Saturday 12/27/14

Saturday, December 27, 2014 

" Do not put your trust in princes in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—he remains faithful forever." (Psalm 146:3-6)

When I thought about this verse, I had to ask myself the question, "Why have I, at times, put all my trust in people and things rather than in God?"  My answer was quick and piercing.  I have trusted others rather than God because I believed that I could control the outcome.  I've trusted doctors because their aim is to heal.  I've trusted financiers because their aim is to make the most money possible.  In my heart, I believe that Jesus' desire for me is "life, [even life] to the full," but I don't know how He's going to do it.  The road that Jesus takes me on can often bring me to the end of my faith.

But, when I am faithless he remains faithful! (2 Timothy 2:13)

At our last Young Life of the semester we spoke to the kids about the story of Lazarus (John 11).  Lazarus was sick and even died before Jesus showed up in Bethany.  Jesus knew what was happening, he could have healed Lazarus once He heard of the sickness, but He waited.  He waited because He wanted to show His friends and others that He alone had the power over life and death - that death, even the death of Lazarus, was not the end.  This was all for the glory of God, so that people would believe.

Trusting God in difficult times is difficult. Trusting God in painful times is painful. The circumstances may look different, but Our God remains the same - faithful forever.  The end may not look like what we want it to look like, but it is all for His glory.  We have no idea what God is doing, but we trust Him because we know He's up to something good.