Who Is It I Am Really Trusting?

For fifteen years, though I didn’t realize it, I put my trust in the Equitable Life Assurance Company of the United States of America to take care of me and my family. You understand, I would have told you that of course I trusted God to take care of us. But if some disaster should befall my beloved Walt, at least I’d have a home clear of debt because of Equitable.

When Walt accepted a pastorate in Greenville, South Carolina, we came to live in a lovely church parsonage. Suddenly I realized that, if I lost Walt, I would have no home for my seven children and no income. I had no Equitable Life Assurance. And that was when I realized how strong my faith had been in Equitable!

I heard my Heavenly Father say, very quietly, “Libby, I have been here all the time, watching over you and protecting you and the family all these years. Equitable Life Assurance can’t assure you of anything, not even life itself, in spite of its name! I promise I will keep on taking care of all of you for the rest of your lives.”
God has kept every promise He made to me in the 56 years since that day. I have been a slow learner, but I am learning to trust Him, Him alone, rather than any institution, or investment, or Medicare, or church family, or even my dear children–except that I nearly had a melt-down last week, when a feeling of utter insufficiency hit me. I looked at my schedule for the week and thought, “I’m too old for all of this. I don’t have the strength, the emotions, the presence of mind to handle all these demands. I must have been out of my mind to agree to them. What in the world was I thinking?”

And the Lord said to me, so quietly (and still so patiently!) “Libby, you don’t have to do all of those things today. All you have to do today is to meet today’s schedule. I have promised you strength and wisdom for today. Why are you worrying about tomorrow? That won’t help you do what I have in mind for you today.” He kept His promise. He helped me do what I had to do.

That is exactly what Jesus promised in Matthew 6:25-30:

So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. . . . Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them.
And you are far more valuable to Him than they are.
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that ate here today and gone tomorrow,
Won’t He more surely care for you?

So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. . . .Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.

This reminder, and this promise, are from God. If you make God’s will your primary concern,

A Reluctant Confession by Elizabeth Rice Handford