"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have
mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do
not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them. O
Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield." (Psalms
115:4-9)
Faith can be a wonderful thing. The important words in
that sentence are can be.
Let me explain. Having set her trusted
TomTom GPS, Belgian Sabine Moreau was going to pick up her friend at the
train station. The train station was about 38 miles away.
Moreau
trusted that little device. She trusted her GPS when she had to stop and
fill her car with gas. She trusted her GPS when she noticed the writing
and language on the road signs changed. She trusted her GPS when she
crossed the border ... when she crossed a number of borders. It was only
when Moreau reached Zagreb, Croatia, that she thought things might not
be quite right.
Back home the police were about to begin a
manhunt for the missing 67-year-old.
When asked if she didn't
have her doubts about her drive or her GPS during her 900-mile
wandering, Moreau said, "I was preoccupied."
This, my friends, is
a pretty perfect illustration of our sad, sorry, sinful world. You see,
most people believe in something. Some people believe in a
non-scriptural god; others believe in their own intellect or
self-created deity. They believe, they trust, they have faith.
The only problem is they have put their faith in the wrong thing. They
are trusting something which is faulty. They are trusting something
which is not going to take them to the destination they expect.
No, it is only when an individual has faith in Jesus that their trust
becomes solid and right. Without stumble or slip, our
prophecy-fulfilling Savior has shown Himself to be worthy of our loyalty
and trust.
If He said He was going to die for us, He did. If He
said He would rise on the third day, He did that too. If He says He will
someday take the faithful to be with Him where He is, you can take that
promise to the bank.
Actually, you can take it to your heart.
Jesus' words are true. This is why, as the Psalmist says, Jesus is our
help and our shield.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, many people and
prophets have come forward claiming they will take care of us and
deliver us from damnation. Sadly, such human claims, made by sinners
will eventually fail. This is why I give thanks that Jesus, true God and
Man, is so very exceptional. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know
we can trust Him with our eternity. In His Name we ask for faith to do
so. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries All rights reserved;
not to be duplicated without permission.
