“Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.“ Jeremiah 17:5
Throughout history, people and nations have depended on financial, military and other worldly strengths for protection and prosperity.
The Israelites of Jeremiah’s day were no exception. They believed they could trust in their army, the diplomacy of their king, and their foreign alliances to protect them from the powerful Babylonian empire.
While they gave lip service to their trust in God, their actions showed where their faith really was: in their military and financial might. God spoke through Jeremiah to warn them that He would not bless those who trusted in anyone or anything instead of Him.
Placing your ultimate trust in anything other than God is idolatry. How can you know if your faith is not truly in God? Ask yourself these questions:
Where do I turn when I experience a crisis?
When I am hurting or afraid, to whom do I go?
When I have a financial problem, whom do I want to tell first?
Where do I seek comfort when I am under stress or discouraged?
Could it be that you are saying you trust in God but your actions indicate otherwise? God often uses other people or worldly sources as His method of providing for you. Be careful lest you inadvertently misdirect your faith toward His provision instead of toward the Provider. God may meet your need through worldly sources, but ultimately your trust must be in God.
The Israelites were so stubbornly committed to trusting in human strength instead of God that, even as the Babylonian army approached Jerusalem, they continued to desperately seek for a person, or a nation, or an army that could rescue them. They realized too late that they had neglected to trust in the only One who could deliver them.
Don’t make the same mistake as the Israelites. Go straight to the Lord when you have a need. He is the only One who can provide for you.
by John Grant
Used by Permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
Further Reading
• Trusting God in Extreme Situations – by Palitha Jayasooriya
• Trusting God’s Plan in Trouble– A Devotional by Charles Stanley
• Our Inability to Trust God – A Devotional by Jon Walker