By Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell (Guest Blogger)
Week 51
Scripture Readings: Psalms 146-148
Key Scripture Verses: Psalm 146:3, Psalm 147:10-11 (NIV, Life Application Bible)
“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.”
“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Because we live in human form and we all have to work together, we have to trust each other to some extent to get things done and to live our lives without fear; however, we need to remember that even the most trustworthy person can still fail us. Our ultimate trust should be in God who never fails to love us and who is forever faithful.
These psalms are all psalms of praise to God. They make beautiful prayers—each of them starts and ends with “Praise the Lord.” These psalms praise God for his faithfulness, his creation of all things, his attention and control of nature and all of mankind. They speak of his love, how he “heals the brokenhearted,” “sustains the humble,” and how he revealed himself to the Jews.
I was particularly struck by the cited verses because, even though God created all things and is in control of them, his delight is not as much in the properties of his creation as it is in the willingness of those who will trust him to care for them. The scriptures say that he “delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
This trust that the scriptures refer to is faith and a willingness to love him and follow him. This trust is a choice to choose God instead of rejecting him—this is about free will.
God created all that there is, but his delight is in our desire to be with him and our trust in him.
We have a loving God who wants more than anything to please us, to care for us, to provide for us, to give us abundant life. And yet, so often we trust another human being before we trust God.
We trust what others say or write, even though we sometimes don’t trust the inspired word of God. How often do we notice how individuals will trust something they read on the internet or something someone told them without measuring it against the scriptures first? How often do we read anything but the scriptures when we are seeking the truth?
I have seen the smartest of doctors humbled by their lack of knowledge and ability to heal someone, sometimes their own family members. In those moments they realize that they cannot control everything and that only God can heal those people.
I have seen people try to handle the effects of natural disasters, but only God can control nature.
All the wealth, intelligence, and physical strength that man can possess cannot do what God can do. Besides—all of those traits come from God, anyway. So, it’s foolish to put all of our trust in other human beings.
May we remember that God deserves our love and respect. He deserves our worship and devotion. He deserves our praise. And he alone deserves our faith and trust—he delights in our trust! If we can trust in him in all things, we can’t go wrong. He loves us and cares for us.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 