For some time now I’ve been thinking about 2 Timothy 1:12
(ESV) “…But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am
convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to
me.” This is an interesting verse because it has two different ways to
translate the original Greek, which is imprecise. In contrast with the ESV, many
Bible versions say something like “He is able to guard what I have entrusted to
Him.” I suspect the ESV chose their rendition because of the parallel in verse
14, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted
to you.”
That leads to two questions: what has God entrusted to us,
and what have we entrusted to Him? From the context of 2 Timothy there are
several things entrusted to us:
- Faith – v. 5
- Spiritual gifts – v. 6
- A spirit of power, love, and self-control (or a sound mind) – v. 7
- The testimony/gospel of Jesus – v. 8
- A holy calling – v. 9 and 11
To use Peter’s terminology, “His divine power has granted to
us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him
who called us to His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). God has entrusted
us with the message of His love and the ministry of reconciliation (2
Corinthians 5:18), and He has equipped us with everything necessary to do His
will. So although He could personally appear to every person in order to cause
them to believe, He has entrusted a large part of the work to us. That’s a bit intimidating
if you think about it for long.
So then what have we or should we entrust to Him?
- Our paths – Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 143:8
- Our salvation – Isaiah 12:2, Hebrews 5:9
- Our security – Psalm 56, Psalm 118:8-9
- Our souls – Matthew 10:28, 1 Peter 4:19
- Our future – Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Peter 1:3-5
We really got the best deal in all of this. We can entrust
all that really matters into the hands of the only One who is fully
trustworthy, in complete control, and who loves us steadfastly. In exchange, He
does give us work to do, but He is the One who ensures that it will be
completed (Philippians 1:6, Psalm 57:2).
It is curious how often people think they can trust God for “big”
things like salvation, but they don’t want to trust Him for the details of daily
life. They want to accept Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. That tends to be
the case when people think God should act for their personal comfort and
success, rather than accepting that He may allow difficulty and pain. Sometimes
He does entrust us with suffering that can accomplish some greater purpose in
our lives. Candi Pearson-Shelton writes of this trust: “He trusts me because I
trust Him. Do I always desire that kind of trust from God? No. But do I want to
be counted as worthy of that type of trust? Always” (Desperate Hope, 48).
Last night I was pondering what it means to “love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and
with all your strength” (Matthew 12:30). Now it occurs to me that one answer to
that question is Proverbs 3:5-6, “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.” To fully love Him is to fully trust Him. I don’t
think anyone is quite there yet, but hopefully we’re moving in that direction.
“Trust in Him at all
times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm
62:8).
