Trust in Adonai -

For He is an Everlasting Rock...

Isaiah 26:4

"Trust in the LORD forever,
for in Yah the LORD is the Rock of Ages." (Isaiah 26:4).

Surely it is one thing to believe in God – in the sense of acknowledging God's existence or assenting to certain creeds – and it is another thing to personally trust in God to meet your deepest needs. Trust in God is called bittachon in Hebrew, a word that comes from a root word meaning "to lean on, feel safe, or be confident."

Bittachon - Trust

Although not without its cognitive side, bittachon primarily involves an act of the heart and will: when I trust God I emotionally decide to put my expectations, my hopes, my dreams, my desires – in short, all of my life – into the care of the Lord and His provision for me.

In this verse, Yesha'yahu (Isaiah) urges us to put our trust in Adonai forever, because unlike this world of shadows and vaporous dissipation, in Adonai we find the unchanging Rock of refuge and security, the Source of strength and reliability. The world about us is in constant flux, but Adonai endures throughout all generations and is a refuge to all who come to Him in trust.

Truly encountering God through the decision of trust might be referred to as a "panim el-panim" (face-to-face) moment of life: it is a defining moment that the Lord Jesus called His followers to practice (see Mark 1:15, Luke 8:12, John 6:29, 8:24, 14:21). Such bittachon is the source of deep assurance amidst the storms of this life.

Face-to-face



Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 26:4 reading (click):

Isaiah 26:4 Hebrew lesson

 


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