In God We Trust
As I listened to Pastor Kory's sermon from Luke 12:16-21 this past Sunday, I thought about why it's so hard for us to part with our "surplus" possessions and be more generous to others, even when God has blessed us with more than enough to meet our needs. I believe one of the reasons is that in the affluent society we live in, we've adopted the false belief that money means security. Haven't we? From a very young age, we've been taught or modeled that money gives you options and it provides a safety net in case you hit a rough patch or things don't go your way. Save for a rainy day is what we've been taught. And while there is some truth to this, Pastor Kory did a great job explaining that God's provision is not merely to be spent or saved on ourselves but we are to be rich toward God and His kingdom purposes.
God has created us for His glory and He is our all in all. He is the provider for all that we need. And yet, we have a tendency to place our trust and security in other things. How ironic that the phrase "in God we trust" is printed on the very thing we so often build our lives around. And not only money but we (mis)place our trust in other things as well. We learned in the Counterfeit Gods series last year that even good things like love, family, and success can supplant God in our lives. These things, which are meant to be blessings from the Lord, are turned into idols by making them the focus of our identity, worth, and satisfaction.
Similarly, the world seeks its salvation in a host of other things. Things like the economy, government, education, technology, etc., which can also serve as blessings, are seen as the answers to mankind's problems. However, the problems of sin and separation from God go beyond our systems, institutions, and science. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the only solution to such problems. In John 14:6, Jesus says "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In Acts 4:12, it says "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." These are claims to the exclusivity of Christ when it comes to addressing man's need for reconciliation with God and salvation.
Apart from God, nothing else truly satisfies. Apart from Christ, reconciliation and salvation are found in no one else. 2 Samuel 22:2-3 says "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior." Beloved, wherever you find yourself today, in the ups and downs of life or in the throes of this pandemic, turn to the Lord. Find your shelter and security in Him. For He alone is trustworthy and mighty to save.
God bless you.
Pastor Darren
