From the Home Place

May 28, 2026

Guess what? Today’s weather cand be summarized as such: The wind will blow your Stetson into Idaho, and it won’t get wet in the travels either.

For today, let’s visit about two words that are found quite often in your Bible: “Grace” and “Trust.”

Going back to our previous definition of “grace,” “Grace is receiving what I do not deserve.” Ephesians 2:9 is probably one of the most popular verses containing the word grace: “For by grace you have been saved…” Because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rms. 3:8), when God gives us His amazing grace, we are able to escape the penalty of sin because of our “faith” in the death of Jesus Christ upon the Cross of Calvary. God gives the repentant sinner grace instead of damnation.

The second word “trust,” is a bit more difficult to understand, but it literally means “an assurance of reliability.” In other words, the more we trust God, the more we become aware of His trustworthiness. Because God always fulfills 100% of His promises, and because everything the Bible says about God can be trusted, for in Him there is no deceit.

But, now let’s use the word “trust” in a human context. Pretend that your spouse or someone who is very special to you has broken your trust. Perhaps adultery, perhaps a lie or other deceit has fractured your ability to trust that person. Most often, you will make a statement of something along this line, “You will have to earn my trust before I can trust you again!”

Now may I ask a question, “When can the guilty person ever gain your trust?” The offender may do everything they possibly can to gain your “trust,” but if you refuse to accept those steps as adequate, you can continue to withhold your trust of that person!

O.K. let’s chase a rabbit for a moment; Biblical love is a determination of the will, not a feeling or emotion. “For God so loved the world that He gave…” not because we deserve His love, but because God has determined to love us, i.e. – God has determined to show us grace in relation to our sin by providing a means of having our sin forgiven through the sacrificial death of Christ Jesus.

So, if I’m going to call myself a Christian, and you fracture my trust, when and how do I establish trust between us once again? I do so by showing you grace, not by your payment demanded by me. In another words, “trust” is reestablished by “grace.” By receiving what you do not deserve!

Quite simply, if you are withholding trust, perhaps you need to revisit God’s amazing grace. You see dear friend, God gives to us so that we will give to others, including “trust” and “grace.” When it’s all said and done, both grace and trust are to live in constant harmony within each of our homes.

Both “trust” and “grace” declare, penalty paid in full! Not because someone has earned either, but because you decided to love in the same way that God first loved you. Matthew 6:12, “Forgive us this day our trespasses as we have forgiven those who have trespassed against us, and lead us not into temptation…” It is really tempting to make others attempt to earn a trust they can never earn. Trust is a gift to be shared between humans, especially between those who have placed their faith in the graceful God!

Trusting God’s grace with you, Neal