It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. (Psalm 118:8-9)

Who Do We Trust?

Life can be a scary experience. There are many things that humans cannot explain, control and change and this makes everyone nervous, uncomfortable and uneasy. The challenge of life is to answer the questions that escape the knowledge of man but this is limited by the frailty of human wisdom. Through the centuries many unknowns have been discovered through exploration, chance and the spirit of determination to unlock the mysteries of the world. With all the advances in modern technology, so much remains locked away in the quest for greater knowledge that may be revealed in future times or never answered. It becomes a puzzle for the human spirit.

God marvelously created the world. Everything has order, design, and purpose. Science was the tool given to man to open up the vistas of his world constructing great pyramids, channeling great canals, discovering cures for disease and sending men and machines into the darkness of space. From the beginning of time, the marvels of men rival each generation to find out more and go beyond the known limits to greater achievements. The purpose of this knowledge was to lead men to recognize the Creator and His glory. However, because of pride and the exaltation of self, the spirit of man believes he is a god who controls his own world apart from God. His discoveries define the heart of human wisdom which is lifted up in the achievement of his own work. That is – until a greater problem arises that he cannot solve.

Trust is a matter of where the heart takes refuge. As Creator of the world, the Lord has told man that he would always be taken care of if he would trust in the hand of the One who made him. Noah trusted in the word of the Lord when he obeyed all that God commanded him. His refuge was not in the wisdom of men trying to explain building a massive box to house animals because of a global flood that would kill everything with the breath of life. Noah put his faith in the hand of God and found salvation. Moses trusted in the power of God to deliver the Hebrews as they stood on the shore of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army behind them. Through the hand of God, the unexplained happened when the sea parted and the people walked across on dry land. Jesus confounded the Jewish leaders of His day through His miracles which they never denied. Religious wisdom could not explain it. They did not trust Jesus and they killed Him.

As time marches on, there is much that man cannot explain or unravel. Times of fear, uncertainty, and doubt flood the soul. Disease spreads throughout the world and the fear of the unknown grips the souls of men. Panic follows and chaos overwhelms the hearts of the distraught. Those who have trusted in the wisdom of men cannot find answers. For those who learned to trust in the Lord, they find solace in the knowledge that God will never forsake them and He will never leave them. Life is not filled with unanswered questions without hope. Saints of God seek the wisdom of God to find peace in His word regardless of whether the answers come clear in this life or not. Adversity does not change its focus. They hope and trust in the Lord. The refuge of the faithful is safely secured in the presence of the Creator – not in the princes of this world.