Confidence

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. – Psalm 118v8-9

The first message I ever preached was at a nursing home on Easter, 1975. I found the tape of that message on our recent trip to the States. I am not sure I want to listen to it now (insert a grin here). Though I had a few other opportunities to preach in various place, I think the first time I preached in a church service was in August of 1977. I was preaching at Mt Olive Baptist Church near Dayton, Tennessee. It was shortly after Elvis died. Magazine covers and newspaper headlines told us that ‘The King is Dead.’ Trying to be relevant I preached from Psalm 118v8-9 and I called the message ‘My King is Alive.’

I hate to think what I might have said during that message. I am sure it was full of misapplications and trite sayings.

However the point of the passage and the point of the message have not changed. I spoke about how the whole world was distraught over Elvis’ death. I remember news reports about how some people were saying that life was not worth living now that Elvis was dead. That is, of course, if he was dead, but that is another story (insert another grin here). I spoke of how too often people placed their hopes and desires and focus on humans instead of on God. I spoke of how instead of placing our confidence in God we placed in frail, broken sinners.

The basic truth has not changed. Only One is worthy of our full confidence. Men and governments are bound to let us down.  Christians have become accustomed to relying on the government to protect their supposed rights and liberties. We fail to see that God is the only one in control and He is the only one worthy of our confidence.

Maybe that message was not as bad as I remember it (yet one more grin).