Trust And See

When fear is loud and the future feels thin, where do you place your weight? We open Psalm 91:7–9 and confront a hard tension: believers still face sickness, grief, and loss, yet those who trust God are held in a safety deeper than circumstance. That safety is not denial; it’s the steadiness of living hidden with Christ, where death cannot claim the final word.

We trace this promise through Scripture, reading Passover as a preview of God’s covering and John 11 as Christ’s pledge that those who believe will live, even though they die. From there we walk into Matthew 25 and the surprise of final judgement: serving the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the sick, and the imprisoned is service to Jesus himself. Trust stops being abstract when it turns into ordinary mercy—paying attention to people at the margins, meeting needs without fanfare, and choosing compassion over quick judgement. Along the way we talk candidly about pandemic memories, uneven suffering, and why some seem “lucky” while others carry heavier loads.

Faith, as Hebrews 11 says, is substance and evidence—real weight for uncertain days. We share practical ways to “trust and see”: release control when outcomes stay murky, lean on God’s character when your understanding runs out, and keep walking through the valley because shadows mean a greater light is near. Protection looks like presence, guidance, and the quiet courage to act. If you’re tired, anxious, or tempted to quit, let this be a hand on your shoulder and a reminder that you are covered, guided, and sent to love.

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Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries.

Transcript

Setting The Stage: Psalm 91

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Well, we're almost there. Um this is part five of Psalm ninety-one. And we'll read this. It said says uh Psalm ninety-one seven through to nine. It said a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at my right hand, but it will not come near me. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. One of the difficult aspects of the current trial we are facing is the uncertainty of it all. When will it pass? Will I catch the virus despite of all precautions to the contrary? Will we ever be able to hug our friends and family again? Will we ever remain faithful to Lord all in the face of all of it? See, a lot of people forget. That was a quote that I did when I was doing a sermon. Uh, in the midst of the pandemic. Now, there'd be so many people out there that that is a distant memory. But the reality is that there still remains trials and tribulations in the world as we get closer and closer to judgment day. As we've already seen, the Lord has rich encouragement for all of us throughout Psalm 91. But verse 7 and 8 shows us that special protection the children of God receive. No matter what happens, those who trust in the Lord are completely safe. And I need to reiterate that because the reality of the fact is that you it's no good just knowing the word. I had a friend on the phone, and they were talking about how uh someone had given her some um pieces of memorabilia uh from a Catholic friend and asked her to pass it on to a Catholic friend of hers, and a lot of people were saying, Oh no, don't do that, uh that's all wrong, chuck it in the bin, you know, um shouldn't be doing that. But who are we to judge where someone is at with their Christian walk? And who is to say that, you know, under the underlying aspects of them having the Holy Trinity and praying to Mary and all that sort of stuff, but they haven't generally given their heart to the Lord. It says, Judge not yet ye we be judged. I think it's um the fact that we observe first the frightening circumstances believers may face in any aspect of their journey. The scripture clearly says a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand. This covers all manner of calamities, disease, famine, war, etc. There are things that can certainly strike fear in our hearts, for death is stalking the land, and it seems that we are next in line. So what are we next in line for? Are we next in line for the next big you know calamity that comes upon? I mean, I know through experience, um I ran into a lot of people and they never ever got COVID and they just saying, oh, they're lucky. And uh then there was others that got it four or five times, you know, and me, I only got it once, but once was bad enough for me, you know. So the thing is we don't know what is going to befall us or those around us, but we need to listen to what the word of God says, and it goes on to say, however, to the comforting words, it will not come near you. You see, death has no power over the children of God, it cannot touch them. Believers in Christ have already died, and they live and they live a life that is in Christ our Lord Colossians 3:3. It says that dead and their lives are now hidden with Christ in Jesus. We need never fear death if we are trusting in God, and I know it's a big thing to say, but if you have a look at it, um I don't want to sort of like mention any names or anything, but I know a person who's going through um cancer at the moment and it's it's really bad, and they have made a decision that uh they don't want to sign a DNR, do not rec you know, resuscitate. They said, keep me alive, even if I end up a vegetable, I still want to be alive, you know. To some people, and I believe that deep down inside of us, God has given us that ability to want to live no matter what. You know, I know you know you talk about people who do suicides and all that sort of stuff, but what I'm saying in general, you know, we have that natural built-in fighting spirit that you know, if something's coming against us, we don't want to give up, we don't want it to overrun us, and none of us want to die. You know, we want to live. But we got to live with Christ in our hearts, and we've got to live a more Christly way of life. This year, as we get closer to the Passover, it is a clear illustration of the truth of this, and many have been in their minds, have you listened to the psalmist as he wrote this psalm? Even in Exodus twelve twenty what so twelve twenty-one to thirty, says, While thousands and tens of thousands suffered death at the hands of the Lord, it did not come near those who were covered by the blood of the Lamb. They only saw with their eyes the judgment of God upon those who refused to trust in him. Now I know this is old testament, but the thing is, you know, if we go right back to the start, we in in this psalm, Psalm 91, we are under his protection, we are wrapped around, his wings are wrapped around us, you know, to protect us like you know a um mother protects its children if you're a bird.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

