When we’re in need we often put our hope in things that don’t have the power to save. So the Bible gives us three wrong places to put our hope…
- Man. When you have a problem run to the throne before you run to the phone. That is, turn to God first, not man. Jeremiah 17:5 says, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” When you have a problem what’s the first thing you do? Do you call your spouse? Do you call a friend? Do you call your parents? Or do you call God? Where do you place your hope? In man or in your Maker? Man often lacks the ability to turn your situation around, but not so with God.
- Military strength. Regarding deliverance you don’t want to trust in military strength. Psalm 33:17-22 says, “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” God used 300 Israelites to beat 132,000 Midianites. The application of these verses for us is this: The human odds don’t have to be in our favor when we have God on our side. As Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God specializes in the impossible, so why would we turn to anyone other than Him to help when we’re in need?
- Money. Regarding provision you don’t want to trust in money. Job said in Job 31:24 that he refused to trust in his gold and refused to find security in his wealth (even though he had more than any other man on earth). Christians put their hope in God to provide all they need, not money in and of itself. Paul commanded a young pastor named Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
When you have God you have all you need, so don’t put your hope in man, in military strength, in money, or in anyone or anything else!