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God is the only sure and steady source of true security, and we are foolish if we ignore that fact. It may be tempting to focus our faith on other people and other things, but we must keep our ultimate trust in the God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Our faith needs to be in God and not in things that will disappoint us.
Even we who profess to be the Lord’s people sometimes have difficulty keeping our faith in the right place. Under pressure, we often find that our basic trust has not really been in the Lord Himself, but in “what we have always done,” “what our preacher says,” or “what the majority is doing.” But we need to be extremely careful about the object of our ultimate trust. If we pay too much attention to sources of authority and guidance other than the Lord, we will eventually leave the straight and narrow path of God’s will.
We talk with great concern to our religious friends and neighbors about placing their faith in Christ, rather than in human religious institutions, man-made creeds, etc. However, if we trust for our salvation in anything other than the Lord Himself, that is just as wrong for us to do as it is for anyone else. Paul said, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12 NKJV).
When serious difficulties in life arise, we often find that our faith has not really been in the Lord but only in human wisdom and human ability. In the midst of trials and tribulations, if we’re not willing to do the Lord’s will unless we can understand the rationale for His commandments and unless it seems to us that we have the ability to accomplish the task, then our faith is not really in the Lord — it’s in our own understanding and our own capabilities.
Yet whenever we face a choice between different loyalties our allegiance should be given to Jesus Christ. Having considered the alternatives and their relative degree of trustworthiness, we must decide to put our trust in God. If we do that, we will never be disappointed, no matter what happens and no matter what anyone else does. Trusting our Lord is the only safe course eternally!
Monday: Judges 7:1-8,19-25
Key Idea: We need to rely on what God can do, rather than on what we can do.
Questions for Family Growth: According to v.2, why did God say Gideon’s army was too large? How many men did Gideon finally have with which to fight the Midianites? What lesson was God wanting His people to learn?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 13:8.
Tuesday: Luke 12:13-21
Key Idea: We cannot count on money or material things to take care of us.
Questions for Family Growth: Was it wrong for the farmer in this story to have good success with his crops? What was wrong with his attitude? What are some things we can do to keep from putting our faith in money and material things?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 13:9.
Wednesday: John 13:21-30
Key Idea: Sometimes even our friends will disappoint us.
Questions for Family Growth: What does it mean for one person to “betray” another? Was Judas a close friend of Jesus? What should we do when a friend says or does something that is disappointing to us?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 13:10.
Thursday: Hebrews 6:13-20
Key Idea: Our hope of heaven is something we can hold on to.
Questions for Family Growth: Will God ever lie to us? What does an “anchor” do for a ship? In v.19, what does the writer mean when he says that our hope is an anchor? Is going to heaven something that we can be sure about?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 13:11.
Friday: 1 Peter 4:12-19
Key Idea: If we are faithful to God, He will always be faithful to us.
Questions for Family Growth: According to this passage, what can we count on when bad things happen? What does it mean to “commit” (NKJV) our souls to God? What does it mean that God is a “faithful” Creator? Why should we trust God?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 13:12.
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
