One of the struggles in life is misplaced trust. It’s when we put our trust in someone we thought was a good person, but they ended up betraying us. It often is someone close to us, like a family member or longtime friend. It hurts and usually costs us something, but we can recover from it. Jesus wants us to trust in Him.
2 Kings 16:7-8
Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria.
Trust in the Wrong Power
Israel split into two kingdoms after Solomon’s death, leaving Judah as a tiny kingdom. They were constantly being attacked by the northern nation of Israel, Egypt, and Assyria. Judah could not defend itself against these bigger militaries and sought to form alliances. It tried to sway Egypt and then Assyria to protect it. Both of these partnerships failed, but not how you would think. Ahaz formed this alliance with Assyria against the specific instructions of God. He sent all of the riches of Israel for something that eventually failed him. God wanted Ahaz to trust him, but in his fear, he didn’t.
Misplaced Trust
Be careful with who align yourself. Those who you think can save you will often bring you into bondage. Our allegiance should be to the Lord and our trust in Him. God is bigger than any problem or enemy in your life. If you look to others to protect you or bail you out, they will fail. You could have all the money in the world, and it would still not be enough. The real key is where your eyes are focused. Are they focused on your problems, or are they focused on the Almighty God? The Bible is full of stories of God using the smaller to defeat the more powerful. If you’re not feeling the strength to face what is in front of you, hold on, you’re in the perfect place for God to do something incredible.