Saturday, January 19, 2013

Trust the Lord ONLY; Psalm 115, Proverbs 17

May the mumbling commence!

Where do we put our hope, our trust, and our security?  It is an important question – one that has been asked for generations immemorial.  Read that struggle illustrated in Psalm one-hundred fifteen:

But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases. 
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands. 
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see; 
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell; 
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat. 
Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them. 

O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield. (Verses 3-9)

So, what do you want to put your trust in?  Do you want to trust a shabby imitation of the real deal in the Lord – one that is created by our own hands?  Do we put our trust in the currency of our day – in silver or gold or platinum?  Do we put our trust in our home security systems or our growing arsenal of weapons on the personal or national level?

If we put our trust in such things, we will be sorely disappointed when the times get tough.  None of these things can speak consoling words to us.  None of these things can listen to our heart-felt pleas.  None of these things can give us a hand up when we fall and fail – which everyone does.

If we put our trust and hope and security in these things, we will indeed become like them – dead and useless.

Oh, Israel – oh, children of God – put your trust in the Lord.  God alone can shield us from the storms of life.  God alone will never betray our trust.  With God, help is truly here and on the way.

So, as children of such a God as this, let us be a help to those people around us who desperately need help.  Read from Proverbs chapter seventeen:

He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.  (Verse 5)

Thinking of these things makes me remember a song by contemporary Christian group Audio Adrenaline.  Here is how the lyrics go:  “Help is on the way; yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.  Help is on the way.  A mighty good leader is on the way; the only one that can save the day.  It’s all right; yeah, it’s ok.  Cause a mighty good leader is on the way.” 

That leader is our Lord.  Let us follow Him to the best of our ability.  Let us follow God together to serve more than to be served.  There is no one or nothing that is more worthy of our praise and adoration and trust.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

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