Hey … take a coin out of your pocket or remove a dollar bill from your wallet and look at it. On each coin or piece of paper currency there is a phrase that reads: “In God We Trust.” Now it really irritates me that are some folks who desire to have that phrase removed from all the coins and currency! (That’s a subject for another ‘Focus’!!)

But that phrase, “In God We Trust” … trust Him to do what?

Trust Him … to keep us free from another terrorist attack?

Trust Him … to keep our gasoline prices low?

Trust Him … to keep our nation in a position of world power and leadership?

Trust Him … to give you a good parking place at the mall?

Well, let’s personalize that phrase … so here’s the direct question: “Can you trust God?”

Now, there are a couple of ways to look at that question:

[1] Can you TRUST God? That is, is He dependable in times of need? Will He do what He says?

– or –

[2] Can YOU trust God? Do YOU have such a relationship with Him and such confidence in Him that you believe He is with you always even though you do not see any evidence of His presence or power?

It isn’t easy to trust God in times of trouble. Feelings of distress, despair, and darkness trouble our souls as we wonder if God truly cares about our valley of depression.

But … NOT TO TRUST Him is to doubt His sovereignty and to question His goodness.

In order to trust God we must view, even our difficult circumstances, through eyes of faith, not our senses and emotions.

It is only in the scriptures that we find an adequate view of God’s relationship to and involvement in our circumstances.

It is only through scripture, applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive the grace to ‘trust’ God in everything.

So, my challenge and your challenge is to … dig into His Word … read your Bible … get involved in a small group Bible study … study … review your notes & Scripture from the Sunday sermons … spend time in prayer.

God’s desire is for us to become a distinctive people – – people who step out in faith even when the future is uncertain and fuzzy; people whose lives reflect a quiet peace and calm assurance because we have cultivated perfect trust in God.

Without a doubt … in GOD we trust!!