Who do you Trust?
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 20:7 (ESV)
Praise be to God! I trust the Lord has been keeping you and your loved ones. A few days ago, I was listening to the weather forecast. Like most farmers, I was interested in what the weatherman had to say about the weather over the next few weeks. The forecast promised endless days of sunshine ahead - not a single cloud in sight. As I write this message, it is raining heavily and there is thunder. Hmmm - the forecast was clearly not so reliable.
Which brings me to the message of today. Who do you trust? In a world that is full of unpredictability, trust is often difficult to build and maintain. Yet trust is needed in order to have healthy relationships, to make plans succeed and to go about most of our daily activities. I trust that the weather will be fine before I leave my house to walk to work. I trust that my friend will turn up for our appointment. I trust that my employer will pay me on time. I trust that my spouse will love me forever. It is amazing how much trust is built into our lives. However, in all these things it is possible that we will be let down. The weather may change without warning, my friend may forget our appointment, my employer may declare me redundant and my spouse may leave. What do we do then? Do we stop trusting altogether? This will result in a miserable life.
There is one who we can always trust with absolute confidence irrespective of our circumstances. The Lord our God is trustworthy – Hallelujah! He will never fail us because He is love and love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Every single one of the promises He made to the children of Israel came to pass. Every single one was fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). God is the same yesterday today and forever and in the same way, He will not fail you when you trust in Him.
King David knew the importance of trusting God. He wrote in the psalms “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God Psalm 20:7. There is nothing wrong with horses (or chariots). In Job 39:19-25, God describes how he created the horse to be fearless and have amazing strength. God provided supernatural horses and chariots to protect Elisha when the King of Aram sent his army to capture him. For many years, horses and chariots were used to advance into enemy territories. But, horses can get injured and chariots can get damaged. So trusting in them will not guarantee victory. True victory comes from the Lord alone. Proverbs 21:31 puts it this way “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord”.
A friend of mine called me from upcountry where he and his family has been living since lockdown started. As we exchanged greetings, and discussed how things were, he said something that was very encouraging. He said, “we may not have the best health systems in the world, we may not be able to provide vaccines and required medicines to everyone who needs them. But one thing that I believe is this: God that will protect and keep me and my family safe and secure irrespective of whether we have these things or not”. What amazing faith! It’s not about the medicines or vaccines or other means that we are kept safe. It’s not even about the rigorous diets, and exercise and health programs. Like horses and chariots, these can be the means by which God gives us victory – but our confidence should never be in them. It should always be in God alone.
Take the example of King Hezekiah of Judah who experienced victory when he trusted in God. According to 2 Kings 20:1-7, when he fell sick to the point of death, he turned to the Lord and as a result he recovered. His healing came about when a poultice of figs was made and applied to the boil on his body. The poultice of figs was the means by which healing came but it was not the source. Contrast this with King Asa of Judah who became diseased in his feet in his last days. The bible says he did not seek the Lord but instead relied on the physicians of his day. He did not recover from the illness (2 Chronicles 16:12-13).
Friends there is nothing wrong with horses and chariots. There is nothing wrong with health programs or medicines or doctors. Sometimes, God will use these very things to give us advantage in battles or to help us recover from illness. However, we should always place our trust and confidence in him so that even if these things did not exist, we can still be assured of victory.
Perhaps you have been trusting in your employees to do the work assigned to them. Perhaps you have been trusting in your government to find solutions to national challenges. Perhaps you have been trusting in friends to help you carry your burdens. All these like the weatherman, can prove to be unreliable. They can let you down in your time of crisis. Trust in the Lord instead and you will be renewed like the eagle. You will be strengthened. You will rise to great heights of victory. (Isaiah 40:31). Hallelujah!
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION / DISCUSSION
Who or what have you been trusting in during this season?
Who or what has led to disappointment?
How can you cast your cares on God concerning the issues identified in question 1?
PRAYER POINTS
Praise God for His faithfulness at all times.
Ask the Lord to help you trust him more.
Pray for fellow believers as we continue to seek God during these trying times.
