Safe With Him

Transcript

Alright, thank you very much. And hello again, radio friends. How in the world are you? You doing alright? And I trust so, bless your heart. I don’t know how this broadcast affects you, but I have to tell you I get blessed by them, because just to look into God’s Word with you stimulates and blesses and convicts my own heart.

We’re finishing up our thoughts about the 37th Psalm, and our dear Lord has told us that He would show us His salvation and deliver us and save us because we trust in Him. “The Lord shall help them, and deliver them, and save them, because they trust in Him.” And do you remember I told you “help” has to do with enabling you to achieve what you couldn’t achieve by yourself? “Deliver” has to do with rescuing you from a situation that you could not possibly handle yourself. And “save” has to do with the wrapping up of the whole of life and making it a continuing miracle by God’s grace. And He says all of that is because you and I trust in Him.

You remember that some months ago, if you were listening then, I reminded you that God has spoken to my own heart about Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” You keep your mind on Jesus, and you’ll end up trusting Him. And you’ll have perfect peace. The obverse side of that is what dawned on me one day: what you think about all the time is what you will end up trusting and risking the whole bundle of life on.

What you think about all the time is what you will end up completely trusting and committing yourself to. So, trust is a very important thing and it derives from the fixing of your mind on your Lord, “bringing every thought,” says Paul, “into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Trust. But you want to think about all of that with me for a little while? The Psalmist says, “Thou art my trust,” The person; not what he does (although that’s included), but what he is. “Thou art my trust.”

I got off the airplane many years ago in Paris. I had never been to Paris before. I was new at this matter of traveling. I was just recently elected President of Youth for Christ, and so now I am getting off the airplane at the airport that served the city of Paris. What was I going to do, how I was going to get through customs, how was I going to find my way around the city, and so on.

Imagine my pleasure and gratitude when a young man came up to me and introduced himself, and said, “I’m here to take care of you.” And it developed that he was at that time the leader of the French Youth for Christ Movement. This would have been back in 1948. 41 years ago… A long time, huh? Anyhow, he took me by the arm and walked me over to the immigration. He said, “Give me your passport.” So I produced my passport, he went up to the gentleman at the desk, he said, “This man needs to be put through.” And the official looked at him, smiled and said, called him by name and said, “Very well” and put his stamp of approval on it, and we were through immigration.

Then he walked me over to where the customs people were and where my baggage was, and we stood by my baggage. And the man came over, and my friend who had me in tow looked at him and said firmly, “This man has nothing to declare.” And again, calling him by name, the gentlemen said, “Very well,” and marked all of my bags with a piece of chalk that indicated that they had been passed, and out we went.

He, in very deed, that young man was my trust. I trusted him not for what he was doing, but because of who he was. These people knew him and so there was no difficulty in whisking me on through. As a matter of fact… I remember just now, as a matter of fact, there was a tall Britisher – he must have been 6 foot 5 – dressed to the nines. He was absolutely impeccable, puffing on a Meerschaum pipe and standing in line, patiently waiting his turn to get through. And as my friend whisked me past with no ceremony whatsoever, this English man looked at me – down at me, I must say – and said with very scornful tones, “Is there some reason why you can’t stand in line like the rest of us?” Oh, he was upset. Well, I’m sorry, wherever you are, sir. I’m sorry. But you see you trust God not for what He does, but for what He is. He is God. And when you are in His care, everything is alright. Hallelujah! Trust. “Thou art my trust.”

So, when you trust God, you’re safe. “The fear of man bringeth a snare,” said the wise man in Proverbs, chapter 29, “but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Now, there’s many a situation where you think you’re safe and you’re really not. Those of you who’ve lived awhile you know that that’s true, but when you’re in God’s care, nothing can touch you that has not been permitted by His providential care. That takes care of what the world calls “accidents.” And it takes care of what the world calls “reversals” and “disappointments,” and what they call “disasters.” You belong to Jesus and so indeed do I, and we are held in those nail-pierced hands firmly. He said, “No man is able to pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of His hand.” So you are held in divine hands today, and nothing can touch you but that which God has permitted in his divine providence and for His eternal purposes.

Oh, it doesn’t mean that we’re going to like everything that happens. It doesn’t mean that everything that happens is going to be pleasant. Jesus said “In the world, ye” – and He was talking to the apostles, who deserved a break as much as anybody, I would think – He said “in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Three times Jesus was recorded of this saying: “Cheer up.” One is for forgiving sins. One is for a protecting miraculous presence, “Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.” And one is for the tremendous statement that Jesus is victor and you don’t have to fear what’s going to happen to you, even though it involves what the Bible calls “tribulation.”

Christians have a right to be the most cheerful people in the world, even under pressure. Trust. “Who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” He is a shield. Here’s another verse from Proverbs: “Every Word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.” He comes between you and the enemy’s projectiles, the enemy’s attacks. Thank God you don’t have to be the victim of life nor indeed of the attacks of the enemy.

Some trust in horses and some in chariots, but we will trust in the Lord our God. He is better than anything this old world can provide. “Trust,” and what it actually means is a relinquishing of your right to control the situation and giving that right over to God. You want to think about that? Real trust involves relinquishing your right to control the situation and giving it over to God.

Well, you want to think about it and do it? There’s good reason for trusting God. “How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for Them to trust in Thee before the sons of men.” God reserves the right to be good to those who trust him.

“Many sorrows,” this is Psalm 32, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.” You stop to think of the fact that you and I are supplicants. We don’t deserve anything, but you trust God. That says “mercy shall compass him about.” God is prepared to be merciful to the person who will give control to Him.

We’ll get at this a little more, then, the next time we get together.

Father God today, may we really trust in Thee. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Till I meet you once again by way of radio, walk with the King today and be a blessing!