See the thing is there's there's many believers out there, and some of you may object to this, believers do die.

Death’s Limits And Life In Christ

The Will To Live And Faith Over Fear

Passover As A Picture Of Protection

Suffering, Resurrection, And Eternal Life

SPEAKER_01 9:16

They do suffer. This this is a physical reality. Our physical bodies do wear out and they die, and sometimes we suffer physically and emotionally, yet believers, even if they die, will live through faith in Christ, they have eternal life. In the book of John, it says John 11 25 26. Now listen very carefully to what it says here, right? Now, I've asked you to get your books and everything, but don't know everybody does. But John 11 25 to 26. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? He's not only making a statement, but he's actually asking if she believes what he's saying, and that's what we have to do. We've got to believe what we're saying. You know, it's important to do that. See, as Matthew Henry put it, all right. If you don't know who Matthew Penny is, um look it up. Says, those that persevere, their purity in times of general corruption, may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. Though we may suffer and die, the resurrection and the ascension of Christ guarantees that suffering and death do not have the last word in our lives. Very, very simply, they do not have the last word in our lives. And it's important to put things into clarity. Okay, the reality is fact is okay, there's two very, very important things: death and taxes will always be there. Okay, we're born, uh, we live our life on this earth, and then we die, sometimes prematurely, but we all eventually will die. And the thing is, if you trust the word of God, you know, you will die, yet you live, and because you are going into the kingdom of God. Now, I want you to observe now this encouraging aspect of believers, it's safety in the Lord. You'll only observe with your eyes and see that the punishment of the wicked. This is true to some degree in our in our life. The Israelites saw the judgment of God on the wicked in the killing of the firstborn and at the Red Sea. Sometimes we do not have the privilege of seeing the wicked punished in their life. These things are finally fulfilled. However, in the final judgment, whether we see it in our lives or not, we will see the Lord pour out his judgment on those who refuse to trust in him and in this life. Now, let's go back to Matthew 25, if you may. Matthew 25 31 to 46. Now listen, this is talking about Matthew's talking about the final judgment. Now, this is not even in Revelation, this is just Matthew, okay, who's walking around with Jesus. When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep on the right, but the goats on the left. Then the king will say to those on his right, Come you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, for the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me, and I was in prison and you came to see me. You getting the hang of this now? This is even the judgment day, right? Then we go on thirty seven. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visited you? And the king will answer them Truly I say to you as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me. Then he will say to those on his left, depart from me, you cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food. And he goes on to say the same thing, but no, no, no, no, no. And so then the the Lord also answered, saying, When did we see you hungry or thirsty or strangers or naked or dot? So they're saying, asking the same question. Then he will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, as you did not do to one of my least, you did not do it to me, and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous in eternal life. Now, simply if you want that explained to you, it's a matter of just basically saying Jesus, we don't get to see him or to experience him all the time, but we are to try and be more Christ-like each and every day as we strive to be able to do the things that he would have done. You know, it's like you know, helping out in a community outreach program or paying for someone's bill at a restaurant, or um, you know, even helping someone whose car's broken down these days, no one would stop because they probably thought that they'd get mugged and their view their vehicle would be stolen.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

