“Don't Put Your Trust in Men”

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

BIBLE READING: Psalm 146

“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.” (Psalm 146.3-4)

All around us, we see undeniable proof of how people crave someone to trust in. Think of all the people we raise up as examples and heroes and saviors. As if the future of the world—or the Lord’s Church—depends on a person. It’s no surprise many feel so hopeless and discouraged. This psalm warns of two realities with human leaders:

• No human can truly save you. Our politicians promise a lot of things, but no one can insulate you from poverty, racism or disease. Even the good ones can only affect circumstances for a season. What’s the chance they can save from sin and death and hell? Zero! In fact, every person needs saving for himself or herself. Any person you may raise up, can be torn down in some way. Everyone is sinful. If you put your trust in princes, you won’t be saved.
• Every leader will die; and when they do, their plans will die with them. In fact, even before death, how many leaders have been overridden and unable to accomplish their purposes? Men can conqueror and subdue and assert themselves in their time, but when they die there is no guarantee any of that will continue. Men are limited, ultimately by death.

God knows the temptation to exalt men, even among his own people. In Corinth, church members were name dropping to show which “man of renown” they chose to align themselves with (1 Corinthians 1.12-13). How often in history, past and recent, have churches and individual believers, given undue place to men, and suffered the consequences? They may well have been gifted and godly men, men God greatly used. But in our lives, we see exactly what the bible describes. There is no human leader who can truly offer what we need. Have we learned our lesson?

“Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” (Isaiah 2.22, NIV)

The best of men, especially the most spiritually gifted of men, need their fellow believers to remind them constantly, ‘What do you have that you did not first receive?’ (1 Corinthians 4.7). All Christians need to kill the temptation that regularly worms its way into our minds to make more of men than we should. God is not tied to using anyone to fulfil his purposes. He could easily do all his holy will using no-one and nothing. There may be turmoil in the world and no good, clear leadership; but God still reigns. We must never forget who we serve and put our trust only in him. 

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.” (Psalm 146.5-7)

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