Do You Realize You Become What You Trust?

Nov 15

Nov 15 Do You Realize You Become What You Trust?

Devos and Studies, Psalms Devos_Studies, God's Word

What Do You Resemble?

It's remarkable how much likeness there is between some dog lovers and their pets. The same is true for couples who've been together a long time—they begin to look and act like one another.

Many people have said they don't want to become like their parents only to realize later in life it's happened. It's kind of scary how we can take on the resemblance of another person or even a pet.

Whether it's pet lovers or couples or parents and children, the likeness results because of a level of trust and familiarity. This can be good or bad.

Before all the current diet and fitness trends, I often heard the expression, "You are what you eat!" Thankfully, we don't resemble what we eat so much as what we eat impacts our health and well-being. However, what we take into our minds and hearts influences and shapes who we are internally.

What we choose to read, listen to, watch, or engage with impacts our lives, especially if it’s negative. That may seem obvious, but what isn’t so obvious is the gradual and subtle ways it changes us.

Whether we realize it or not, what we invest most of our time, attention, and energy in becomes what we trust. It may not seem like trust, but it is. It’s what we become confident in and comfortable with. Consider this as you read through Psalm 115.

Scripture

Don’t give glory to us, O Lord. Don’t give glory to us. Instead, give glory to your name because of your mercy and faithfulness.
Why should other nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he wants. [vss 1-3]
Their idols are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear. They have noses, but they cannot smell. They have hands, but they cannot feel. They have feet, but they cannot walk. They cannot even make a sound with their throats.
Those who make idols end up like them. So does everyone who trusts them. [vss 4-8]
Israel, trust the Lord. He is your helper and your shield.
Descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord. He is your helper and your shield. If you fear the Lord, trust the Lord. He is your helper and your shield.
The Lord, who is always thinking about us, will bless us. He will bless the descendants of Israel. He will bless the descendants of Aaron.
He will bless those who fear the Lord, from the least important to the most important. [vss 9-13]
May the Lord continue to bless you and your children. You will be blessed by the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
The highest heaven belongs to the Lord, but he has given the earth to the descendants of Adam. Those who are dead do not praise the Lord, nor do those who go into the silence of the grave.
But we will thank the Lord now and forever. Hallelujah! [vss 14-18]
(Psalm 115:1-18 GW) [Context– Psalm 115]

Psalm 115

Reflections and Insights

This psalm is an exhortation to trust and fear—revere and respect—God. For those who do trust and fear the Lord, He promises great blessings (see verses 9-13). The flip side is not so good.

In ancient times, even today in certain religions, people used statues and shrines as objects of worship. The Bible says these are idols and worshiping them is called idolatry, which is the opposite of trusting in a living God.

One problem with idolatry is becoming like the object we worship. The psalmist makes this clear in verses 4-8. It’s stunning to see the stark contrast between trusting in a deaf and dumb idol rather than the True, Living God.

But we may not realize how other things, or even people, can become idols in our lives. When we put our trust and confidence in anything or anyone else but God, it leaves us vulnerable to deception and leads to disappointment.

Be careful what you eat—ingest and take in! Consider where you’re placing your confidence.

The Lord rewards our confidence and trust in Him in this life and beyond it. As it says in verse 13 — He will bless those who fear the Lord, from the least important to the most important.

Reflection—

Are there people or things that absorb you and your energy in a distorted way? When you become numb to those around you or isolated from people, it's time to reevaluate your priorities and make the Lord number one. He promises to bless those who trust in Him!

Prayer Focus—

If you catch yourself trusting others or something other than the Lord, just ask Him to guide you in changing your priorities. Each day, ask the Lord to help you put your trust in Him and show you where you may not be doing that.

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