"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (Psalm 20:7,8 NIV)
I was thinking about the "trust game" we used to play when I was in school. As this is a bit of ancient history, I consulted my resident expert on "kids today" and asked if, in fact, "kids today" still "play" this "game."
"You mean the Trust Fall?" my teenager asked, not unkindly.
"Yes," I told her. "That's it."
She confirmed that, indeed, the Trust Fall is still a thing, particularly in leadership training exercises designed to illustrate the necessity of relying on those we work with.
(I think when I was growing up, it was mostly used to scare someone by not quite—or not at all—catching them.)
But this game/leadership training demonstration actually is a perfect object lesson for the trustworthiness of God's name, because the Biblical concept of trust is based on the idea of leaning our whole weight into the person or thing we're trusting.
My natural bent is to lean into things other than God and His name and His character and nature. I trust my reputation or my bank account or my church or my human relationships or my accomplishments. And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these! They may catch me sometimes when I fall back on them. But inevitably, eventually, they will drop me. They cannot bear the whole weight of my heart, soul, and mind.
But God can. He can be trusted. He holds out His arms and says, "Go ahead. Lean on me. I won't drop you. I won't let you down."
Trust Him today, sweet friends. Let the whole weight you're carrying slump against Him. And then, lightened of that load, rise up and stand firm.
Oh God, Your name can be trusted. Help me to make it known.
But this game/leadership training demonstration actually is a perfect object lesson for the trustworthiness of God's name, because the Biblical concept of trust is based on the idea of leaning our whole weight into the person or thing we're trusting.
My natural bent is to lean into things other than God and His name and His character and nature. I trust my reputation or my bank account or my church or my human relationships or my accomplishments. And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these! They may catch me sometimes when I fall back on them. But inevitably, eventually, they will drop me. They cannot bear the whole weight of my heart, soul, and mind.
But God can. He can be trusted. He holds out His arms and says, "Go ahead. Lean on me. I won't drop you. I won't let you down."
Trust Him today, sweet friends. Let the whole weight you're carrying slump against Him. And then, lightened of that load, rise up and stand firm.
Oh God, Your name can be trusted. Help me to make it known.
Song suggestion: "We Trust In The Name Of The Lord Our God;" Steve Green; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Qh_nv-SH8.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!