I love to say I trust in the Lord. Often I’m fully convinced that I do. Then I read His Word and more often than not I come face to face with the reality that I don’t trust Him nearly as much as I think I do.
Take Psalm 146, for example.
Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalm 146:3-4
I read verses like these and I realize just how much I trust in man. I say it is God I trust, but I always look for “God’s” solution to come through the people around me. So, who am I really trusting? God’s perfect hand to work His perfect will, or man to accomplish, well, something?
Throughout Scripture we are admonished to be a family. We are told to support, build up, encourage, admonish, and strengthen one another. We are taught how to pray and worship corporately. But we are never told to rely on one another as the solution to all our problems. And yet that’s what we do. We turn to one another, saying we just need prayer and encouragement. But what we really want is a solution. And while we claim to be submitting those problems to God, we continue “sharing” with each other while sorely neglecting the process of laying them at the feet of Jesus.
The crazy thing about it all is that I know I can’t handle the pressure of being expected to solve your problems. I may want to solve your problems because that is just part of my nature. I have always been a counselor at heart, and I want to fix things. But, I know that I can’t. So, my encouragement will always be to remind you to carry it to Jesus – and the promise that I will be carrying it with you in prayer.
But even knowing that I can’t handle your problems, I still lay mine on you. I still heavily depend on people to take care of me. Why in the world would I put on you what I know I can’t handle myself? Why would I remind you to put your full trust in Christ only to turn around and neglect to do that very thing in my own life?
Not only is there no eternal salvation in mortal man, he can also offer no salvation from the many light afflictions we encounter in this life. He just doesn’t have the power. I don’t have that strength. You don’t have that ability.
Instead, may we follow the rest of the advice of the psalmist.
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;
Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous;
The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
The LORD will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Not Quite Ordinary 