Trusting God

Articles From Our Bulletins

Philip C. Strong
08/24/21 - Bulletin Articles

Trust is an important part of most any relationship we sustain: marital; professional; or personal. For instance, consider the importance of trust in marriage. You can learn to love someone you trust, but loving someone you don’t or can’t trust is disastrous. Trust and being trustworthy is THAT important.

I believe trust is also an integral part of our relationship with God, or at least it should be. God is eminently trustworthy. He cannot lie, Titus 1:2. It is simply impossible for Him to do so, Heb.6:18. He is ever faithful, 2Tim.2:13; and true, Rom.2:4. Furthermore, every good thing and every perfect gift comes from Him, Jas.1:17. He wants and provides abundant life through His Son, Jesus Christ, John 10:10. He has fulfilled every promise He ever made, and will continue to do so, cf. Josh.23:14. So…

Why do we, even His people, who claim to love and trust Him implicitly:

Trust “science” over God? The same science that put a man on the moon in the 1960s was affirming that smoking cigarettes was good and healthy even for expecting mothers. “But ‘science’ has progressed so much since then!” Yes, yes it has. However, science is still only the wisdom of the world which has always been and will always be flawed and incomplete when compared to the infinite omniscience of God, 1Cor.1:20-21. Trust God over “science.”
Trust “technology” over God? Humanity is assembling machines that can learn, think, and act for themselves. Some (including me) believe this presents a dangerous precipice that we would do well to avoid. Will we myopically produce machines with “artificial intelligence” that have the ability to actively work against if not terminate their builders if they are deemed a “threat”? Yes, technology enables us to accomplish wondrous things. But remember that having the ability to do something doesn’t mean that you should do so, cp. Gen.9:7 and Gen.11:4-9. Trust God over “technology.”
Trust “government” over God? Government that functions as “a minister of God” to promote good and punish evil is “from God” and “established by God,” and we should therefore “be in subjection” to and support it, Rom.13:1-7. However, have we forgotten that government- any government, which ceases to function in these ways, for these purposes, and according to God’s supreme authority, must be rejected in favor of obedience to God, Acts 5:29ff? Did not the Jewish and Roman government conspire to torture and kill the guiltless Son of God sent to save them? Trust God over “government.”
Trust national or political affiliations, military might, and treaties over God? Throughout its history, the nation of Israel was repeatedly warned against trusting their own military or political might and/or foreign treaties and alliances to protect them. This began at the edge of the Red Sea with the exodus of the nation from Egypt (cf. Ex.14:10-14), and continued until its annihilation at the hands of the Romans in 70 A.D. America is not ancient Israel, but we as well as all nations need to heed the lessons of history. Trust God over “politics, parties, military might, and national alliances/treaties.”
Trust “wealth, health, and medicine” over God? Death is the great human equalizer. It doesn’t matter how much wealth you amass, how healthy you are or for how long, or how much medicine/medical science and technology to which you have access, death still comes to everyone, cf. Heb.9:27. All the anxiety, medicine, and money we expend won’t change this fact. Jesus made this point clear with the rhetorical question of Matt.6:27, “Which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span?” Are you obsessing over your health and/or life? Why? Trust not only the Giver of life, but the Savior of the soul instead! “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it,” Matt.16:25. Trust God over “wealth, health, and medicine.”

It’s understandable for those who don’t know and believe God to have such misplaced trusts and “trust issues.” But what doesn’t make any sense is for people who claim to know and believe God to fail to trust Him… about anything. Trust God!