Trust

In God We Trust

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I used to have breakfast at a diner early every morning before work. Over the cash register they had a sign saying; – In God We Trust ….All others pay cash!
If you are wondering who to trust anymore you are not alone! In the darkest hours of the Civil War the Treasury Secretary inspired by a personal letter from Rev Mark Watkinson wrote to the Philadelphia mint requesting the following:

“Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”

In our own dark hour how much more should we learn to trust in Jesus? This weeks songs include. Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus – Trust and Obey and Oh How I Love Jesus.

A Weaned Child

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But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2 ESV

Most of us who have been parents read this verse and remember battles with our children as we tried to get them off the bottle and onto baby food. But when I was in Bible College (which feels like a thousand years ago) one professor who was a Palestinian gave us a different perspective. He explained that in the Middle East, when a mother felt that it was time for their child to start on solid food they would smear something bitter on their breast just as meal time rolled around. Once Junior got a taste of that they would pull back in surprise and cry. Then the mom would offer something to eat.

Photo by Lombe Jr. on Pexels.com

But of course babies who are used to breast feeding don’t want anything except for sweet milk. According to our professor that process sometimes went on for more than a day until finally the child in exhaustion just rested on his mother and began to accept a tiny bit of rice or banana.  What seemed like punishment to the child was actually for their good. It is not that the milk was bad but that the solid food was better. Now looking back I can see how God has worked with me. Friends left behind, the death of my parents and the struggles of growing older have sometimes left me bitterly complaining and wishing for the good old days. But the good news is that God not only takes away, He also gives. In exchange for the sweet milk we lose, He gives us a deeper trust in His care and a confidence in the great embrace of God as we rest on His everlasting arms!

What Are You Afraid Of?

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The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.          Proverbs 29:25

In the book of Proverbs King Solomon warns us about the mental, emotional and spiritual fencing we build because of fear. We erect a fence of words to protect ourselves from what others might think. We run behind a wall of busyness to hide. We lean on our position in the community to protect us from what others might do. But while each of our barriers seem good in our own eyes, God tells us that they operate like hidden snares. A snare works because it is hidden along paths we usually walk. Just as a bird puts its foot into the snare to discover the trap too late we need to be watching!

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When I stopped this week to consider how I talk, I had to confess that sometimes I stretch facts because I am afraid of what others might think if they knew the truth. There have been times when I have omitted something in a document because I feared what might happen if every detail were known. Or I have failed to call a friend to apologize, because I was afraid of what they would say. These have all been snares in my life! I did not see them, but my loving Father in heaven did! He comes with His word, shows me the hidden snares and asks, “What are you afraid of?”

But instead of only disciplining me He gives me some good news in the second half of today’s verse; “But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe!” We do not have to worry what friends think, what neighbors say or what consequences we face; instead we can say, “But I trust the Lord”   God can free us from any snares. He will protect us and give us and keep us safe even in the face of our greatest fear!