Minister's Corner

There is an ancient principle in the Holy Scriptures that reminds us: “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be high-minded, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God.” (I Timothy 6:17) This advice has proved to be invaluable for generations. As a young kid growing up, I remember going to our neighborhood grocery store, which had a sign hanging from the ceiling. The words, written in black and red on a white wooden background for all customers to see, said, “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.” I learned from those early years that money is an important commodity. I also recognize that our culture values money and material things almost to the exclusion of spiritual things.
The biblical instruction is not a condemnation of riches. Rather, it’s a stern reminder regarding our priority; a word spoken to the wise and prudent. Jesus told a parable about a rich man who had more riches than places to store it. But he failed miserably when it was time to give an account for his soul. At the end of the parable, Jesus likened this man to those who “store up earthly treasures for themselves, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21). For what will it profit a person to gain the whole world and lose their own soul, or what can a person give in exchange for their soul? (Mark 8:36-37).
To “trust in uncertain riches” is to put our confidence and hope in something that is neither reliable nor trustworthy. God never intended for us to trust in material things. He expected us to use these things to our benefit, for it is he who gives us all things “to enjoy.” In the midst of a world that is screaming for our time, attention and resources, here’s a gentle reminder to the wise. In first Timothy 6:17, we find several reasons to trust in God. First of all, we trust in God to be prepared for the other world. In the passage above, the writer speaks about “this present world” as distinct from the “coming world.” Paul is ready for that world. His personal testimony is this: “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.” (II Timothy 1:12).
Secondly, it is necessary to trust in God because he is alive and well. He is not an object that we worship; he’s not good thoughts that we think about. He is a living being, known throughout the ages as the “living God.” As one Athenian poet wrote, “in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28).
Our global economy may rest on shifting sand, but the kingdom of God stands on solid ground, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. There’s no shortage in God’s economy. There’s no shortage on the air we breathe; no shortage on solar energy; no shortage on his grace and mercy. The resounding proclamation of the Christian faith throughout all ages is this: The Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endures for all generation. Now that’s a God in whom we can trust.
A final reason to trust in God is that he cares about our personal needs. The Scripture says to trust in “the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (I Timothy 6:17) Another writer puts it this way: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) The verdict is clear; it is better to trust in God.
In 1864, the phrase “In God We Trust” was printed on our currency. In 1956, an act of Congress made it the official national motto. No doubt, this inscription is intended to shape our values and culture. Riches are not our security, so we do not trust in riches. God is our security, “In God We Trust.”