Putting Our Trust in the Lord

(Psalm 31:1)

Mike Johnson

In Psalm 31:1, David states, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust.”  We see that the Psalmist put his trust in the Lord, not an idol or some other type of deity.  The word in the Hebrew translated “trust” means refuge, and many commonly used translations render it as such.  Often, the Hebrew term is associated with the type of protection the wings of a bird provides for its chicks.  Note Psalm 36:7, where David said to God, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.” God, with his “wings,” offers protection for those who trust in Him, and David had full confidence in His protection.  The Scriptures also tell us we can rely on God, who is our “shield” (2 Sam. 22:3, 31; Ps. 18:2).  Also, joy is associated with trusting in God.  Note Psalm 5:11, which says, “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.”

People may prove themselves untrustworthy; many do not keep their word and prove themselves unreliable.  In contrast, God never lies.  Numbers 23:19 points out, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.  Has He said, and will He not do?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good.”  (See also Is. 14:24.)  God’s plans are in our best interest (Rom. 8:28), and He is worthy of our trust.

We can trust God because He has always proven Himself as trustworthy. He has proven Himself in our own lives, the lives of others, and in the lives of the people and events, we can read about in the Bible.  In 1 Kings 8:56, Solomon reminded the people that the Lord “. . . has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised.  There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”  If people have proven themselves trustworthy, we are more likely to trust them in the future.  God is worthy of our trust!

Today, whether we trust someone or not is often based on how well we know that person.  Sadly, many may not trust God because they do not know Him very well.  The more we know about God, the more we should trust Him.  The Scriptures are the source for learning about God.