But if you look at your life and ask yourself, what sort of things are you doing that will bring honor and glory to God?

Final Judgement In Matthew 25

SPEAKER_01 17:48

You don't do things for self-gratification or self-justification, you do things in such a way that your heart is softened and you see a need and you meet that need. This is if you look at the the whole of Psalm 91, look at it holistically, and then you'll see um what God is doing for us and what we should be doing for Him. Look, I I'm not gonna read it out for time permitting, but write down Revelation 20, 11 to 14, and that'll open your eyes a little bit more, and so you get a better understanding of what we're talking about. See, this subject title, it's trust and see. So trust in the Lord and see what he is doing, not just for you, but for others. Trusting in God means relying on his character rather than our own understanding when we're facing adversity. Adversity. Psalm thirty-four eight invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good, implying that experiencing his goodness requires a step of faith, as he is a loving father who guides us through difficult times. The call to trust, I mean, we're looking at Proverbs three, five, and six, but we have to be moved beyond understanding. Trusting God means trusting his heart when you cannot trace his hand, especially in suffering. We don't always get to see what he is doing and why he's doing it. So we have to have this blind faith, so to speak. And having total reliance, it requires trusting with all your heart, not just partial reliance. So you don't trust him in something that you can comfortably do, you've got to trust him in something which is outside the box. It's like it's like being standing on a tree branch, and the devil's cutting the branch off with a saw while you're still on the branch, and the thing is you can see beneath you that there is an abyss, but somewhere in the distance there is a little speck, and someone's saying, Jump, jump, we'll catch you, and you're thinking to yourself, Well, what's gonna happen when the devil cut through the branch? I'm gonna fall anyway, and the branch is gonna fall on top of me. But someone's saying, Trust me, and they're saying, We've got your back, we're here to catch you. Just let go. Now, I'm not saying that you're gonna be um exactly in that position, but it's a hypothetical based on where we sit with our relationship with Christ.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

We have to release control.

Serving “The Least” As Serving Jesus

Everyday Mercy And Quiet Obedience

Trust And See: Faith Beyond Sight

SPEAKER_01 21:59

Trust involves letting go of the need to control outcomes and believing he has plans for hope and a future as shown in Jeremiah 29 11. Jeremiah 29 11 is probably one of my best scriptures, you know. And uh I know the plans that I have for you, the plans to prosper you and have you in good health and to Just declare the acceptable year of the Lord. It's a beautiful scripture, and it's basically um a shortened version of Psalm 91. See, by spending time in his word, we can in this wicked and perverse world still experience his goodness. Psalm 354 eight it says taste and see. See, this is a call to experience God's personality, not just know about his intellectually. We have to learn to love the Lord holistically and everything that there is about him, and knowing that he is a just and good God, but he also judges and hands out punishment. But the thing is that he also looks at your heart, not necessarily your actions, because your actions don't always reflect what's in your heart. God's character is too good to be unkind and too wise to be mistaken, providing refuge during life's trials. So when things, you know, it says when the tough get going, the going gets tough. No, the going gets tough, the tough get going. Um but the thing is, who are you gonna put your trust in? Who are you gonna run to in challenging and difficult times? The Lord is always there because you know, he is the epitome of love, he is that shining light, and he is always there for you. You just need to run to him with an open heart. You need to activate your faith because it says in the word, faith without works is dead. You know, Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not yet seen. So when it talks about it being a substance, and I I I know I've spoken about this before, it's another nice uh scripture of mine, but you know, you gotta trust him, right? Because faith is a substance, that's mean it's tangible, it means it's something you can grab hold of, that means it's something that is physically there, but it says faith is a substance of things hoped for, so it's substance in relation to something that you want in the future, but it is also substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not yet seen. So you're hanging on to something that has not yet manifested itself, and you need to make sure that when you manifest the hope of God in your life, uh, it will make so much of a difference. So I think it's important that you keep those things in mind, and walking in trust is another thing. See if we trust God and we trust His Word, then we've got to make sure that we walk in that trust. So believing what the Word of God says and activating it in our lives, we literally need to surrender ourselves because trust is a daily decision to surrender to God's will, and it shows by doing that we have obedience. Trusting God grows during trials and is developed by observing his faithfulness in the scriptures, in the word of God, because we have the ability to witness his work by trusting you allow God to make your path straight and reveals his goodness in your life.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

