TRUST or ON THE MONEY
We don’t know how much longer the national motto will be “In God we trust”. Nor do we know how much longer the phrase “In God we trust” will be on our currency.
But we do not need “In God we trust” to be on the currency or the national motto for us to make it our own personal motto.
It certainly makes sense that as Christians we would trust in God. We should believe in Him, rely on Him, and trust in Him. The wisest thing that we can do is make trust in God a habit and not something we only do when we have problems. Trusting in God should be a way of life.
In the Book of Psalms, the word trust appears 50 times. This morning we want to encourage you to trust God and His Son, as we look at some of the aspects of trust as found in the book of Psalms.
“IN GOD WE TRUST”:
REDEMPTIVE TRUST
Psalm 34:22 – The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
In order to truly trust God we must begin with an issue that is of utmost importance to God. That issue is eternal life. You might be tired of hearing me tell you in as many words that you are no-good, rotten sinner and that you don’t deserve to go to Heaven!
But I’m just telling you what God says! Romans 3:10-18
Ezekiel 18:4 – Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
We need help. God demands punishment for our sin. God demands eternal death for our sin. But now the good news:
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:
The price was paid for our sins by the Lord Himself when He died for us on the cross at Calvary. Isaiah 53:5-6
So, the Lord redeems the souls of His servants.
How do we know if we are His servants or not?
I mean, I’d hate to die thinking I was God’s servant and then finding out that I wasn’t!
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
According to this verse, the ones that are God’s servants are the ones who trust or take refuge in Him.
That’s exactly what we do when we place our faith in God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!
When I trust Jesus as my Savior I admit that I am not good enough to save myself or earn my own way to Heaven. I take refuge in the shed blood of Christ for my sins! Ephesians 2:8-9
Notice that Psalm 34:22 concludes … and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
The Word desolate means “condemned”. When our faith is in Christ our sins have been paid for, that’s what redemption is! When we are redeemed, we are not condemned. John 3:18
RESOURCEFUL TRUST
Psalm 56:3 – What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
Notice that trust is always a decision on my part.
I can choose to be uptight or I can choose to trust.
I can choose to worry or I can choose to trust.
I can choose to panic or I can choose to trust.
God is there as my resource. I must choose to trust or pay the price of anxiety, fear, worry, high blood pressure, etc. etc.
Psalm 28:7 – The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
When my trust is in God I am trusting in His strength.
I’m not relying on my own ability, but His.
When it comes to our anxieties, our worries, our cares, our need for strength, we have a God who will be our strength if we let Him. We need to trust Him! He will be our help!
RELIANT TRUST
Psalm 112:7 – He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
A fixed heart is a reliant heart.
A fixed heart is a heart that is already focused on God.
When there is a possibility of bad news I need to be already focused on God.
When there is bad or even tragic news, I need to be focused on God.
If I am already living a life of trust in the good times, I will not go into a panic during the bad times. Isaiah 41:10
We trust the Lord when we continually come to Him in prayer by faith. Psalm 55:22
We trust the Lord when we read His Word, study His Word, have it preached to us, and believe it and obey it. Psalm 119:10-11
RELIABLE TRUST
Psalm 18:2 – The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
We should trust God because He is trustworthy!
He is my “rock”.
A rock speaks of strength.
A rock speaks of protection.
A rock speaks of permanence.
God is all these things for those who trust Him!
A fortress is a stronghold. It is a place of protection. It is a position from which to fight. There is no stronger fortress than God!
Think of God as your deliverer. Ultimately, He is the only true hope that we have! If I am to be rescued, He is the one who will rescue!
God is my God! He is deity! He is the ruler of the universe.
God is my strength. When you have a problem, who do you rely on? Do you rely on yourself, your spouse, your friends, the government, or do you rely on God for strength?
A buckler is a shield.
A horn speaks of strength.
Of course, a high tower is a place to hide.
This verse is telling us that God is reliable!
Psalm 125:1 – They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
Mount Zion is the hill on which Jerusalem is built.
It is a solid mountain, rock, not going anywhere anytime soon!
It was the home of the temple, the house of God, and the throne of David the king.
There will always be a Mount Zion, because there will always be a Jerusalem.
We are told that we will be like Mount Zion if we rely on the Lord.
Like Mt. Zion, we have a firm foundation, the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11
Like Mt. Zion we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. 1 Corinthians 3:16
Like Mt. Zion, we have a king, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:19-22
REFLECTIVE TRUST
Psalm 20:7 – Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
Trust involves having a good memory.
Trust involves reflecting on the God whom we serve and relying on Him.
There are those who trust man-made and natural things like chariots and horses.
But the person who trusts God puts no confidence in man as his ultimate deliverer.
RESTING TRUST
Psalm 36:7 – How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
God loves you! His steadfast love is towards you!
Therefore we are to come to Him to Him for help and protection, and we are to rest!
REJOICING TRUST
Psalm 5:11 – But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
When I am trusting God, I can rejoice because:
- The God who runs the universe is helping me.
- The God who has made me His child is helping me.
- The God who defends me is helping me.
- The God who, I should love with all my heart, all my soul and all my mind, wants me to be joyful in Him!
REWARDED TRUST
Psalm 84:12 – O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
I am rewarded with the blessings of God who blesses the one who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8 – O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 31:19 – Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Summing this verse up quickly, God pours out His goodness to those who fear Him and for those who publicly trust Him!
IN GOD WE TRUST:
REDEMPTIVE TRUST
RESOURCEFUL TRUST
RELIANT TRUST
RELIABLE TRUST
REFLECTIVE TRUST
RESTING TRUST
REJOICING TRUST
REWARDED TRUST
