Today I was surprised by what the Bible didn't say. I love how God is not like us, nor does He think as we do. Our life following Jesus is filled with our need to change and grow in understanding of who God is and what pleases Him.
Psalm 115:9-11 says, "O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield." The psalmists exhorted Israel, God's ministers, and all who fear the LORD to trust in Him. The recurring phrase following is spoken as a matter of fact: "He is their help and shield." I was intrigued at the lack of a connecting word like "because" or "for" instead of a semicolon. The implication is God is trustworthy. He helps and shields us whether we trust in Him or not. Isn't this true for all people? He is our help and shield, and we ought to trust Him.
How sad it is when our lives before God are driven by what we gain from God. To reduce prayer or faith to the level of a "deal" or business transaction is awful. We should not trust God so He will help and shield us - though He does - but because He is worthy of being trusted. He is not like a man we are obliged to show loyalty towards (though we owe Him our lives), nor do we embark on this relationship based upon what we offer God. All we have is sin and wretchedness condemned before our holy Maker! We ought to trust the One who is our help and shield, the God who has made a covenant with sinners signed with His blood. God has established the terms and He is faithful to honour them.
This covenant is not a crude exchange of goods for services, a contract crafted to protect our interests: it is all of grace established on what God has done. We are required to respond to it by repentance and receiving Christ in faith, but He is worthy in Himself without a covenant being offered. We have been provided salvation when we repent of sin and place our trust in Christ, even though we do not deserve the freedom and privilege to do so. We were in bondage and dead in sins, senseless as heavy sleepers, blind as stones, and God helped and protected us. Since He has done all this, isn't He worthy of trust?
Psalm 115:9-11 says, "O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield." The psalmists exhorted Israel, God's ministers, and all who fear the LORD to trust in Him. The recurring phrase following is spoken as a matter of fact: "He is their help and shield." I was intrigued at the lack of a connecting word like "because" or "for" instead of a semicolon. The implication is God is trustworthy. He helps and shields us whether we trust in Him or not. Isn't this true for all people? He is our help and shield, and we ought to trust Him.
How sad it is when our lives before God are driven by what we gain from God. To reduce prayer or faith to the level of a "deal" or business transaction is awful. We should not trust God so He will help and shield us - though He does - but because He is worthy of being trusted. He is not like a man we are obliged to show loyalty towards (though we owe Him our lives), nor do we embark on this relationship based upon what we offer God. All we have is sin and wretchedness condemned before our holy Maker! We ought to trust the One who is our help and shield, the God who has made a covenant with sinners signed with His blood. God has established the terms and He is faithful to honour them.
This covenant is not a crude exchange of goods for services, a contract crafted to protect our interests: it is all of grace established on what God has done. We are required to respond to it by repentance and receiving Christ in faith, but He is worthy in Himself without a covenant being offered. We have been provided salvation when we repent of sin and place our trust in Christ, even though we do not deserve the freedom and privilege to do so. We were in bondage and dead in sins, senseless as heavy sleepers, blind as stones, and God helped and protected us. Since He has done all this, isn't He worthy of trust?
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