In God We Trust

“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm. 62:7-8).

To our family this is not a cliché, or a plaque to hang on a wall, or a song to be thoughtlessly sung out of formality, but a foundation upon which our family lives as we pass our sojourn here in fear. “If it is in this life only we have hope we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). “We are looking not at the things that are seen, but unseen, because the things not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

There are many Bible verses that emphasize the importance of trusting in the Lord. Let me cite a few that lends encouragement. “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works” (Psalm 73:28). “Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield” (Psalm 115:11). “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:9). “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even forever” (Psalm 125:1-2). “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).

We trust that the Lord has saved us just as he promised from all our past sins. He died for us and bore our sin in his own body (Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 2:24). Because of his precious sacrifice and the love, mercy, and grace manifested in it, we gain assurance that God’s forgiveness is a reality for us, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13). “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

We trust the Lord that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” (2 Corinthians 5:6-9). “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm. 17:15). “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

We trust the Lord to never leave us nor forsake us. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off” (Psalm 37:28).

We trust that nothing can separate us from his love “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39).

We trust in the comfort God provides “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We are comforted by his promises, the love and support of his people, prayer and knowing he will work all things for the good of them that love him and called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

We trust the Lord that he will keep that which we have committed to him “For the which cause 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

Thank the Lord for all he has done for us and for his many blessings. To him be the glory and praise even in the midst of adversity and sorrow. May our Father of mercy and grace be glorified in all things. May he help us, comfort and keep us close to his side as we seek to abound in his work knowing our labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians. 15:58).

Bill Cantrell