Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith. Philippians 1:25, (NIV)

I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.
Philippians 1:25, (NLT)

In 1991, NBA Lakers player Magic Johnson announced he had AIDS. In the years since, Magic and his wife, Cookie, have given their lives to Jesus Christ. In a social media post a couple of years ago (2021), Magic said, “Today marks 30 years living with HIV…. Through it all I learned to trust in Jesus and I learned to trust in God!”

Notice the verb he used: “learned.” Songwriter Andraé Crouch said the same thing in a song: “Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.” Trusting the Lord is a learning experience as we grow in faith. When we trust the Lord with today’s load, we see His faithfulness and learn to trust Him even more for tomorrow’s uncertainties. Paul told the Thessalonians,  “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).  The increase in love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is a direct result of our growing in our faith.

The other direct result of growing in our faith is the growth we have in our trust in God and His Word. Whenever we face a crisis, let’s turn to the Lord first, and find the needed promises in His Word. Let’s pray today that God will help us trust Him more and more with every passing day.

Louisa Stead wrote the following line in her hymn, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus:”
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, O for grace to trust Him more!