The Legacy of a Man – It Starts Todayනියැදිය

Can We Trust God?

In the book of Daniel, three young men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—faced a blazing furnace for refusing to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. When given one last chance to comply, they boldly replied:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if he does not, we want you to know… we will not serve your gods.” Daniel 3:17–18 (NIV)

These men trusted God not just for deliverance, but with their very lives—regardless of the outcome. That’s what true trust looks like. It’s not conditional. It’s courageous. And it always involves surrender.

I thought I trusted God.
I said the right things, prayed the right prayers, and even carried “In God We Trust” on my money. But when my life was on the line, I had to ask myself—did I really trust Him?

When I was diagnosed with stage 4 Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and given just days to live, I was thrown into a fight I never saw coming. The chemotherapy journey was brutal. It wiped out everything in my body—both good and bad. Like rebooting a frozen computer, it shut down my immune system in hopes it would restart.

But mine didn’t.

I’ve heard it said: God never wastes a hurt to accomplish His will. That was true for me. Through this trial, He wasn’t just healing my body—He was after something deeper in me.

Weeks into treatment, my body stopped producing white and red blood cells. An infection had taken hold, and nothing—no medication, no transfusion—seemed to work. I was exhausted. Weak. Done.
One night in the hospital, everything crashed. My vitals were dropping. The pain was unbearable. I knew—I was dying.

Julia, my rock and my wife, was asleep in a chair at the foot of my bed. I stared at her through blurred eyes, overwhelmed with sorrow. My body was breaking, but my heart hurt more. I had no more strength to give. No more fight. Just a quiet, raw prayer from deep within:

“God, I can’t do this anymore. I give up. Please take care of Julia. I’m ready to come home.”

I closed my eyes, believing I wouldn’t wake up.

The next morning, I was woken by the sound of a nurse who greeted me with unexpected enthusiasm.
“Good morning, Jere! How are you feeling?”
Surprised, I said, “I feel good... actually, I feel great.”

And I meant it. My blood counts had skyrocketed overnight. White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets had all rebounded. The doctors called it unexplainable. I called it a miracle.

But the true miracle wasn’t just physical—it was spiritual. That night, God didn’t just restore my health. He transformed my heart.

He said to me:

“Jere, you think you’ve made it this far on your own. But I’ve been carrying you your whole life. I needed to bring you to the end of yourself—because that’s the only place you’d finally give Me everything. You can trust Me. I’ve always been in the fire with you.”

For years, I had trusted God with 99% of my life, while holding onto 1%—just in case. But real trust doesn’t leave room for backup plans. Real trust is total surrender.

That 1%? It’s where the enemy hides.

Devotional Reflection:

If you say you trust God, pause and ask yourself this question: Do I trust Him with everything… or just with most things?

Be honest.

Is there a part of your life you still hold on to—"just in case" God doesn’t come through? Maybe it's your future. Your finances. A relationship. Maybe it’s your reputation or a painful part of your past that you’ve tucked away instead of surrendered.

Here’s the hard truth: Trust doesn’t exist without surrender.
It begins where your control ends.

If you’ve been trying to survive on your own—carrying the weight of your life, your plans, your pain—God is inviting you to lay it down. Not 99%. All of it.

That 1% you hold back? It’s the very place the enemy plants doubt. It’s where fear hides. And it’s what keeps you stuck in a cycle of striving.

Today, God is asking for that last piece.

What is it for you?

Write it down. Name it. And then give it to Him. Speak it out loud if you need to. Make the decision to release it—not because you’re strong, but because He is trustworthy.

You don’t have to carry everything. You were never meant to.

God has been in the fire with you, even when you couldn’t see Him. He’s not asking you to figure everything out. He’s asking you to trust that He already has.

Let your breaking point become your breakthrough.

Let your surrender become your strength.

And let today be the day you finally say:
“God, I trust You with everything.”

Action Step:
Write down one area of your life where you struggle to fully trust God. Surrender it today. Say it aloud in prayer. Ask God to take full control. Remember: trust isn’t a feeling—it’s a decision.

Reflection Questions:

1. What area of your life are you still trying to control?
2. Have you ever reached the end of yourself like I did? How did God meet you there?
3. What would it look like to surrender that last 1% you’re still holding on to?