Trust issues? Only 1 place to turn, Talley says

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Trust me.

Two little words.

One big problem these days: People hear those words and get cynical. The world doesn’t trust anymore.

John Talley III, Executive Pastor of Mission and Vision for Roosevelt Community Church in Phoenix, addressed that sad state of affairs in Chapel on Monday morning at Grand Canyon University Arena.

But he suggested a simple solution.

Capitalize “Me.”

Trust Me … as in God.

“The Lord will direct your paths when you fully trust Him,” Talley said.

The 2015 GCU graduate based his talk on Proverbs 3:5-7:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
    and He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.

And he acknowledged that a lack of trust is common in today’s culture.

“It’s hard to put our confidence in something because we’ve been let down before,” he said.

That’s why he encouraged his audience to read the Book of Proverbs, which he called “practical wisdom literature.”

Solomon, son of David, is believed to have written the book, and Talley likes the fact that it’s in a “fatherly tone.” Maybe that’s what we need more of these days.

Talley noted two reasons why Proverbs is a book we can trust.

First, he said, God is worthy of your wholehearted trust.

“The more we understand God,” Talley said, “the more we trust Him.”

And why is that? Talley listed several reasons:

We look up to famous people – actors, musicians, athletes, etc. – and then they let us down, Talley said.

“You’re not going to find anything about God’s character that will make you not trust Him,” he added.

Talley pointed out the six declarations in those three verses of Proverbs:

Reason No. 2 to trust God's Word: He is the God who makes your paths straight.

It’s not crooked or a maze, Talley said. But it’s narrow. You’ve got to follow the path carefully. It’s not that easy.

Talley told the story of a time his GPS took him to an abandoned building.

“When it comes to God’s GPS tracking system, He will never take you to the wrong place,” he said.

But …

“God will guide your steps only when you trust Him.”

And …

“To trust in Jesus is also to obey Him.”

But it all comes down to this, Talley said:

“He is the only one who is trustworthy.”

In his closing prayer, Talley referenced a simple verse, 1 Peter 5:7:

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

He cares.

Trust Him.

Simple as that.

Contact Rick Vacek, Senior Manager for Internal Communications, at (602) 639-8203 or [email protected].

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