer the question, “What happens when that thread gets pulled?”

This golden thread is summed up in one word. Trust. Specifically, trust in the Lord no matter our circumstance.

Recently, on my drive home from work, I thought deeply about a particular challenge in front of me. I talked it through with God, and though the challenge and pain remained, I recognized that I was at peace and confidently trusted Him with the outcome.  

I told the Lord I couldn’t remember “the moment” the eyes of my heart were opened and began trusting Him, no matter the outcome. Not for my salvation, but for living this life. A life that often encounters circumstances that scream the opposite of what I “expect” from the good God He is. He reminded me that genuine trust in Him is something learned one hour at a time, one day at a time, one trial at a time. A life-long process of living and walking with Him, and learning by experience that He is good and He is faithful, regardless of what comes into our lives or our world. A lesson that cannot be learned through a theology course, Ted Talk or TikTok video. This is a lesson that requires constant refresher courses.

Part of this golden thread is our life lens. Do we view God through the lens of our fluctuating circumstances, or do we view fluctuating circumstances through the lens of our good and faithful God?

In the beginning of my walk with the Lord (over forty years ago), if I lost a job or the car broke down or my then-spouse was unfaithful or tragedy took the life of my child (all have grazed my life) … I thought that I must have done something wrong or that God was too busy to notice my hurt or that maybe He didn’t care about someone like me or was angry at me … My view of God was determined by the trials or blessings of my life. This thinking also meant that when I earned a raise or the kids were healthy or my ladies Bible study was humming along, God must be Oh so pleased with me. Again, my view of God was wrongly determined by my circumstances.

Just like an optometrist, who flips to one lens after another and asks, “is this better or worse? One or two?” At some point along the way of life, God enabled me to switch lenses from my circumstances to Him. Enabling me to see all that I walked through (blessings and challenges) through the lens of His goodness, His faithfulness and His great love for me. A love that compelled Him to send the Lord Jesus to die in my place.  (Face to the floor astounding!) As seen through the lens of our good and faithful God, the inevitable trials of real life have served to draw me closer to Him. To talk with Him, to read His Word, to wrestle out the pain, and view it all with the golden thread of trusting Him no matter the outcome. A steady trust that may at times, still bend low with heartache, but refusing to view God through the lens of that heartache.

There is nothing–no circumstance, no trouble, no testing–that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose. –

Alan Redpath

How about you? Do you view God through the trials of your life, so when the inevitable difficulties come crashing through, your picture of God crashes with it? (No condemnation here, I did that for years, and sometimes still fall into that trap). If so, would you ask Him to help you switch lenses and to view your life through lens of the goodness of God? He will not fail you. May the golden thread of trust be woven throughout your life.

Father God, I am in awe of Your goodness and utter trustworthiness. And did I mention, Your patience? Please enable me to see all that touches my life through the lens of Who You are – The Faithful One. Not my fluctuating circumstances.  In Jesus, mighty name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus.

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