In whom do we trust?

by Elizabeth Stewart

 Thus says the Lord:

“Cursed is the man who trusts in man

And makes flesh his strength,

Whose heart departs from the Lord.

For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,

And shall not see when good comes,

But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,

In a salt land which is not inhabited.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

 

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

The heart is deceitful above all things,

And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:5-9 NKJV

In America our currency has, "in God we trust" printed on it. It's important that that is more than a slogan, but a reality that we are living in. Our trust cannot be in any elected official, in any political party, or in any of the manmade systems of this world.  They will all, in fact, one day pass away.  Our trust has to be in the God Who promised that one day "the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and ever."(Revelation 11:15 NKJV) 

One way to show that we trust God is to pray for our nation and its leadership. Our president, no matter who that person is or what political party they are aligned with, needs the guidance and wisdom of God. The same goes for our nation's judges, our senators, our representatives and our state and local officials. Let's be honest, we place our trust in these people, then gripe, murmer and complain when they don't govern us the way we think they should.  How much better would it be to acknowledge from the get go that no human being is the answer for America, and to get on our knees, renew our trust and hope in God, and seek His guidance and direction?

 

Have you ever been in a church when they've chosen a new pastor?  All too often, the people put their trust in the new pastor to turn their church around, cause it to grow and to bring the church into renewed passion and revival. Then, when the truth is revealed that their pastor is a fallible human being just like them, their trust is broken, their hope is shattered, and sometimes even their faith wavers.  All because their trust and hope was placed in a person instead of in God.

As this passage points out, we can't even trust in our own heart.  Just as surely as other people can let us down, so can our own heart. It is deceitful and can lead us astray. All of us have placed our hope and trust in fallible human beings or leaned on our own understanding much too often.  When we do so, this passage says that it is like having our roots planted in something without any life giving properties in it.  But when our hope and trust is placed firmly in the Lord, it is as if our roots are planted deep and wide in good life giving soil.  Instead of being like a shrub that dries up in times of drought and blows away in the wind, a person whose trust is in God is like a healthy fruitful tree that endures even when drought comes.  

Sometimes a bit of self-evaluation is a good thing.  In whom do I trust?  Political leaders, my spouse, that Bible teacher I love to listen to, my best friend, that Christian blogger/author whose writing I admire?  Perhaps it's not a who but a what.  My good job, my healthy savings account or retirement plan?  All human beings are fallible.  All the things we trust for our security in this life are temporary and can be gone in a moment.  There's only One Who is perfectly trustworthy. Let's make sure our roots are planted deep in Him.

still following,

www.justfollowingjesus.com