In God We Trust?

It's right there on our currency, "In God We Trust."  But do we?  Or perhaps a better question: In what God do we trust?  In whom or what do we trust?  Well, as a nation born out of a pursuit for religious freedom and one in which 90% are religious and 70% affirm the Christian Faith - it is certainly God or at least a god in whom we trust.  Right?  Yeah, not necessarily.

Being religious doesn't mean that one even looks beyond his own nose to find the object of his trust: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people---robbers, evildoers, adulterers---or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get'" (Lk 18:10-12).

Some people, like the Pharisee above, seem to believe that the axis of the universe runs directly through themselves.  He viewed himself as the center of his world and the source of his righteousness.  He is kind of like the student who only asks a question in order to showcase how much he/she knows.  Or the employee who asks his boss for an opinion only to have an opportunity to give his/her own.  Or the reporter who poses a question only to point out his pre-conceived notion.

Many are so full of themselves that they become a god unto themselves.  Others only project out a bit further to locate their god.  They put their trust in a good education, a good job, good health as glory in how healthy, wealthy and/or wise they may be.  For many, it is no further than the US currency in their pocket or stocks in their portfolio or the amount in their IRA.  Americans, too often look to the money upon which the inscription, In God We Trust, instead of God himself.

Let me tell you from personal experience that the things we possess are only an illusion, which can evaporate in a moment.  I had a business, a new house, money in the bank and a retirement plan that all disappeared as medical bills overwhelmed my late wife and me a losing battle with cancer.  Health, wealth and wise planning did not sustain me.  In the end, none were left.

I was left with but one thing to sustain me - my faith in God. And I found that when I lost everything but faith in Him, He was all that I needed.  God alone is worthy of our trust for God alone will remain when everything else leaves us to our self.  Treasures of earth, just as Jesus warned in Matthew 6:19, will run out rust out or be taken away, but the Treasure of heaven will endure.

While everything else in which we might trust will fade, God alone will never leave us (cf. Jn 14:18) - He is worthy of our trust and He alone will prove trustworthy.  In God We [should] Trust.  Do you?  Jus' Ask'n.