As a dad, I constantly tell my two young daughters, “Trust me, I got you.” I say this to them all the time — when we go to different and unique places, when we are watching a new movie or TV show and a scary scene comes on, when we are on a nature walk and we end up deep in the woods, or when it’s late at night and dark. “Trust me, I got you.”
I find myself saying this over and over again, reassuring them that, no matter what is coming around the corner, I am going to protect them and keep them safe. There is nothing for them to fear because I am their father, and it is my nature to protect them at all cost.
Have you noticed that God uses similar language in the Bible? He doesn’t say, “Trust me, I got you,” but he does say, “Have faith.”
In Matthew 21, there is a story of Jesus cursing a fig tree because it wouldn’t produce fruit. The disciples seem incredulous to this command, but upon seeing the dead tree the next day, the disciples commented that what Jesus said actually occurred. Jesus responds by telling them to have faith in God.
Translation: when God says something, you ought to trust it. “Trust me, I got you.”
We often go through difficult seasons where God seems to be quiet. If I could give any pastoral counseling, I would tell you to trust God and trust his words. If God said it, it will happen. Rather than focusing on the surrounding situation or the odds, focus on him. Have faith that God will deliver on his promise.
I have a picture in my house of a time when I was throwing my oldest daughter, Lola, high into the air and catching her. One time, I threw her so high that my father-in-law saw Lola appear over the fence line in their backyard as he was coming home from work. Imagine that scene as he pulled in the driveway! Despite the way Lola felt about being so high in the air, or the way the situation appeared, she trusted me. (Her mother was a different story.) Lola trusted that she would land safely in the arms of her father. Her eyes were fixed on her father, not the ground. How do we trust God in difficult times? We keep our eyes fixed on him.
My prayer for us is that, in difficult seasons, we would trust God and trust his Word. Trust him, he’s got you.