Let me let me summarize it in this way, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Or in conclusion. You know how pastors get there and say, Oh, this is the last scripture, I'm I'm just winding up now. And um he goes on for another 30 minutes. No, I'm not gonna be doing that, all right. Listen, even when life is difficult, you can choose to trust that God is good, relying on his promises rather than your current circumstances.

SPEAKER_00 28:09

It's that old adage of you can't see the trees for the forest.

Letting Go And Trusting God’s Plans

Faith As Substance And Daily Surrender

SPEAKER_01 28:21

When I was in the military, um we were taught to look through things, right? So I could I can go outside and I could look at some trees and everything, and I can turn around to my wife or my granddaughter and say, Look, see the the uh Rosella there, and there's the um cockatoo and everything else, and they're going, where, where, where? I said, Stop looking at the tree, look through the tree. So we don't need to look at our circumstances, we look past our circumstances and see that the Lord is good and know that he's gonna bring you out the other side. There's this lovely scripture that I know that a lot of people take out of context, and where it says, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. And everybody thinks that's great, God's with me, but I'm I'm I'm suffering doom and gloom, so to speak. But if you listen to the words properly, it says, Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. So by you walking through, that means you're passing through, and that means you're gonna come out the other side. Too many people find themselves in a difficult or challenging circumstance, and they sit down and they go, Whoa, it's me, this is my life, this is what you know God's got destined for me. No, he hasn't. Get up, dust yourself off, and get moving. Walk through, get through this situation that that is in your life at the moment, so you can come out the other side. Because there are mountains and there are and there are valleys, and the thing is we've got to realize that yes, there will be trials and tribulations, so we will sometimes have those valley moments, but if you notice that with every valley, there is a hill up the other side, and then when you get up there, the glory of God will shine upon you, and that's why when you've got two mountains, and in the middle there's this dark valley, because the light can't get in there, and we know that darkness is just the absence of light, and the absence of light, it means that the light of the Lord is not shining upon that situation. God doesn't make things happen, but he allows you to learn from those situations, but as you can see, what Psalm 91 is really all about, it's that he's always there, he's always watching over you, he's protecting you. Like I said before, if you go back to Exodus 121, all right, yes, okay, there was another scripture. I stuck this one in. He said, Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clan and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hispas and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lentil and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of this house until the morning, because the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lentils and on the doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your house to strike. Now you can read the rest of that, uh, but basically uh God's making provision for you all the time. And I'm hoping and praying that you're getting something out of this. So we will leave it there. Um, we've got one more part. Hey, I'm actually going to try, you know, don't don't uh hold me to this, but the the option is that I'm actually going to try and do a live stream video of my podcast. And if it's successful, then you'll get to see that I'm not the prettiest person around, but um I'm doing the Lord's work. Okay? Bye for now, and we'll talk soon.