“Trust Not In Man”

11/8/24

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” --Psalm 146:3-4

 Do not place your trust in governments, presidents, kings, or any human being.

We should not place our trust in people, neither should we place our trust in powerful, influential leaders. No person, regardless of who he or she is, is worthy of our absolute confidence.

Human beings are mere mortals. Any help that people can give is temporary and  pertains only to this life. No human being can save us—not permanently.

Why? Because they too will die and their plans and thoughts will perish with them.

All people die eventually. Our breath leaves us; our spirits depart; and we return to the earth or ground. Our bodies are of the earth. When we die, our bodies decompose and return to the earth from which they were made. At that moment, all of our thoughts or plans—everything we can imagine doing—dies with us. No human can do anything for us beyond this life. Therefore, we need to place our trust in the only one who has the power to save us for all eternity.

Think on this thought as you vote, watch the elections and look to the future.

We are faced with only two alternatives in life, either to trust men (including ourselves) or to trust God. Most people, when they are really honest, admit that they spend most of their time trusting men. They trust politicians to run the country. They trust news commentators to tell them what’s going on in the world. They trust professors to educate them. They trust doctors to diagnose them, and they trust pastors and priests to care for their souls. Here is where we make our investments. We put our faith, time, money, and energy into what people say. Most of us would admit that we do not really pray over decisions. We do not expect God to run our lives day to day. Nevertheless, the psalmist clearly tells us that we are foolish to continue this.… As we look to men, even great spiritual leaders, we need to ask one question: “Can this person save me?” This question places [every human being] into perspective. --Pastor and professor Donald M. Williams

 We have one life to live, and we have to make choices about what we think will make the greatest impact for the glory of Christ and the good of the nations.

Benjamin Warfield summed it up well:

The fundamental thought is the universal government of God, providence. All that comes to you is under his controlling hand. The secondary thought is the favor of God to those that love him. If he governs all, then nothing but good can befall those to whom he would do good. . . . He will so govern all things that we shall reap only good from all that befalls us.