Article: TRUST GOD, NOT MAN! | Jacob Varghese
“I don’t know why, but I can’t trust people,” one person told me in a private conversation. He told me “Every time I have trusted people I have been let down, so now it is difficult and painful to trust and rely on anyone”. Maybe you feel similarly, and even if you don’t, you have probably experienced broken trust in a past relationship that has caused you to question whether or not it is worth trusting people again.
Through this devotion I want to share about ‘Trust’. Every one of us trusts in something or someone. Psalm 118:8 says “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” In different versions of the Bible it is mentioned as it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take shelter in the LORD than to trust in people. It is better to have faith in the Lord than to put one’s hope in man. Yes, it is better to trust, to have faith, and take refuge and shelter in the Lord than to put our confidence, hope and trust in man, humans or people.
The word as used in Scripture for trust means to be confident, to be sure, to be bold, and to be secure. It has to do with what or who we ‘trust in’. Let me narrow the focus just a bit and say I want us to consider the concept of trusting in the Lord as mentioned in Psalm 118:8. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” I want to take a few moments and remind you of this fact. In doing so, I want to answer the question, “When is the best time to trust the Lord?” In times of weakness, trust Him for strength. In times when we are unsure of our way, trust Him for direction. In times when we don’t understand trust His loving care. Trust in Him all of the time. Isaiah 26:4 says Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
In whom, what or where have you placed your faith? To whom have you committed to put all your confidence, hope and trust in? Who is it? The life experiences of this Psalmist have convinced Him to point that he boldly confesses that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Why put your trust in God and not man? Jeremiah 17:25-This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. The question still remains to be answered? Where is your trust? In verses 5 to 7 of this Psalm David tells us why he has placed his faith and trust in the Lord. Let’s listen: When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.
I know that we all can agree that there were times when we attempted to call people for help and either they refused, promised and did not come through or did not even respond. Man changes from day to day but the word of God declares that the Lord our God changes not for He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you are burdened down, worried, stressed, anxious about life and its issues, ask yourself “where is my faith”? The call is to take refuge in the Lord and do not put any other thing or person above God. I can tell from my own experience that trusting human beings is a place of guaranteed disappointment, hurt and short term gain. But God is in control, regardless of what our eyes may see. He can still be trusted to do just what He said He will do. God’s Sovereignty, Majesty, Power, and Glory are displayed throughout creation for all of us to see. Psalm 113:5 says “Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high?”
Where is your faith? The world is full of people who have placed their faith in self and man. The world has convinced that they are above God. This is a dangerous place to be for the person who not only placed an earthly god above the true and living God, but it is also dangerous for the people who have allowed them to be placed in that position. The Lord God commands this in Exodus 20:3-“You shall have no other gods before Me”. So Where is your faith? I can only hope and pray that you have placed it in the hands of the Lord, as the scripture declares in Proverbs 30:5-Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. In time of trouble and distress, in time of joy, peace and happiness, in times of disappointment, fear, doubt, or even in time of uncertainty in which we now live, I plea with you to put your trust in God alone for man will deceive you.
Many concerns are in our hearts but put your trust in the Lord. Cry out to Him for He is waiting to hear you. Not only does He promise to hear your cry, He promises to answer your prayers. People of God; trust God to do just what He said He would do in your life. Seek God through prayer and meditation of His Word. He will prove to you over and over again that those who put their faith and trust in Him will not be ashamed. We all have periods of time when we feel very weak, very vulnerable. This is the time when we need to trust Him. The apostle Paul wrote that when he was at his weakest point, that is when he was strongest, because then he trusted upon the Lord to get him through. What is your life situation? Do you feel that you just can’t make it on your own? Trust in the Lord. He will give you strength. We have a living God and because He lives, we can face tomorrow. God has a plan for our life, even if we do not know what it is. He has promised to guide us each step of the way. That promise is active for us even today. And life with God is an exciting journey. We never know what may come on our way. But we can be assured that He will be there to guide and direct us. If we will commit our ways to Him, He has promised that He would direct our paths. It is when things just don’t make sense to us that it is hardest for us to trust Him. When it seems darkest, that is when we should trust Him. We want to be able to figure everything out, and then trust Him, but that is not trust. He tells us that His ways are not our ways and that His thoughts are above our thoughts. That means we cannot figure out what God is doing all the time. And when we don’t understand, that is when we must trust Him the most.
Before we can have confidence in God, before we can trust Him at all times, we must have a personal relationship with Him. We must first trust Him for salvation. Have you placed your faith and trust in God for salvation? If not, I want to encourage you to come to Christ in faith. Trust Him today, before it is too late. He will save you, and He will keep you for all of eternity. It is not our trust that keeps us, but the God in whom we trust who keeps us so trust Him. Psalm 62:8 says “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” We are not called by God who saved us by His grace to follow the world, but rather to follow Christ.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my God and that there is nothing that man can do to harm me. I pray that the eyes of my heart may remain fixed and focused on You with reverential fear and a childlike trust. Keep my heart from the fear of man as You have promised that those who trust in You are kept safe from all adversaries, thank You in Jesus name, AMEN!
JACOB VARGHESE
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