Trusting in God’s Unchanging Love: How Faith and Confidence Bring Peace and Success

While it may not always be apparent, every Jew possesses faith. Our connection with the Creator is like that of a father and his children, as it says (Deuteronomy 14:1): “You are children to the Lord your God.” Our entire history is based on faith — from the miracles of the Exodus from Egypt, to the giving of the Torah, to the entry into the Land of Israel through miracles, and until this very day, as we remain surrounded by mortal enemies, “a sheep among seventy wolves,” protected by the Great Shepherd who saves us from their hands.

Our problem is not faith in the Creator of the universe, but our lack of trust in Him. This is the root of all problems. We lack complete trust that He loves us with boundless love and that He stands behind us, watching over us — “peering through the windows, gazing through the lattice”, to ensure we are not lost during the long exile. Even though our suffering in exile seems to indicate otherwise, it is never at the expense of His love.

This lack of trust causes people to feel distant from God and reluctant to turn to Him, for they are unsure if they are truly loved by Him — especially when they find themselves in situations where it can feel like God has abandoned them. We must know that God’s love for His people is never diminished in any situation!

This lack of trust causes us to live in fear and anxiety, thinking everything depends solely on us, without trusting that the Creator is ready to help us in every situation, if only we turn to Him.

Because of this lack of trust, when we encounter any form of distress, despair quickly takes hold, for we do not believe that the One who loves us can remove our suffering in a single moment.

Our lack of awareness that God’s love never changes, causes us, when we sin, to immediately feel broken, hated, and rejected. Such feelings drag us down further, for from where will we draw strength, encouragement, and hope for a better state if we feel abandoned and despised?

Everything Is from Love

It is not enough to believe that everything is under Divine Providence, and everything is for the good, but we must also believe that everything is from love.

Consider a man who needs surgery. He makes an appointment, arrives at the hospital, and asks who will perform the operation. The answer is: “Dr. So-and-so” who he doesn’t know at all. He may trust that the doctor wants to help him, but will he be certain of his loyalty, compassion, and personal concern? After all, he is a stranger.

Now imagine a world-renowned surgeon, the number one specialist in this field, is faced with his own beloved son who has contracted the illness he treats. The only way to save his son is to operate on him personally. How will the son approach the surgery? Certainly with complete trust, confident that the operation will be carried out with absolute loyalty, compassion, and boundless love. In such a case, there is no room for fear.

The knowledge that God's faithfulness to us never wavers no matter what, is crucial for the stability of a person’s soul. A sinner is rebuked, but never at the expense of God’s love and loyalty. God's goal is that we succeed, emerge from those situations, and thrive — in the same way that a loving father would treat his child with care, concern, and a desire to see him succeed.

God not only acts for our benefit but actively wants the treatment to succeed. This knowledge should give a person hope and confidence in his salvation and success. Knowing that the Almighty cares for you and is doing everything for your success, allows you to accept everything with love and remain steadfast in every situation, becaues the One treating you is a loving and compassionate Father.

If God Wants My Success — Why Fear Failure?

If the Creator wants and desires my success, is there any doubt that I will succeed? If the Almighty wants His treatment of you to succeed, it will succeed, as long as you do not abandon Him. God will never abandon you, and you will succeed by holding onto the trust that “The Lord will not forsake His people, nor will He abandon His inheritance” (Psalms 94:14).

This also removes the problem of people’s lack of belief in themselves, in their ability to fulfill the Torah and mitzvot, and to overcome their evil inclination. If one believes that God desires his success, he will believe in himself, strive, and persevere. He will believe that in the end, he will overcome, will not retreat in the face of failure, and will hold onto his goal even after many setbacks — “A righteous man falls seven times and rises” — out of faith that if God commanded him, then he is certainly capable and will surely succeed.

If he puts in his maximum effort, he will immediately be assisted by the Almighty to complete his mission and purpose, just as our Sages promised: “One who comes to purify himself is assisted” and “Open for Me an opening the size of a needle’s eye, and I will open for you an opening the size of a great hall.”