In __ We Trust

Having In God We Trust written on our money is either a special declaration of our faith, or ironic. Many today choose to set aside trust in God for trust in the power of the paper it is printed on. I appreciate the wisdom of C.S. Lewis, who brilliantly wrote, "The greatest irony of the American coin is that it bears the name of God while being the tool most often used to forget Him!" It is amazing how many empty substitutes we attempt to use to replace the authority and security of God in our lives. We are prone to making the temporary significant, and forgetting the eternal. 

Jesus put it powerfully when he taught us: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV) God knows we can trade His role in our lives for things and people that are very temporary.

There are plenty of things other than money which we are tempted to put our trust in. The shepherd David wrote in Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Chariots and horses represented the pinnacle of military might in David’s time. Not too different from today’s fighter jets and missiles, David understood that some are tempted to trust in military power to protect them, but this is also ironic, because that type of power can lead to a loss of power if we place too much trust in it. More than likely, David penned the words of trust and truth when King Saul was using his vast military might to attempt to capture and kill him. David says, in this wonderful psalm, some people are tempted to trust in what is obvious – human ingenuity, the strength of horses, and the sword delivered by a powerful leader. However, David declared with great boldness and wisdom…BUT WE TRUST in the Lord our God! 

In God We Trust is a sweet declaration that I pray is true for each of us. As Charles Spurgeon wrote, "It is a very solemn thing to have such a motto. If we put it on our coins, we should have it in our hearts." Today, I pray  we choose to place our faith and trust in our Lord Jesus instead of trusting in things which prove themselves to be painfully temporary. 

Expectantly, 

Shawn Brennan