Trust Me
Often, when someone says, “trust me”, it may not be the best idea to believe them. That is because the word of man is not sure, certain, nor can be depended upon. Sometimes man is so sure in his own mind, he’ll say, “trust me, I know what I’m doing.” This may be so in some endeavors, but not so when it comes to matters of the soul. In Jer. 10:23, the Spirit had the prophet pen: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. In fact, God has a plan for man, and woe unto him that places his trust in man as Israel was warned in Jer. 17:5 - Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. Prov. 3:5 also provides sage wisdom in this regard. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
One must also not place their trust in intangible actions, or those things that one might possess as a result of these as Psa. 62:10 clearly shows. Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. In the New Testament, in 1Tim. 6:17-18, we are informed of the same thing. Timothy was admonished to: Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
Neither are we to have confidence in those in civil authority, or even other fellowmen when it comes to our soul as the Spirit, in Psa. 146:3, had the psalmist write - Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. This is why in 1John 4:1, we are told to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
You might ask, “Since we can’t trust in things, in government, in any other man, or even in ourselves, who can we trust?” Friends, that is the easiest question of all time to answer. Space in this article will not allow the listing of all the Scriptures that attest to the “truthfulness” of God. But we have room for several. One might consider 2Sam. 22:31which shows the benefit of trusting in God. It reads, As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. A “buckler” is a shield. Should not all desire a “shield” that has been tested in battle and found to be perfect?
We also have the inspired admonition found in Psa. 4:5 to “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” The psalmist penned these Words as directed by the Spirit when God’s people Israel were familiar with the concept of sacrificing. Today, the church, which are God’s people in this age, have a similar admonition. Rom. 12:1-2 is where this is found. It applied to the church in the first century and is equally applicable to Christians today. They (and we) are told - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Want to be happy? Want to do well? Simple. Trust in the Lord as we read in Prov. 16:20. The inspired pen of the “wise man” provides us with this advice. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. This aligns well with Words the Spirit provided in 1Pet 3:13-14 in the New Testament. He wrote: “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;” Rather, Christians are to (set apart), sanctify, God in our hearts (minds), and prepare ourselves to answer all who asks us of our hope in Christ. We can then happily show them the gospel truth in humble service to God.
We can also see from Psa. 37:40, that deliverance and salvation come to those who trust in God. The psalmist was directed to write, And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. In 2Cor. 1:9, during the “miraculous age” (before the Word of God was fully delivered), the apostle Paul had full confidence in God as he carried the Word of God to many places to his own peril. The Spirit had him pen, But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Don’t trust me. I am simply a preacher of the gospel. Trust the gospel which is the Word of God. Read it, study it, and search to see what the Lord wants you to do to save your soul from eternity in Hell. At least allow a faithful gospel preacher to help you learn to trust God. Your soul is too important to waste. God promises to save you if you obey His Word.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
