God is our confidence!

Resolving Personal & Spiritual Conflicts
2 kings 18:20b Now on whom do you trust that you rebel against me?
Separation is always painful. But there are times in our walk with God that we must part ways with cherished people or things. In some cases God leads us to separate temporarily so we can reunite later on with deeper intimacy and more knowledge.
However, in other cases God causes us to separate with certain people or things completely and permanently. He would have seen that our union with such things or people is so vital and perfect that His will and plans cannot be accomplished by us in such atmospheres.
We all love God but sometimes it is hard to believe and trust Him when He leads us out of familiar ground into unknown territories. What makes matters worse in such divine leadings is that God just commands you to separate without explaining things as to why, where and how.
 The issue of trust is not a light thing in God’s sight. It is the central thing where our relationship with the invisible and intangible God is concerned. But these very divine qualities of invisibility and intangibility necessitate the need for trust. When dealing with the unseen faith or trust is a constant requirement.
Separation and trust are inseparable. In the Christian life and ministry, once you separate you must put yourself in the gear of trust. You separate from the known, the tried and the proven. And you start to trust in God for the unknown, the untried and the unproven.
I have known individuals who were called by God to detach themselves completely and permanently from their gainful employment, from spouses, from best friends, from cherished possessions like cars and houses and money so they could serve God in a certain way. What emotional, family and peer pressure such ones go through! It seems the question every concerned person knows how to ask you is, “So how are you going to survive?” To tell the truth from experience and testimony, this question is not easy to answer. Why is this so? Firstly, you yourself will be asking yourself such a question but without finding an answer.
 Secondly, because you do not know the answer to such a critical question, you would wish no one asked you that question. If they did ask you, your answer would either reveal your own doubts and ignorance or it would invite their ridicule and the familiar rebuke, “Friend, stop spiritualising things here. Let’s get real. We want to know how you are going to survive.”
What is more confusing is that the people who ask such questions are well-meaning friends, relatives and associates. But two things can be implied by their rebuking question: either they think you are crazy or they are warning you they would not like it when you begin to beg from them.
 A close analysis at both the call of God to separate and the pressing questions of concerned parties will reveal that the whole issue is about whom you trust. God by calling you out is saying to you, “Trust me for everything.” The concerned people in your sphere of influence are asking you, “Trust us, we know you are missing it somewhere.” On whom will you put your trust?
Then there is this other scenario calling you to name whom you trust in. It is not a situation of the call of God as above but of separating yourself from oppressive and abusive authorities.
A husband is an authority over his wife and children, at least according to the provisions of the Bible. But sometimes the order is reversed, the wife bears rule over the husband and the children. The point is that sometimes the union can be so miserable and frustrating that separation will be advised. The one who is in authority or the breadwinner will threaten the other one saying that if they separated they would suffer untold hardship and lack. The abused and oppressed spouse will face this question, “On whom do you trust?” If they seek God in prayer and fasting and basing on peace in the heart, they may separate themselves from oppression and abuse unto liberty.
There are bosses who are oppressive and abusive too. Some may ask you to have illicit sex with them. Others may ask you to do a thing that explicitly runs contrary to the moral law of God. Still the question is whom will you trust? Peter commented that he would obey God rather than man.
Spiritually, every person who comes to the Lord has to separate from the devil’s authority. The devil, like King of Assyria, does not want you to separate from him because he gains from your association in terms of your tribute, worship and service.
He threatens you with loss of fun, withdrawals of financial support and lack of material prosperity. But with the boldness of a lion, declare in his face that you are rebelling from his authority for good and cleaving to Jesus forever. Child of God, make this the subject of your meditation: God is our confidence and our sufficiency, therefore we trust in Him let come what may.
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