Galatians 3:6 Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” 7 so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.” 9 For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed. 

Again, Paul is having to defend his gospel teaching that does not include the necessity of following the Mosaic law. He does this by going back in time further than Moses to Abraham who lived more than 400 years before Moses. Abraham didn’t have the law, but was nonetheless considered righteous before God because he “believed” in the promises of God. The Greek the word for “believe” is “pisteo” which might be better translated as “trust”. To believe the Lord is to place one’s trust in the Lord, which Abraham did in abundance.

In modern Western culture we tend to think of “believe” as agreement with a set of principals. It’s an act primarily of the intellect. But in this kind of understanding one could “believe” the Lord, agree with the tenants of the faith, yet continue to keep control of one’s own life rather than placing one’s trust in the Lord. Christians today do this all the time, including me.

So today I’m asking the Lord where I’m being invited to “trust”, to let go and let God. Lord, give me grace to place myself more and more into your hands. Amen.