Sticking My Confidence Where It Belongs
Since the first Monday in December of 2024 I have been frequenting a gas station and biscuit stop where blue collar men and women fuel up for their work day. For any who show, I offer a five minute prayer over them for their week ahead. As a springboard for the prayer time, I read a passage out of John’s gospel, give a quick explanation, and pray. It has been a sweet time getting to know folks week after week.
Recently, the Scripture I read and prayed has stuck with me like cockleburs on shoelaces. It’s not a passage anyone would necessarily tag as their life verse or magnetize on their fridge. It comes after the more exciting events of Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine and the overturning the tables in the Temple. This is what we read next:
“Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart” (John 2:23-25).
The Scottish Psalter incudes Psalm 146 as a hymn for God’s people to sing. Verse one encourages us, like Jesus does in John 2, to not put our ultimate confidence in people:
Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.
What does it take for this hard head to grasp that? How many betrayals from fellow men and how many of my own betrayals will it take to root this deeply in my heart and for me not to reel from the exposure?
In the three churches I have pastored someone (and someone’s) I have trusted have deeply wounded the ministry and me personally. I am sure that I have done the same either by commission or omission. The hurt doesn’t lessen the older I get, but it does actually begin to turn my heart more to Jesus, expect less of mankind, and long for His kingdom to come in its eternal fullness. Neither the world nor the Church is a safe place. The Church on earth is not a safe place because it is filled with people just like me who are still wrestling with their sinful desires, throw tantrums, and stab each other. Why should I expect perfect peace in a place and with a people who are not yet made perfect? Does this mean the Church shouldn’t be sought and membership in her should be cast aside? Nope. The Church is Christ’s Bride. He loves her. I should too. He loves, pursues, and woos His adulterous Bride over and over again. Isn’t that why we need faith? Faith looks through the gloom and the suffering and the affliction to the better ending. It means that the good news needs to be taught and displayed all the more as Christ continues to love her. It is through the Church that we receive wounds AND healing:
“He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Presently, we are being washed. That means that, until glory (note: will be), we have grime that needs scouring.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Church hurt hurts. It hurts deeply. But our wounds to Christ were deeper. We killed Him. And through those very wounds and death we are healed and we will live.
Have you been wounded? Have you wounded? Of course you have. These are temporary afflictions in a temporary time and place. I wrote these things because I need to write these things for my heart to remember: Put no confidence in princes, Nor for help on man depend, rather, praise Jehovah resting your confidence on Jesus who is the Author and Perfector of your faith.