Who Do You Trust

It is good to be back with you again. My wife, Donna, will post her third blog next week. We hope you found them challenging. Thank you for spending time with me this week.

Who do you trust? Do you trust the media, politicians, doctors, pastors, church family, internet, family members, social media sites on the internet, Amazon??? We all have differing levels of trust in various things and people. Once trust is broken, it is hard to repair. Has there been someone you trusted and they have failed you?

I had a surgery 15 years ago that ended badly. I went in with the understanding that something could go wrong. The surgery team had no evil intention toward me and yet, a nerve was damaged. I found myself suffering for 10 months before the nerve healed enough for me to function. The breaking of trust came, not because of the unfortunate nerve damage so much, but, by the refusal of the medical team to admit, or let me know what had happened, and give aid to help me cope. There has never been a complete healing of the nerve and I still live with some aftereffects. To this day, I do not trust most of the medical community.

Sadly, most politicians are less than honest to get their way. The news media tries to convince you to believe whatever agenda they want you to believe. Internet stories can be misleading, after all, the more controversial or dramatic, the more hits. Today, many pastors and church communities are being deceived and unwittingly pass on their deception. Actually, I find sometimes, I can’t even trust myself. I discover some of my opinions were formed on misinformation.

Isn’t it interesting? “In God We Trust” appeared on our money in 1957 during President Eisenhower’s administration and yet today, by some, there is a push to have those words removed. Do you know what the really troubling part of that is? God and His Word, quite seriously, are all that we can absolutely trust.

Here is what the Word of God reveals about Who we can trust, and the results of our having that trust.

Isaiah 26:3 states, “You (the LORD) will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” The Hebrew word for ‘trust’ used here and the one most often found in the Old Testament is batach, which according to the Gesenius Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon means: trust, or to be secure, to fear nothing for oneself. Merriam Webster defines ‘trust’ as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something, one in which confidence is placed. As a verb, it is to place confidence in, to rely on the truthfulness or accuracy of, to believe. So, looking again at Isaiah 26:3, we can see that, if we ‘trust’ or are secure in and know we don’t have to fear anything because we have all confidence in God’s character, strength, and ability, then, He will keep us in perfect peace!

Psalm 9:10, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken (abandoned) those who seek You.” The word ‘know’ in this verse, yada, in the Hebrew, means to know by experience. As we see the word ‘yada’ in Genesis 4:1, in the phrase, “Adam ‘knew’ his wife, we can recognize it was an intimate knowing. We can logically conclude then, that the more intimately you know someone, the more likely you are able to recognize whether you trust them or not.

What kind of things would you choose to put your trust in, if you really did not want to have that trust broken? Would you put your trust in someone who is known to compromise the truth? Would you put your trust in someone who makes promises and never follows through with them? What about someone who has a reputation for making shady deals? I know I wouldn’t.

Look at what Jesus said to the disciples following the Last Supper, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). The wonderful thing about His Word, found in Isaiah 55:11 (NASB20) is , “So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.” Praise God, isn’t it great to know that His Word will always accomplish what it is intended to accomplish. God’s Word does not fail!

We find a comforting word in Proverbs 29:25 (Amplified Bible), “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the Lord will be exalted and safe.” The meaning of the words, ‘exalted’ and ‘safe’ means: to be inaccessibly high or to be safely set on high.

Are you beginning to see and understand that in the midst of the trials, the deception, the struggles, and the tribulation, there is One we can absolutely trust and He will never fail us?

It is a wonderful thing to come to a full realization and understanding that we have the God of the Universe on our side. There is nothing that can defeat Him or thwart His plan and purpose. Romans 8:31b and 37b (NASB20) reveals, “If God is for us, who is against us?… But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Then we read in Jeremiah 29:11 that “His plans for us are for our good not disaster, to give us a future and a hope.”

I believe most of us are beginning to recognize that there are troublesome times coming upon the earth. The Lord forewarned us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.", and in 2 Timothy 3:1, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come” There will be no more crucial or vital time for us to know whom we can trust!

Whom should we not put our trust in?

Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 146:3, “Do not put your trust in princes, Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.” The Hebrew word for ‘princes’ means noble, princely in rank, This would include governmental leaders.

How much should we be willing to trust God?

Proverbs 3:5 and 6 (NLT) informs us to, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” We trust Him with all of our heart - we don’t have to, nor will we always understand what is going on! However, we must come to realize that He knows and understands it all.

How much can we trust Him?

Psalm 28:7 (NLT), “The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

When is God ready to help us?

Psalm 46:1 (NLT), “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” We can trust God for every need and through every time of trouble! He is always ready to help! Isaiah 43:2 (NLT), “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Remember what the Lord did for Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego when King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a fiery furnace? Not only did they not get burned, they did not even smell of smoke. (Daniel 3:13-26).

How many of our needs can we trust God for?

Philippians 4:19 (NLT), “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Matthew 6:25,31,32 and 33 (NLT), “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life--whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ... 31 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Psalm 62:7 and 8 (NLT), “My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.”

How can we be sure He will hear us?

1 John 5:14, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

Thank God, we do have One whom we can trust without reservation!

Thank God, we do have One we can trust in our times of trouble!

That One is the Lord!

Do you trust Him?

Unless indicated all scriptures are NKJV (New King James Version)

NASB20 (New American Standard Bible 2020)

NLT (New Living Translation)