The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 ESV

Even some of my American friends may not know that here in the United States our national motto is “In God We Trust.” Ironically, this motto appears, neither on our flag, nor in our constitution but on our money, and was introduced not at the height of our prosperity, but during the darkest days of our Civil War. It came about in response to a letter from a Reverend Watkinson appealing to the Treasury Secretary, that we as a nation needed to publicly acknowledge God if we were to receive His help. Though the letter was sent in 1861, it took three years to be instituted. Finally in 1864, when, despite the many victories of the Northern States, the painful reality was that both sides were suffering devastation, death and tragedy on a scale never seen before in our history. Then, just when our hopes were at their lowest “In God We Trust” was introduced on the 2-cent piece. This national decision at that pivotal time, should be a wake-up call for us in the midst of social upheaval, violence, and division. We need to realize that we will never be blessed as “One nation under God” until we remember that our trust in God must not be a bold boast, but a cry to Him for help. Today’s verse reminds us that our greatest hope is not in victory, nor in success, but in the promise that our God will hear our cry. He is our hope this morning and for every morning. Whatever our disappointment; Whatever our despair; whatever our weakness: God has promised to hear us, to come to us and to comfort us, if we put our trust in Him. Of course, that doesn’t imply that everything in our lives will wonderful when we trust God, but that whatever we face, He has promised to be right by our side because we belong to Him!

“We cannot always trace God's hand, but we can always trust God's heart.”
Charles Spurgeon