{"id":51158,"date":"2019-08-04T17:44:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-04T14:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=51158"},"modified":"2025-06-22T07:21:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T04:21:21","slug":"trust-in-god-not-in-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/08\/04\/trust-in-god-not-in-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust in God, Not in Man"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Jeremiah 17:5\u20136 (ESV)<\/strong><br \/><em>&#8220;Thus says the Lord: &#8216;Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.'&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>\u26a0\ufe0f Trusting in Man Brings a Curse<\/h3>\n<p>The prophet Jeremiah delivers a severe warning directly from the Lord: <strong>placing your trust in man rather than in God invites a curse<\/strong> upon your life. When you rely on human wisdom, strength, or protection as your ultimate hope\u2014while turning your heart away from God\u2014you step outside of God&#8217;s covenantal blessing.<\/p>\n<p>This is not just about seeking help from people\u2014it\u2019s about <strong>depending on people in place of God<\/strong>. That\u2019s a form of <strong>idolatry<\/strong> (Exodus 20:3), because it gives the glory and trust that belong to God to mere human beings.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you depend on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>A political leader to secure your future,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A boss to determine your promotion,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>A doctor to ensure your healing,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Or guards to ensure your safety,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&#8230;if your <strong>ultimate hope<\/strong> rests in them and not in the Lord, you are under a curse\u2014spiritually dry and disconnected from the source of life.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83d\udcac Real-Life Signs of Trusting Man<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>When your <strong>first thoughts in the morning<\/strong> are about your employer or clients, not God.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>When you <strong>compromise your integrity<\/strong> to please people, fearing you might lose opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>When you <strong>fear disobeying men<\/strong> more than you fear disobeying God (cf. Acts 5:29: <em>\u201cWe must obey God rather than men.\u201d<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>When your decisions are driven by <strong>the need to be accepted<\/strong>, rather than by obedience to God&#8217;s Word.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This heart posture reveals you are trusting man. And God says such a person will <strong>not see when good comes<\/strong>\u2014meaning they may <strong>miss God\u2019s blessings even when they\u2019re near<\/strong>, because their heart isn\u2019t aligned with Him.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83d\udee1\ufe0f &#8220;Man as Your Shield&#8221; Is Idolatry<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Psalm 127:1\u20132 (NKJV)<\/strong><br \/><em>&#8220;Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Placing full confidence in people\u2014whether in guards, systems, institutions, or authority figures\u2014<strong>replaces God\u2019s role as your protector<\/strong>. This isn&#8217;t to say you shouldn&#8217;t have security measures or receive medical care. Rather, the issue is <strong>where your faith is anchored<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Proverbs 21:31 (ESV)<\/strong> says:<br \/><em>&#8220;The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In other words, <strong>preparations are necessary<\/strong>, but <strong>our ultimate trust must rest in the Lord<\/strong>, not in those preparations.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83e\ude7a Misplaced Trust in Human Expertise<\/h2>\n<p>Trusting in medical science more than in God is another form of idolatry. Yes, doctors are a gift from God (Sirach 38:1\u20132, a useful Apocryphal reference), and medical knowledge is a blessing. But salvation\u2014<strong>especially eternal life and true healing\u2014comes from the Lord<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Psalm 103:3 (NKJV)<\/strong> reminds us:<br \/><em>&#8220;Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>No doctor can raise the dead. No medicine can restore a soul. When medical reports lead us into panic, it shows our faith was in man\u2014not in the God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\u2705 Trusting in the Lord Brings Blessing<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Jeremiah 17:7\u20138 (ESV)<\/strong><br \/><em>&#8220;Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water&#8230; It does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The contrast is powerful. Those who trust in the Lord:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Remain <strong>steady in hard times<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Do <strong>not fear<\/strong> the future (2 Timothy 1:7).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Continue to <strong>bear fruit<\/strong>, even during spiritual or economic \u201cdroughts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is both a <strong>practical<\/strong> and a <strong>spiritual<\/strong> promise:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Practically, they\u2019ll flourish in work, family, and provision.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Spiritually, they\u2019ll bear fruit of the Spirit: <em>love, joy, peace, patience&#8230;<\/em> (Galatians 5:22\u201323).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Evangelistically, they will bear fruit by leading others to Christ (John 15:8; Proverbs 11:30).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83d\udd0d How Do You Know Where Your Trust Lies?<\/h2>\n<p>The first sign is <strong>fear<\/strong>. If fear dominates your decisions\u2014fear of lack, fear of rejection, fear of failure\u2014it reveals a lack of trust in God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matthew 6:31\u201333 (NKJV)<\/strong><br \/><em>&#8220;Therefore do not worry, saying, \u2018What shall we eat?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we drink?\u2019 or \u2018What shall we wear?\u2019&#8230; But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>People who trust God <strong>do not panic<\/strong> when threatened. Like Daniel, they stand firm in righteousness even when others plot against them (Daniel 6:10).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\ud83c\udf31 Those Who Trust God Will Bear Lasting Fruit<\/h2>\n<p>Why will they always bear fruit? Because their <strong>roots go deep<\/strong> into the river of God\u2019s presence\u2014just as Psalm 1:3 describes:<br \/><em>&#8220;He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season&#8230;&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Fruitfulness in God isn\u2019t seasonal\u2014it is <strong>eternal<\/strong>. It includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Fruit in their <strong>work and resources<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Fruit in their <strong>character and relationships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Fruit in <strong>evangelism and discipleship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And their reward is eternal (Matthew 25:21; 1 Corinthians 3:14).<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>\u2728 Final Exhortation<\/h2>\n<p>Where is your trust?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Is it in your salary, your education, your connections?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Or is it in the Lord who <strong>owns everything<\/strong> and <strong>never fails<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Psalm 20:7 (ESV)<\/strong> says:<br \/><em>&#8220;Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Choose the blessing. Put your full trust in the Lord\u2014not partially, not occasionally, but wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cBlessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>May the Lord bless you and anchor your heart in Him alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class='share-to-whatsapp-wrapper'><div class='share-on-whsp'>Share on: <\/div><a data-text='Trust in God, Not in Man' data-link='https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/08\/04\/trust-in-god-not-in-man\/' class='whatsapp-button whatsapp-share'>WhatsApp<\/a><div class='clear '><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jeremiah 17:5\u20136 (ESV)&#8220;Thus says the Lord: &#8216;Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1218,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16929],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-51158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-home-en"],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/feed\/podcast\/wingu-la-mashahidi","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xYN8eBpdhE\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/08\/04\/trust-in-god-not-in-man\/\">Trust in God, Not in Man<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2019\/08\/04\/trust-in-god-not-in-man\/embed\/#?secret=xYN8eBpdhE\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Trust in God, Not in Man&#8221; &#8212; Wingu la Mashahidi\" data-secret=\"xYN8eBpdhE\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! 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