“It is better to trust in the LORD than to depend on people.” (Psalms 118:8)
Although the author is not known, it’s believed that David was the author. I think everyone assents to the verse above. But I doubt that we do that. When something happens, the first thing we do is go tell someone and ask their opinion and help. Some might go to several people hoping that one will have a wise answer.
No matter the experience of the listener, how studied, how wise a man is, his wisdom is limited. It’s limited to what he’s experienced or studied. He only knows the now and the past. He has no inkling of even the next second. And he’s powerless to change anything.
Isaiah the prophet in writing about the Day of the Lord tells us that no man will be helpful in that day. “Put no more confidence in mortals. What are they worth?” (Isaiah 2:22) Man’s knowledge and power is nothing next to God’s. So why would we depend on him? Solomon in his wisdom wrote: “Don't put your trust in human leaders; no human being can save you.” (Psalms 146:3) And yet we do. We believe the doctor’s report, more than what God says. But only God can save us. Jeremiah wrote how the Lord feels about those who trust man more than God. “The LORD says, "I will condemn those who turn away from Me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals. He is like a bush in the desert, which grows in the dry wasteland, on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to him.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6)
David wrote about trusting God. “Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God. Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the LORD, and they study it day and night. They are like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.” (Psalms 1:1-3) David wrote “evil people,” meaning those who don’t know the Lord. They don’t have the Holy Spirit. They cannot possibly give us any godly wisdom that comes from the Throne of God or from the Spirit of God Who knows what’s best, Who knows what’s coming and Who has all wisdom and knowledge.
Many see the unbeliever prospering by doing things that are not ethical or come just short of being illegal. As people of God, we can’t do those things. The Lord will stop it abruptly. The Lord Who is more interested in our eternal destination will not allow us to continue in doing things that are not innocent, pure, right and holy. We will not get away with what the unbeliever does. We are held to a higher standard. David wrote that we are not to follow their example or join in with them.
Solomon who was give more wisdom than any man wrote about trusting God. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the LORD in everything you do, and He will show you the right way. Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong. If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains.” (Proverbs 3:5-8) He wrote “Never rely on what you think you know.” Things on earth are deceiving. It’s never what it seems to be; sometimes worse than we think and other times better that we think. That’s because we really don’t know all things. If we let the Lord in on everything we do, He’ll show us the right way. We think we know the way, but we are unaware of the pitfalls and traps set up to discourage us, to deter us or even to destroy us. I will give you an example:
A pastor I know wanted to live in a particular neighborhood. Eventually He had the means to move there. But it turned out to be the worse decision he ever made. From all appearances, the houses were beautiful. The neighborhood was clean and pristine. The people were friendly. It was a gated community, so it seemed secure and safe. But in that neighborhood, the teens were unrestrained and used drugs. His son, a teen fell into drugs and suffered way into adulthood with addiction.
It's not about what we think. It’s about what God knows. We can trust and depend on Him because He knows what is best. It may not seem to us at first. And we may never know why God chose to lead us in a direction different than what we want. We have to trust that it’s the best for us because God has a view of the future that we don’t.
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