In God We Trust

The motto on our money, “In God We Trust”, is the basic theme for the passage we look at next in Ps.119:137-144.  As the psalmist speaks about God’s Word with phrases like, “Thy Word is very pure”  and “Thy Law is the truth” he speaks from the vantage  point of one who has trusted in it and found it sure !   The Bible has been at the same time the most loved yet most hated of books. And despite attempts to destroy it, as Jesus said, it would stand (Matt.5:18).  It is completely reliable !!

When you have great decisions to make and problems that arise isn’t it wonderful to be able to go to the gurus of such areas of concern and see what thay have to say.  Let’s say you have money issues, well there’s Dave Ramsey and his books or before him there was Larry Burkett. If you struggle in your relationships, say with communication there’s some great advice in the writings of H.Norman Wright, or some counselling problem, check out what Jay Adams as written. How about parenting? Check out  Tedd Tripp?   All great authors who base their books on the principles of Scripture in their various fields, yet all human !    What we have in the Bible though is “very pure”,  hence to be totally trusted.

But, say the naysayers, hasn’t it gone through various revisions through the years?  And without going into textual criticism and other theological disciplines, suffice it to say that such things as archeological finds in Qumran (the Dead Sea Scrolls) and the discoveries of NUMEROUS New Testament scrolls and papyri (ancient “paper”) of those books heartily testifies to the validity of the accuracy of our Bible today.  With well over 5,000 finds now of New Testament portions alone we have every confidence to trust Jesus’ words in Matt.5:18 that not one jot or tittle (even the smallest marks in the Hebrew alphabet inscribed in the Word) from the Law will pass !

But I don’t need to convince anyone who truly has taken God at His Word that it’s true. The skepticism comes only from those who haven’t. God chooses to use faith now and those who haven’t trusted God’s Word one day will know its true, when faith becomes sight (whether they be saved or not).  So, that being the case, we need to be trusting the Scriptures daily for all decisions we make. The best way to turn the hearts of those who disbelieve the Bible around is to show them a life that does trust God. As they see the calm you have in life’s storms, they will begin to second guess their faith and be attracted to yours !  Or as the writer so eloquently puts it here, “Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet Thy commandments are my delights.” (vs.143).    Trouble and anguish here are similar ideas and are the same we say today when we tell someone we are “stressed” yet he says God’s Word is what alleviates that stress it is the contrast or “delight”. Our key is when life hits us with its pressures to get into and trust the delights in the Bible or as one preacher said, “Be careful when you lose how you choose to muse !”   Trust the Word, it’ll get you through !!