in what do we trust?

Once again I heard the voice of truth in a strange place. I was listening to a sports talks show on the radio while on the road in my truck. The host stated that whenever you threaten the thing that brings security to a person, the person will always react strongly. He went further to say that it is easy to discover the source of a person’s security by watching to what they react consistently and strongly.


How true! This morning I spent some time on the water fishing. My mind pondered this truth for a time. I was reminded of an incident that occurred in the Middle East several thousand years ago. The nation of Israel had once again turned from the worship of the I AM to the worship of the popular created gods of society. A fearful young man received a mandate from the I AM to destroy the man-created image that the people of his household and of his city worshipped. One night he dared destroy the image of the god along with the instruments of worship used in their religious ceremony.

The next morning, the men of the city immediately pronounced a death sentence on Gideon for destroying their god. They demanded that Joash, Gideon’s father, immediately deliver Gideon into their hand. In the midst of the chaos and tumult, Joash spoke words of truth and wisdom - But Joash shouted to the mob, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who knocked down his altar!

If Baal was truly a powerful god, then surely Baal could defend himself. However, Gideon’s actions revealed the heart of the matter. Baal was the creation of man and as such he needed the protection of man to exist. He was not a powerful god able to defend himself. The source of security for the men of the city was revealed. It was not the I AM but a creation of their own.

Thousands of years later, we are really no different than those Israelites living in the Middle East. When the source of our security is anything other than the I AM, we quickly lash out at whatever threatens our sense of security. That is why truth is frequently attacked viciously. It reveals the source of our security.

On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be overtaken by the I AM, if He becomes our source of security, then we find ourselves in the place of Psalm 91:

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
Will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare of the LORD:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
He is my God, and I am trusting him.