Trust can be Ridiculous
My daughter was watching a T.V. kids game show sadly pitting parents against their children. The losers get green slime poured all over them. In one skit a Dad was asked if he would put his head under the foot of an elephant. But before he was allowed to answer, they had the pachyderm put its foot on a watermelon. You guessed it! It crushed the watermelon like a grape. But the Dad’s answered, he was quick and fearless; “Sure I’ll put my head under the foot of an elephant”. I thought, “what a nut”! Why would anyone trust an elephant or its trainer?
This got me to thinking; Why do people bet huge sums of money, trusting that some football, baseball or basketball team to win a game? Why do we trust politicians after they lie repeatedly? Daily, people drive their cars across bridges trusting the bridge will not fall? Do these things really deserve our trust? If not . . . in what can we put our trust?
Many years ago, some restaurants had a sign posted, “In God we trust. All others pay Cash!” It wasn’t that they feared God, but that they were just tired of “deadbeat customers.” The sign indicated clearly that if one doesn’t have money, he doesn’t get food.
What and with whom do you put your Trust?
That incident immediately reminded me how people daily put their trust in all kinds of things which don’t deserve it, as well as things they see with their eyes, but sadly don’t trust God, who only wants the best for us. (Every good and perfect gift comes from above . . .)
Is it in the stock market? Doctors? Politicians? Your job? Banks? The Army? Your car? All these have failed in the past, and will undoubtedly fail us in the future. What or whom can be relied upon – absolutely?
Here’s food for thought: Webster’s Dictionary relates trust to faith. It says, “Faith is firm belief and trust in something for which there is no proof.” So to have faith, there can’t be any proof before your eyes! Proof MUST come later. Hebrews 11:1 states: What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot see – yet.
3 Keys of Faith and Trust!
An example of “faith” was a promise from my teenagers to wash the dishes. I must have faith in their promise, then be patient they will get the job done. If I get tired of waiting and wash them myself, I not only am faithless, but my children’s promise can never come to pass!
There are 3 components (the “3 Ps”) to trusting by faith: 1) A Promise; 2) Patience (waiting patiently); and 3) The Performance (it actually gets done). The chance something actually gets done, depends upon first getting a “promiser” who is absolutely trustworthy. No one is more faithful and trustworthy than God. How do I know? He has never let me down!
God has placed the laws of gravity, thrust, lift, planting seed then harvesting and a myriad of others. These universal laws are for everyone including atheists and those of aberrant religions. He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust – Matt 5:45. Man uses these laws to build bridges, airplanes, buildings and everything we trust in all phases of life. But what man creates, eventually fails. Eventually other God’s laws take over – fatigue, oxidation (rust) etc.
God has over 3300 promises in the Bible for His people!
If you have accepted Jesus the Christ as your personal Savior, then in addition to the physical laws, these 3300 are all yours as well! If you have a need, just find the promise in the Bible and explain to God what you need in the name of Jesus. Then praise Him for answering your prayer. Finally, you must have patience that He will perform what He promised!
Psalms 37:3-5 says this: Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
God always requires something of us, before we receive His promise. Notice, that we must trust in the Lord AND do good! Then He will perform His promise to us. Hebrews 10:35-36 states: Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance (Patience), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”
Hebrews 11:6 it states: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The remarkable Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Evander Hollyfield, was a guest on the late night David Letterman, talk show. David asked him, with all the bad publicity he received from sports writers, if he trusted any of them? His answer was classic. “No, I only trust God!” The crowd and I both cheered, and David laughed! We all knew that finally, we had heard and seen a public figure with his priorities straight.
So, where are your priorities? Got needs? Find the promise in the Bible and let God know. He is faithful!
