Is there a difference between faith and trust?
A friend posed this question last week, which resulted in a lively discussion. As I pondered it more, the word "faith" echoed in my mind from Hebrews 11, the "Hall of Faith." Many verses begin, "By faith Abraham...or Moses...or Elijah..." and then go on to detail their heroic acts.
But verse 13 jerks you to a stop. "All these died in faith, never having received the promises..." It seems a rather rude interruption to the glowing accolades and you wonder for a moment if their faith was misplaced.
The subtle difference is best illustrated in the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found in Daniel 3. Faith gave them boldness to declare, "Our God is able to deliver us from your fiery furnace, O King." You can tell by the statement that they had no doubts about that. But they don't stop there. Trust provoked them to add the key words, "But if not..."
Too many people have one without the other and get off balance. The "faith" people proclaim confidently that what they want and have prayed for is a reality--even though it's not and never comes.
"Trust-only" people refuse to exercise the faith that pleases God. They fear going out on a limb and actually believing God for what he has shown them is his will.
Either one by itself is not sufficient. To remain overcomers in this world, we must have both.
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