A few days ago I watched an interesting video on YouTube about how Hasidic Jews view marriage. I don’t know if I was drawn to this because it was about marriage or if it was my curiosity about this sect of Judaism which many consider to be ultra-orthodox. Regardless the reason, what I watched resonated within my spirit as it talked about faith and trust. 

It was a discussion between two women. The interviewee was the matriarch of a Hasidic family. The interviewer was a woman who was raised Hasidic but left it as an adult. The topic was arranged marriages. The matriarch described the following in her own life:

• A matchmaker approached her parents with a possible candidate for husband. (This happens in their late teens and the possible matches probably know each other.)
• Several visits take place between the two families (bride’s & groom’s)
• Then each young man or woman is asked by their parents, “Would you like to marry him/her?” “Ok”……….and now they are engaged.

Seriously, you’ve got to be kidding me! The matriarch continued her story by stating, “I trusted my parents. I trusted that they would do what was best for me.” Wow #1.

There will be some reading this who had godly parents, who were raised in God-honoring homes, who were treated with kindness and respect. Trusting their parents’ advice was easy. Others reading this grew up in some level of dysfunctionality where the Lord was rarely brought up. We avoided trusting our parents’ advice because, well, we didn’t trust them. This is not something I am proud of, but my philosophy was that if my earthly father disagreed with me…..I knew I was heading in the right direction. The family in today’s America is complex as we well know.

Having that intrinsically deep-rooted trust in one’s parents fascinated me. The matriarch continued. She shared how in their faith they viewed the Lord as creating the world anew each day. While you and I know this doesn’t happen literally – the thought here is that each day is a new day to serve and honor our Lord. And if the Lord is faithful to bring us this new day, then He will be faithful throughout our day. I hope I am doing this justice by saying that God wants His best for us and in today’s vernacular, “He’s got our back!” Wow #2. I have the head-knowledge of this, absolutely, to the nth degree. But is it intrinsically deep-rooted within my spirit?

I recall a time when a young lady approached asking me to pray for her as she was trying to decide which university to attend. “Miss Kris, pray the Lord will show me which university He wants me at.” Both were good schools and had good degree programs for her area of interest. I said something to the effect that “perhaps the Lord doesn’t care which school; He wants you to decide.” She was aghast and argued (sweetly) that it must be God’s decision. We want to do what is right. Might we be afraid of disappointing God?  But now I wonder…..

Yes, it is absolutely important (critical) to be prayerful of potential decisions. We must ask for godly counsel, do our necessary research, think through, be willing to wait (if needed or prompted), ponder and pray. Are we then willing to take the next step of TRUSTING that the Lord has our back? To those this comes naturally to – bless you; I want to be like you. I will not elaborate on the number of times in my God walk where I’ve begged, criticized, cajoled, argued, wept, whined, etc. “Why won’t you tell me what to do?” Argh! Oy Veh! This definitely doesn’t sound like trusting.

I share not because I think my faith is lacking nor do I think of myself less than how the Lord see me. However, I do desire this deeply rooted faith and trust in Abba where I know regardless of what I do (as long as I have the Lord in mind, walk in obedience, and do my due diligence) He has my back. Believing that my Lord will be faithful to guide and encourage; to open and shut doors; to be the light unto my path each and every day. Even when I mess up!  I believe if we pursue God with the desire for our faith walk to be deepened, that our faith and trust become one within us and with God……..Our Abba will show Himself faithful in perfecting that desire within us.

• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
• You (God) keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
• But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:6
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
• “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
• Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7
• Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26