In God We Trust


“In God We Trust” is the official moto of the United States of America (USA).  It is also written on the paper money and coins of the USA.  It serves as a reminder that the nation’s political and economic fortunes are tied to its spiritual faith.  As the country moves away from its Christian foundation, more individuals desire to change the moto, but it is there today.

It is questionable whether or not the USA really trusts in God.  But my question for you is do you trust in God? By definition, to trust is to firmly believe in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of something.  To trust in God is to believe that what He says is true; it is to believe that He has the ability and power to do what He says He will do; it is to rely on Him and His promises that He gives us in His word and to act accordingly.  Faith and trust are closely related and are considered synonyms. Faith in God is to believe in Him and it is also to trust in Him.  Suppose that there is a footbridge over a stream of water. You can believe that the bridge is strong enough to bear your weight, but you trust in the bridge when you walk on it to cross the stream.  In the same way, God wants you to trust in Him in your walk of life.

The apostle Paul was in prison in Rome where he was soon to lose his life.  But he trusted in God.  He wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12 “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Paul had dedicated his life to serving God; he knew the character of God and he trusted in Him.  He was fully persuaded that God would fulfill His promises and his life was not spent in vain. Abraham also trusted God.  God made a promise to him.  Genesis 15:5-6 “Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”  Abraham trusted that the Lord was going to make his descendants as numerous as the stars.

Let us look as some scriptures about trusting the Lord.  Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Psalms 37:4-5 “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalms 33:20-22 “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” Isaiah 26:3-4 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 12:2 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’” Psalms 9:9-10 “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Jerimiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.” Psalms 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.” Psalms 56:3-4 “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”  From these scriptures there are many blessings to you if you truly trust in the Lord.  He will give you the desires of your heart.  He will give you mercy.  He will be your help and your shield.  He will give you peace and you need not fear.  He will be your strength.  He will be your salvation.  Therefore, trust in the Lord.

Instead of trusting in God, we can trust in ourselves.  Luke 18:9-10 “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.’”  Jesus continues with the story of the two men.  The Pharisee trusted in himself and was not justified before God, but the tax collector trusted in God’s mercy and was justified.  Instead of trusting in God, we can trust in possessions or riches.  Mark 10:23-25 “Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’  And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’” A rich person tends to think that any problem that might come upon him can be solved by his wealth so he doesn’t trust in God. He also thinks that he will always have his riches. But Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.”  We can trust in ourselves or we can trust in our possessions or we can perhaps trust in many other things. Instead, I encourage you to trust in God.

Trust in God and in His power, His righteousness, His salvation, His truth, His way, and His promises.  There are many promises of God that we can trust.  A few to mention are His gift of eternal life (John 10:28), He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), He hears our prayers (1 John 5:14), He gives us strength (Philippians 4:13), and He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

My encouragement for you is to learn to trust in the Lord your God.  True blessings come from the Lord when you trust Him.


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