Proper Trust
Jeremiah 17:5
"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
In whom you put your trust is very important. It is as important as to whom you would give your heart. When talking to young people, I often tell them be careful not to give their heart to just anybody. When they give their heart to someone, they allow that person to be their influence. Whomever you give your trust to is the person who you will follow no matter what they do.
In the verse above, God said that the man who "trusteth in man" is cursed. You have to understand, it is not God who curses that person, but it is the action that will curse them. God is saying that the person who trusts in man is doomed. He is saying that the person who trusts in man will live a life filled with irritations. God is saying that when you put your trust in man that you are bound for failure. So, what does it mean to put your trust in man.
First, it means that you put your confidence in man. In other words, God is saying that the person who believes that man will always be there for them in every situation is bound to be disappointed. Christian, man will let you down. Man will disappoint you. Man will not always be there for you. I have found many well-meaning people who tell me that they will be there for me, but when the battles come they are somewhere in the background hiding saying, "We're praying for you brother." When it comes down to man being there for you in every situation, I can tell you man will let you down. Placing your confidence that man will be there for you when you need them is going to lead to great disappointment. You are cursed if you truly believe that man will be there for you when you are going through the tough times in life.
Second, it means you get your strength from man. In other words, you get your strength in your belief system from man. Let me be very open with you, very few men are able to keep the same belief system their whole life. Many men will change throughout life as it fits their lifestyle. Just because a man says something is right does not make it right. Man is not the final authority on every thing we face. There is nothing wrong with having men whom you admire, but you must not make them your final authority. Don't curse yourself by getting your strength from man.
Third, it means you receive your hope from man. God is simply saying that if you put your whole trust that man is going to do something for you then you will be greatly disappointed. Just because someone says they are going to do something for you does not mean that they will follow through. I have had many people promise something and never come through. You are cursing yourself if you truly believe man will always come through.
So, what is the answer? The answer is found in verse 7 when it says, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." You will notice that trusting in the LORD will bring blessings. Why? Because He is the One Whom you can trust. He will never disappoint you. He will always be there for you when you need someone. He will always come through on His promises.
You have a choice today. You can either trust man and be disappointed, or you can trust God and never feel disappointment. Let me challenge you to follow and trust God. Yes, God uses man to do His work, but keep your eyes on the LORD and you will find that you will never be disappointed in Him.