Trust and Distrust

 November 8, 2021

Back in the 80’s there was a TV show called “The A Team,” four renegade former Special Ops soldiers of fortune. The show was stock gumball adventure involving the various specialized talents of the men to pull off some unlikely scenarios. Each show ended with the leader of the group, cigar in mouth, smiling, and saying, “I love it when a plan comes together!”

That’s how I often feel when studying the Bible. At times, seemingly insurmountable difficulties arise, or at the minimum, the words seem dead on the page. I know that the problem isn’t the deadness of the Word of God, but of my own heart, but the effect is the same, which is why I love it when what I’m studying meshes with what a preacher says.

Last night, the preacher at the little Baptist church we attended gave a stirring and passionate sermon on Elijah’s encounter with Ahab, announcing a three-year drought because of his sins. The preacher focused on just the first verse of 1 Kings 17, but as the story continues, at the end of the three years, God tells Elijah to present himself to Ahab. The meeting was arranged, and Ahab’s first words to Elijah were, “Is that you, O troubled of Israel?” To which Elijah responded that it wasn’t him, but Ahab himself who was causing all the problems (1 Kings 18:17-18).

This morning, I was reading Psalm 38. Verse 12 reads, “Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction and plan deception all the day long.” Having been burned a few times in my life, I tend to be more cynical when it comes to trusting people than I used to be. The fact is, not everyone is deserving of our trust; deceitful people will often speak of destruction and hurt, but the truth isn’t the same as they want you to believe. All the while they’re sniping at you behind the scenes, they will tell you how deeply you hurt them. 

It’s classic double-speak. Ahab accused Elijah of the very thing he was guilty of, trying to throw him off guard and put him at a disadvantage. I’m thankful tonight for the Scriptures that not only offer us grace, but also guidance and wisdom. Salvation is not just something for after we leave this world; it is God’s gift to us here and now, offering forgiveness, freedom, a new start, and wisdom for everyday life.