“In Whom Shall I Trust?”...the Wayfarer 3/15/16

“In Whom Shall I Trust?”

3/15/16

“Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”

(Psalm 25:1&2)

In today’s world, trust is a commodity that is most difficult to obtain, and continue to have as time progresses, and those once trusted prove totally unworthy of that trust. 

Webster’s defines trust as: “An assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.”

Wycliffe’s further defines it as: “The assured resting of the mind of one person on the integrity, honor, justice, love, truth, or any other sound principle in another.”

Once, not that long ago, during the course of my lifetime, trust was readily extended because of its importance to all and if violated was a disgrace that was abhorred by all.

In my younger days, the fact that one came from a specific area of the country was evidence that trust could be extended, because the people living there were staunchly in agreement with the precepts of our bible, and particularly the teachings of honesty of word and deed.

The very fact that their upbringing came from that area was noticed throughout the nation, and expectation of the ability to honor that trust was quite readily extended by all.

Sadly, as time has progressed, that no longer holds true.

The disease of avarice, greed, and a sickness of the soul that allows for no honor of word or deed, but instead reflect only self-love and disregard of the teachings found in our bible, and this though deceit, half-truths, and outright lies have become commonplace.

There is no one corner of our society that this disease has not spread, as parents no longer teach the importance of trust, honor, and true fairness in the dealings with others.

The very words themselves have been twisted by politicians, whose promise of fairness is in reality a promise to rob from those providing, to “redistribute” to those unwilling to provide.

The charity of the churches that once was relevant, and expected by those in need has been supplanted and replaced by the false promises of government instead.

That charity is no longer extended to those most in need, and the funding intended for that charity is abused and robbed for use in far less important ways.

Individual honor is fading fast as well.

Fraud exists within every community, whether city or small town village, or just a cluster of farmers that reside in proximity close enough to have bound into a community.

Over the past few years, that lack of honor, that inability to put trust in those who say one thing, and then fail to do it, has been amplified out of all proportion.

Today’s title came from a chance conversation with a lady who had contracted work from a local needing the money, purporting to have the ability to perform the work involved, who after receiving payment for the job to be completed, left it half done with no intent to complete the agreed on job.

This brought to mind a friend who has had that same conundrum While attempting to get a small cabin home built closer to where they works, only to face, first the red tape and out of hand regulations, permits, and bullying of the government concerning their own property, then to come to face the same work promised, paid for and left undone, materials bought, some delivered, others not, with those delivered left to the elements that then destroyed them before any attempt to use them was made.

Yet another of these fundamental revelations about the state of our society was given me by a brother in Christ, also defrauded, to the extreme limits of any patience by someone who professed to be a Christian while asking for the job he was hired to do, only to prove how less than Christian he was, by the actions of demanding far more than agreed on, using materials bought for the job intended on other jobs, and running up a bill far in excess of what it should have been, all for the gain he sought for himself, instead of that gain that honesty and truth bring.

“Preacher, this ain’t news to anyone. It is the way we live, gotta look out for number one, no one else will!”

This, I am certain,  is the response of some who may have gotten this far in today’s dissertation, without finding it something to be ignored because of the topic, that is most unpopular, especially among far too many claiming Christianity!

If you have arrived at this point. and read that above statement, and agree with it, then. you are wasting your time, mine, and more importantly God’s who gave us a list of laws of what was acceptable, and what is not.

You have failed to comprehend the commandment left us by my Lord, that requires us to love one another. That failure of comprehension, in and of itself, means that you have also failed to follow that commandment, and have need to first find that TRUTH, WAY, and LIFE, before you are worthy of any trust for yourself, either from man... or God.

Are there any who are worthy of trust? Yes!! They are the ones who have found that TRUTH, WAY, AND LIFE and exhibit it daily in their actions with each other and all with whom they deal.

They are the ones who have chosen to lift up their soul to God, and put all trust in Him and his ability to triumph over the evils that are so prevalent in this and all societies.

Not only are they worthy of our trust, but, are worthy also of the trust of God, to be who they say they are, do as instructed by Him, and should not only be trusted, but emulated by all others around them.

They are the gullible spoken of in another work on much the same subject, they are the ones laughed to derision for the faith they hold and show the world, they are the ones loved and chosen by our Lord to combat the evils that would destroy all society, all law, and even the remembrance of our Lord and Savior.

They are the meek, to most of this world, which are, in reality, lions willing and ready to pounce on anything in contradiction to the faith demanded of them.

They are also the providers, the laborers who give a truly honest day’s work for the wage received, the farmers and ranchers who do not extort from those provided to but comprehend the true meaning of fairness.

They are the ones giving more than a tithe of money, but also giving time and love as was demanded by our Lord.

They are often the downtrodden, cast-outs, who find they are unwelcome in the places of “worship” that cannot accept their manner of dress or inability to make that body richer with a wealth to be hoarded and robbed from God in its intended purpose.

They are the ones who understand that life is not fair, but God is not only fair, but merciful, and that circumstance, position of power or manner of dress is unimportant to Him.

They are the doers of the Word, and not hearers only!

If you fall into the description just given, all glory to God. At some point, we shall meet on the other side, to continue meeting the requirement to honor and glorify him. 

Keep up the work and maintain that faith you have been given.

Do not let the disappointment in our fellow man separate you from your trust in the One. who above all, has been proven worthy of that trust.

If you fail to fall within that description...in order to find your way to do so... you must first remember the words which marked Christ’s ministry, and are still at the core of what is required to meet any other requirement.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”!

In closing, I pray that not only do you seek God’s trust as well as trusting Him, but that, that trust show in your life and leads others to the importance of both our trusting Him, and also His trust of us.

I am still your servant,and more importantly His, still having more than a few rough edges constantly being smoothed by my Lord.

  I am still that simple sinner saved by grace through faith in that Lord, as I attempt to be worthy of HIS trust in all I say and do, repentant for any failure thereof, whether apparent to any other than myself, or only to Him.

 I remain also that lowly soldier chosen to serve, and will do so until He chooses to end that service.

“Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths,

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”

(Psalm25:3-5)

  Amen and Amen.
the Wayfarer