"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)

Nobody ever said that the Christian life was a walk in the park. For many of us it can seem more like walking over hot coals again and again.

It seems lately that I've been in what I call a give and take relationship with God. I give a problem or concern over to God for him to handle, then I take it back a day or two later. I'm ashamed to say that sometimes I can't even make it the whole day.

God wants us to trust him, and he gives us plenty of reasons why. But how soon we forget! Throughout the history of Israel, God reminded his people of how he delivered them, against impossible odds, from the control of their slavemasters in Egypt. But they continued to make idols one after another.

How can we learn to trust God in difficult circumstances—when the rent is past due, when you're struggling as a single parent, when your boss is making your life miserable? The answer, I think, is that we need to practice.

When we eat right and exercise, we typically can expect to become thinner and healthier. But we have to keep at it. We can't expect to be healthy if we don't do what's needed. The same holds true in our spiritual lives. We won't be able to face difficult experiences if we haven't made it a practice to be in prayer and in the Word. Flabby souls are easily overwhelmed by life's raging seas.

Sad as it is, I struggle to find time for God. And then I wonder why I don't trust God with my life as much as I should. As with a friend, when we spend time with God, we learn to trust him, no matter what trials come our way.

— Matt Donnelly, for the ChristianityToday.com staff

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