Devotional

“Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.” Isaiah 26:8 (NLT)

Isaiah 26 is described as a song of praise to God and trust in Him. As I read through the entire chapter in the New Living Translation version,  I couldn’t move on quickly from verse 8 but kept meditating on the words:

“Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws…”

I found myself asking: How do we show our trust in God by obeying His laws? As I meditated, the Holy Spirit began to give me analogies to understand it, and one that resonated strongly was the practice of tithing.

When God asks us to give a tenth of our income, it's not just about the act itself, it’s about trust. God wants us to tithe from a heart that believes He is our Source and ultimate Provider. When we truly trust Him, even the idea of giving a tithe from a million dollars will not intimidate us because we know that the One who provided that wealth can provide again and again.

Then what this means is that obedience flows from a place of faith, not fear or obligation. We’re not giving because we have to, we’re giving because we trust that He will continue to provide, bless, and exceed our needs. That’s the heart posture God desires.

But when our obedience stems from duty alone, we can begin to feel entitled or even resentful when our expectations are not met on time (because God will definitely honor His word but maybe not when we wanted it to happen). Over time, that kind of obedience wears us down. We may check the boxes, but our hearts remain disconnected.

God is not just looking for followers who obey. He’s looking for sons and daughters who trust.

In all of this, what we can learn is that a relationship with God rooted in trust is what will sustain us through life’s journey. When things get hard, trust anchors us. When obedience is born from love and faith, it refreshes us instead of exhausting us. 

Trusting God means obeying Him. Loving God means keeping His commands. But both must flow from a heart that knows and believes He is good, faithful, and generous.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for Your Word. Help me to walk this journey of life with You from a place of deep trust, not just obligation. Let my obedience be rooted in love and confidence in Your faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.