Written by Dawn Rutan
For some time now I’ve been thinking about 2 Timothy 1:12 (ESV) “…But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.” This is an interesting verse because it has two different ways to translate the original Greek, which is imprecise. In contrast with the ESV, many Bible versions say something like “He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him.” I suspect the ESV chose their rendition because of the parallel in verse 14, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”
That leads to two questions: what has God entrusted to us, and what have we entrusted to Him? From the context of 2 Timothy there are several things entrusted to us:
- Faith – v. 5
- Spiritual gifts – v. 6
- A spirit of power, love, and self-control (or a sound mind) – v. 7
- The testimony/gospel of Jesus – v. 8
- A holy calling – v. 9 and 11
To use Peter’s terminology, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). God has entrusted us with the message of His love and the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18), and He has equipped us with everything necessary to do His will. So although He could personally appear to every person in order to cause them to believe, He has entrusted a large part of the work to us. That’s a bit intimidating if you think about it for long.
So then what have we or should we entrust to Him?
- Our paths – Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 143:8
- Our salvation – Isaiah 12:2, Hebrews 5:9
- Our security – Psalm 56, Psalm 118:8-9
- Our souls – Matthew 10:28, 1 Peter 4:19
- Our future – Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Peter 1:3-5
We really got the best deal in all of this. We can entrust all that really matters into the hands of the only One who is fully trustworthy, in complete control, and who loves us steadfastly. In exchange, He does give us work to do, but He is the One who ensures that it will be completed (Philippians 1:6, Psalm 57:2).
It is curious how often people think they can trust God for “big” things like salvation, but they don’t want to trust Him for the details of daily life. They want to accept Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. That tends to be the case when people think God should act for their personal comfort and success, rather than accepting that He may allow difficulty and pain. Sometimes He does entrust us with suffering that can accomplish some greater purpose in our lives. Candi Pearson-Shelton writes of this trust: “He trusts me because I trust Him. Do I always desire that kind of trust from God? No. But do I want to be counted as worthy of that type of trust? Always” (Desperate Hope, 48).
Last night I was pondering what it means to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Matthew 12:30). Now it occurs to me that one answer to that question is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” To fully love Him is to fully trust Him. I don’t think anyone is quite there yet, but hopefully we’re moving in that direction.
“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:8).
© 2015 Dawn Rutan. The views stated may or may not reflect the beliefs of the pastor or leadership of Dulin’s Grove Church.