“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.”-Psalm 118:8

Have you ever had someone let you down? That’s an easy one to answer, right? Of course you have! We’ve all experienced being let down by another. Perhaps your dad didn’t show up when he should have. Maybe your friend wasn’t available when you wished she had been. A spouse forgot the special occasion. A child wasn’t grateful for what you did for her. A co-worker or classmate didn’t do the work he promised he would do…there are many examples we could continue to list. We have all been let down one time or another, and it won’t be the last time we experience this. But, before we get all fired up and ready punch a pillow, throw something, or curl up into a ball and cry, let’s take a deep breath and acknowledge the reality that we too — YES, YOU AND I — have let others down. We are all guilty as charged. For the fact is, we are all human, and humans are imperfect. We have all screwed up! We have all sinned. Romans 3:23 soberly states the truth for every soul: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”

We all miss the mark. Each of us has sinned, let others down, messed things up, dropped the ball…But God is different. Promptly after Romans 3:23, which states the reality of our imperfection, we then read Romans 3:24-25, which reveals God’s perfection and how He alone can correct things. Here’s how it reads: "Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.” Jesus, in His sinlessness and perfection, had to step in. Thankfully He did! When we juxtapose these verses with one another, we quickly see our complete inadequacy and God’s total adequacy. It’s important we acknowledge and remember these two realities. Humanity (this includes each of us) is imperfect. God, however, is perfect. Humanity isn’t always reliable (even though we try). God, however, is ever reliable.

All this to say, let’s reread Psalm 118:8 which says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” We can and should take refuge in the Lord! To take refuge in Him is to seek, to go to Him for help, shelter, protection, and safety. God is ceaselessly dependable! He never “drops the ball”. He doesn’t forget about us. He won’t fail to deliver what He promises. We don’t always understand His ways; even so, He is faithfully trustworthy, and we can count on Him! He will perpetually do what is right. It’s vital that we not forget this! On the other hand, people, even people who have been redeemed by Christ, who are hard-working, honest, kind, and loving, will let one another down. Thus, it isn’t ever wise to think that another human being is going to be able to do what God alone can...So let’s not expect them to.

Let’s take refuge in the Lord! We live this out by looking to Him first for wisdom, guidance, fulfillment, unfailing love, joy, peace, rest. We turn to God first for everything. For it is ever better to trust in Him than to put our confidence in people.

Cheer up, friends!

-Scott