The theme is simple: God alone is our hope. Verse 8 parses that out: "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."
1. Trust God
This is very different from "believing in God", which is what most people mistakenly think will save them. An agnostic friend has asked me several times if she just believes that God exists, will she go to heaven? I have to reply that not only does God want more than that from us, we NEED more than that. Trusting God is believing He exists and then living every day in reliance upon that truth. If God didn't exist, would my day be any different? What will I do today that is unexplainable except if God is real?
2. All times
This makes me think of a wedding vow...for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. I think everyone trusts God more at some times and less at others in a habitual pattern. I tend to trust Him more when everything is going well, when there's money in the bank, happiness in the family, success in our endeavors. When is it unusual for me to trust in God? How can I tangibly, measurably trust Him in that time?
3. Pour out your hearts
Part of trusting God is approaching Him with total honesty. Let's not patronize Him with trite "thee/thou" prayers we learned in Sunday School or from the King James Bible, but cry out to Him from the depths of our souls. All over the Bible God says that He hates hypocrisy and fakeness, and that He will never despise or refuse the cries of a contrite heart. So, if we know we ought to pray but don't "feel like it", pray anyway and tell Him "I don't feel like praying right now, but here goes."
4.Our refuge
This is a hiding place. When things go wrong, where do we hide? When life comes crashing down, where do I run? I've shared with many people my addiction to pornography, and I have to admit that I want to run to that when things don't go my way. I think we all tend to run toward things that will feel good immediately and allow us total control...we want our 15 minutes of deity, almost like telling God "you let this happen to me, so now I'll play God for a while." Our tragedy can be the greatest tool to draw us toward God, being a reminder that we can't handle life as well as we thought and need to give the control over to Him.
TRUST GOD. That's the word for today. May everything I do today outwardly reflect an unswerving trust that God is real and intimately involved in my world.
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