“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”   Psalm 118:8

I was looking through some of my past journaling and came across an entry from a  few years back when the entire family went to  Dorena Lake for a weekend of visiting, fishing, swimming, eating, laughing and sleeping.    It seemed like just yesterday that we were doing the same thing (smaller group) with Chris, Sandi, Jon, and Lisa at the same age as some of the grandkids.  What’s going on and who took time and shortened it?  The thing that strikes me, however, is not just how fast time flies, but what a wonder it is to experience God’s beautiful creation with the family God has blessed me with.  It helps me to remember that as I make any decision, whether small or large, I shouldn’t put my confidence in other people but put my trust in God, who knows every weekend we will experience before it ever happens.

Even when we look around at all that God has done and is doing, it is still very tempting to put our confidence in man. Whether it be doctor who is treating our ailments, the lawyer who is giving us advice, the  employer who is helping shape our future, the PHD who is telling us the right way to raise kids, or the butcher, baker, and candlestick maker who are… well, you know.  We have a tendency,  by nature, to run to the “experts” with our questions and problems. That in itself is not bad because God gave man knowledge and expects us to use it for the betterment of others.  The problem starts when we rely totally on man and leave God out of the picture. That elevates man above God and that is dangerous.

There is a short poem penned by that prolific writer, anonymous, that says it well:

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,  Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him. Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful,  Trust Him, for his will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus  Is the only place of rest.

God tells us that He should not be our very last resort, but our first consort.  We should even consult with Him about who we should consult with!   Before we check out what the experts say about the things we face, we should check out what God’s word says. Although the Word will not always give us specifics (“Take the job at the small convenience store.” Leviticus 7:11) it will teach about the principles that should guide our lives, and thus help us to make the right decisions in our lives.

It does not mean we are not supposed to tap into the knowledge of those who understand current medicine, law, business, or kids, but we must never put our confidence in the imperfect advice of man before the perfect knowledge of God.  Even when consulting with the greatest of intellects of our time (like some of our own family members!) all decisions should be filtered through God before acting on the advice of others.

There is a story about  old Uncle Oscar was apprehensive about his first airplane ride. His friends, eager to hear how it went, asked if he enjoyed the flight. “Well,” commented Uncle Oscar, “it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but I’ll tell you this. I never did put all my weight down!”  Doesn’t that sound like us at times?  We say that trust in God, but we don’t really put our weight down.   God finds Himself far down the line in our list of experts.  We consult with Him when many other options run out.

It is better — every time, in every situation — to trust in the Lord and to inquire prayerfully for His direction. Most of the time this will be revealed to us in His Word, but He is certainly capable of making His desires known through the words of others. The key to having God as our chief consultant is getting to know Him better.  We do that through reading the Word, prayer, and fellowshipping with mature Christians. We need to make an appointment today to let God give us the best direction for our lives.  Anyone else just won’t do.