Trusting
I like to believe that every grandparent treasures the opportunity to spend time playing with their grandchildren. When they are young, grandchildren seem to carry a special kind of joy with them. Their laughter fills the room, their curiosity keeps us on our toes, and even their little demands can bring a smile to our faces. I am especially thankful for the moments I have with my two-year-old granddaughter. She is wonderfully responsive and simply delightful to play with as long as I am prepared to follow her rules! One moment she wants to play with one toy, and before I have even figured out what to do with it, she has already moved on to another. Keeping up with her can be exhausting, especially when my energy is no longer what it used to be, but I would not trade these precious moments for anything. They are memories I know I will treasure for years to come.
She especially loves the playground. There, I watch her confidently attempt things that sometimes make me nervous, wondering whether she might fall or hurt herself. She climbs, reaches, jumps, and explores with a fearlessness that often leaves me wondering: does she simply not yet understand the dangers, or does she instinctively trust that someone is watching over her? Perhaps there is something beautiful in that childlike trust. She does not spend her time worrying about what might happen next. She simply enjoys the moment, knowing that a loving grandparent is nearby. Watching her has made me reflect on my own walk with God. How often do I worry about tomorrow, even though my Heavenly Father has already promised to walk with me? How often do I hesitate because I cannot see what lies ahead, forgetting that God sees the whole journey?
I think of the picture of a grandparents gently pushing his grandchild on a swing. The child holds tightly to the chains, laughing as the swing rises and falls, trusting the loving hands behind every gentle push. The child does not need to understand how the swing works or know exactly where the next movement will take her. She simply trusts the person who is there. In a similar way, faith invites us to place our lives into God’s hands. We may not always understand His timing, His plans, or the path He is taking us along, but we can trust the One who knows the beginning, the middle, and the end. His hands are steady, His presence is constant, and His love never fails.
Life will inevitably bring seasons when we cannot see clearly what lies ahead. There may be unanswered prayers, unexpected changes, difficult decisions, or moments when our strength feels inadequate. Yet God’s grace invites us not to live in fear of the unknown, but to walk forward in faith. He may not remove every difficulty, but He promises to be with us through it. Just as a child feels secure because a loving grandparent is nearby, we can find peace in knowing that our Heavenly Father is always near. Even when we stumble, He is there to lift us; when we are weary, He gives us strength; and when we are uncertain, He gently reminds us that we are never walking alone.
As grandparents, parents, or simply as people who have walked a little further along life’s journey, we also have the privilege of becoming a safe and loving presence for someone else. Our time, patience, wisdom, encouragement, and prayers may become the steady hands that help another person find courage to take their next step.
Perhaps this is one of the beautiful lessons my granddaughter is teaching me: trust does not mean knowing what will happen next; it means knowing who is holding us as we journey forward. May we learn to trust God with the same childlike confidence, resting in His grace and believing that His loving hands will never let us go. And as we receive His love and care, may we also become loving hands for others people who encourage, protect, guide, and walk alongside those God places in our lives.
Bible Verse:
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5–6 WEB
Blessings:
God blesses us with His unfailing love, His faithful guidance, and people who reflect His care through their encouragement and steadfast presence. As we place our trust in Him, He gives us peace for today, courage for tomorrow, and the assurance that His grace will carry us through every season.
Reflection Point:
Trust grows when we remember God’s faithfulness in the past and choose to place today’s uncertainties into His loving hands. Every season of grace is an invitation to rely more deeply on the One who never lets us go.
Reflection Question:
What is one area of your life that God is inviting you to entrust to Him today, and who has He used to remind you of His faithful care?
Action to Consider for this week:
Encourage someone who may be facing uncertainty. Offer a listening ear, share a word of hope, or pray with them, reminding them that they do not have to face life’s journey alone.
Hymn for the Reflection
Trust and Obey
Hymn Writer
John Henry Sammis (1846–1919) was an American Presbyterian minister, editor, and hymn writer. Before entering full-time Christian ministry, he worked in business but later devoted his life to preaching, teaching, and writing gospel hymns that encouraged believers to live faithfully for Christ.
Although Sammis wrote more than one hundred hymns, “Trust and Obey” became his best-known and most enduring work. Its simple message has inspired Christians around the world for well over a century.
The music was written by Daniel B. Towner, a gifted composer and music director at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Towner composed the memorable melody that has helped make the hymn one of the most beloved gospel hymns ever written.
The Story Behind the Hymn
The inspiration for “Trust and Obey” began during one of the evangelistic meetings led by the famous preacher Dwight L. Moody.
During the meeting, a young man stood to give his testimony. He admitted that although he did not understand everything about the Christian life, he had discovered one important truth: “I am not quite sure—but I’m going to trust, and I’m going to obey.”
Those simple words deeply impressed Daniel Towner.
After the meeting, Towner wrote the melody and shared the story with John Henry Sammis, asking him to write words that captured the same message. Sammis soon completed the hymn, expressing the truth that joy and peace are found not merely in believing God’s promises, but in trusting Him enough to obey His will.
The refrain has become one of the best-known in Christian hymnody:
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
Its enduring popularity lies in its simplicity. The hymn reminds believers that while we may not always understand God’s plans, we can always trust His character.