Trusting Jesus: Stephanie and Larry Lyon {Part One}

Today's guest post comes from our own Larry and Stephanie Lyon. We just celebrated that Christ was raised from the dead. Now we will ask,
 
"What does it mean to trust Him each day?" 

Enjoy a wonderful post from an incredible couple!

Let's Hear From Stephanie:

“It is the genius of God to keep us trusting in Him.”

This short little sentence, whose author is unknown, is one of the only statements that’s ever been so bold as to merit a place within the cover of my Bible.

Just stop and think about those words for a second. Actually, think on the Truth that they speak of our Great God. Rich Truth. They’re not Scripture itself, but we all know that the whole counsel of God’s Word makes this cry to Trust God; Trust Jesus; Trust in His Word, from cover to cover.

Just because Proverbs 3:5-6 has been on coffee cups, bookmarks, and cute little stationary sets for as long as one can remember, let’s not overlook the profound command within the words, “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.” (ESV)

This verse hit me square between the eyes again this very week, as it has many times over my nearly eighteen year journey with Christ. Wow, that sounds like I’m old! I’m only 33! Here I sit, all poised and ready for this huge adventure and really exciting calling from the Lord, to go with my husband and some of our very best friends to plant a church in North Raleigh. We’ve been praying, preparing, and seeking Christ for nearly a year and a half in this whole process, and we’re so moved at the evidence of His work among us. I can see his hand all over it. Yet, everyday, and I mean every single day, He quickly, and mercifully,  traces back any given worry, or wondering, or questioning that I have in my heart to the stone cold reality that I am not trusting in Him for the said topic at hand.

Convicting.

His Spirit whispers something along these lines to me, “Stephanie, YOU want control of this area, my love. You want your will in this matter. But you know this is not about you.  And you know this is not really so much about this issue itself, as it is about your heart.  Where is your faith? Are you genuinely trusting me in this matter? You know that it is impossible to please me without faith, and I know that’s really what you want. So, repent. Repent of not trusting in ME with ALL of your heart. Repent for trying so tirelessly to lean on your own understanding instead of mine. Acknowledge me in the littlest of details in all of these areas. And now OBEY these commands: Trust me. Don’t even try to lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge me.”

So, into His grace I willingly fall, full of thankfulness and praise that He would pursue my wavering heart again. And I smile at the thought that in His genius, He’s orchestrated yet another set of circumstances that are perfectly tailored by Him to keep me trusting in Him.

Let's Hear From Larry:

One of the most cited stories for trusting God is the story of Abraham and God’s call for him to sacrifice Isaac. The question seems to be, “How could Abraham follow the command of the Lord like that?” While this question is most fitting, I believe that it is not quite the right one to ask. Here’s why: Abraham already could and would follow because of previous experience with the leading and command of God in his life and the life of others. The very first interaction we encounter in Genesis 16 between Abraham (Abram) and God is the command to leave Ur and his home to go to a land he had never seen. When Abraham obeyed; God was faithful. When God promised a kingdom to Abraham and his descendants, and Abraham responded by not confessing Sarah as his wife before kings; God was faithful. When land was divided with Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and Abraham had to ultimately plead to have Lot saved from a city’s destruction; God was faithful. When promised a heritage of children in old age and followed the word of his wife rather than God; God was faithful.

So when the time came to overcome his potential fear of not seeing the promise of God fulfilled through Isaac, he was faithful. And this is trusting the Lord. I need not fear that God will come through and be faithful to what he has commanded and called me to, I have a bank of evidences that prove that faithfulness. Even when I fail to be faithful; God is faithful.

But this is difficult. When Stephanie and I faced some difficult times with having children, a close friend would spend time with me and ask me a simple, straightforward, and hard question: 

“Where is your faith?”

Simple because this is the Christian life; faith and trust in Christ’s work alone. Straightforward because it really boils down to, “Do I trust God at His Word and deed?” Hard because, well, it’s hard to trust sometimes. Perhaps all the time.

Trusting Jesus is just the same as Abraham trusting God. It requires that we stake our obedience and faith, in things present and future, on the wealth of evidences provided by Christ, namely His death and resurrection. And we can have trust and faith, even when we fail, because, as a friend of mine recently said, “Death and resurrection do not provide me with a string of successes, rather it keeps me from collapsing under my string of failures.” This is our hope and faith, that Christ is trustworthy for He has proved Himself time and time again

Larry and Stephanie have been married 11 years and have 2 beautiful girls: Anna Kate - 8 and Abby - 5. Larry worked in both education and business for eight years prior to entering his doctoral studies and working full-time for SEBTS as Director of Admissions. Stephanie is a former employee of the North American Mission Board and Hebron Baptist Church and has a passion for teaching and discipling younger women. Stephanie currently devotes herself to serving her family, her community, and the Body of Christ.