“Stop trusting in man who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22)
There is a natural tendency for us to put our trust in our fellow human beings, because our reliance on them is prompted by their capacity to intervene and change our circumstances. In fact, the magnitude of our trust is such that it excludes God from the equation. Such an attitude constitutes a serious ‘faux pas,’ confirming our ignorance that everything starts and ends with God. We forget that God who operates in the realm of the invisible is a more reliable source.
Humanity is blessed by virtue of God’s goodness. All that we may enjoy on this earth – be it food, shelter or clothing is derived from his creation. He is not only the supplier of our daily needs, he remains our only source. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it….” (Psalm 24:1)
It follows therefore that if God is at the centre of everything as the Creator, that we must acknowledge his overall power, otherwise we shall be wrongly attributing divine characteristics to simple human beings. He declares: “The silver is mine and the gold is mine.” (Haggai 2:9) God is the origin of all our riches and wealth. All of God’s possessions are meant for our good. He uses it to bless us. We therefore must be careful not to elevate the name of our benefactors (who are not gods) and learn to give God the praise and the glory due to his holy name.
Trust is something we nurture in our lifetime, constantly fine-tuning it to meet the Master’s standards. Just as a child learns to trust his parents, we also must learn to trust God in a bid to develop a close-knit relationship with him. It is God who made the first move. Not only did he create us for his own pleasure, but he also demonstrated us his love and compassion – the basis on which our relationship is built – towards us.
We may be passing through trying times, when all does not look too rosy, when the burden on our shoulders is too heavy to carry; don’t be despondent God has never been indifferent to our situations and circumstances. He is close by. That is the time to look up to him for help. He bids us all to discharge our burdens on him, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest…for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)
Obstacles are a common phenomenon in life strewn on our pathway by Satan to frustrate us. But if we put our trust in God and not waver, he will put things right by the power of the Holy Spirit. Trust God to tide you over that hurdle and bring your enemy to naught. “Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)
Trust him at all times. Take any hopeless case, the worst scenario even, he is present. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43:2) He offers us a permanent blanket protection. “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
We must never let our circumstances influence our frame of mind. God is much greater. The visible or the concrete is never final. God has the final say, and it is a palpable truth. Our situations are transitory in nature. When we look up to the One in whom we trust, great will be our reward. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” (Psalm 125:1)
God provided for Adam and Eve from his creation and they lacked nothing by way of food and shelter. Every detail had been taken into account – so are our essential needs. No need to look any further.
Do the vagaries of life leave you perplexed? Do you find the challenges of life daunting to conclude that God has abandoned you? At times God leaves us alone in the ring to see how we would behave. Abraham pleaded to God for a son in his old age. To confirm his promise that he would give him a son, God told Abraham; “Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them; so shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5) That is to say he would birth uncountable descendants. Abraham saw the now, but God was looking well into the future. Abraham believed and that was credited to him as righteousness.
Where do you place God? Is he always an afterthought or is he on your call list in times of crisis? Listen, God is asking you and me: “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” (Isaiah 46:5) What is our response?
In 2013, it is our prayer that our whole being will thirst for God and pant for him daily. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1) He promises to “…keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in (him).” (Isaiah 26:3)
