In 1957, a phrase appeared on all United States monies which have never been there before. A year previously, on July 30, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower approved the law which Congress passed earlier that day. In that law, “In God We Trust” was to appear on all United States monies. Because of production times, it would be the next year before the words “In God We Trust” would appear on money for the first time.
The term, “In God We Trust” had appeared before in our nation’s history, but never as an official part of Law. The fourth verse of the Star-Spangled Banner contains the words,
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
As the phrase, “In God We Trust” continues to be printed on all United States monies, in 2005 there was a slight mistake. While printing the quarters, a machine malfunction imprinted the quarters with the words, “In God We Rust.” The faint imprint of the “T” can barely be seen.
There is a significant difference between rust and trust. Rust occurs because of several factors, but we are familiar with rust because of an object not being used or not being cared for properly. As Christians, are we using what we have been given? Are we using our talents? Are we using the blessings given to us by the Creator?
Let us trust in God, not rust in a pew. Let us trust in God, knowing that He has given us today, He has given us life, He has given us our abilities, and He has given us hope.
Sin is vicious and it takes a toll on a person and the ramifications can be great. In this lesson, I borrowed a few points from John Maxwell's book "The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day." In this book, John Maxwell, makes the points that sin does more than what we know.
The three points John Maxwell makes became valuable points in my lesson:
(1) Sin always takes you farther than you want to go.
(2) Sin always keeps you longer than you wanted to stay.
(3) Sin always costs you more thanks were willing to pay.
As we all know, the Christian life is one of action. James writes Christians should be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1.22) James goes further in his writings be saying that faith without works is dead (James 2.14,26)
Actions matter to a because, not only is it required, but when Christians act on their belief, it keeps us going. The example of the early church is powerful because, even in the face of persecution, they never stopped meeting (Acts 5.42) and they never stopped serving and growing (Acts 6.1-7). Just as they kept moving, so should we.
During the pandemic, the Giant Dipper rollercoaster in Mission Beach, California, kept on moving, but there were no human passengers. When the pandemic happened and places were shutting down, the staff at Belmont Park determined the rollercoaster needed to run 12 times a day to keep in it good repair.
They wanted to maintain the rollercoaster so it would be ready for its centennial birthday in May 2024. To do this, they would need to keep running the rollercoaster. Instead of human passengers, the Belmont Park staff filled the rollercoaster with large stuffed animals from the nearby games. Videos of the stuffed animal filled rollercoaster circulated across the internet bringing publicity to the park, and the rollercoaster kept moving.
Christians need to keep moving as we press on toward the prize. (Philippians 3.14) Even in the hard times, like a pandemic, we need to keep moving so we do not let our spiritual lives deteriorate. (Galatians 6.9).
I am going to say it and give everyone a break from the past few years and where your mind may have gone. To show you how this year is going to be a great year, let’s start off with some promises made to us, which provide a reminder of the greatness of the lives we are living.
Each promise brings us hope of a greater tomorrow and a better year. You and I can begin today and create a better day today for a better life tomorrow. We are do not by adjusting our vision and purpose, along with our mindset. Instead of seeing the negative of teh world, let us focus on the positive promises we have.
Give yourself a moment and consider the promises on this list. On one hand they are simple, and on the other hand they are huge. Their benefits are beyond our imagination.
“Ten Promises for a Better Year!”
1. The Promise of a Gift— “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4.7; ESV)
2. The Promise of the Son — “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2.29-32; ESV)
3. The Promise of the Spirit — “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8.26; ESV)
4. The Promise of God — “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13.5; ESV)
5. The Promise of a Rainbow — “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9.16; ESV)
6. The Promise of a Crown — “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4.8; ESV)
7. The Promise of Better Promises — “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” (Hebrews 8.6; ESV)
8. The Promise of Cleansing — “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1.7; ESV)
9. The Promise of Forgiveness — “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…” (Matthew 6.14; ESV)
10. The Promise of Heaven — “And this is the promise that he made to us–eternal life.” (1 John 2.25; ESV)
What are some promises that you will add to the list?
Allow me to share with you four ways to discard your life of spiritual negativity. While these four ways might now work for everyone, they will work for someone. One of these ways might be the start to the process you need to live a joyful life for the Father.
Just Stop
This is hard, yet for many, it is easy. When you realize your thoughts and words, you become a better person. Consider Paul’s words in Philippians 4.8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
We know our thoughts come out in our speech (Matthew 15.11, 18). Let us be sure our thoughts are right, so our speech will be right. For many, just stop being negative.
Stop Living in the Past
While we know the words of Paul in Philippians 3.12-15, many will choose to focus on a past life instead of pressing forward. Remember, God has plans for us, just as He did Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29.11) The past is behind us for a reason; let us move forward in the righteousness of God. (1 John 4.4)
Talk with God
Have you talked with God (prayed) about being a more positive, joyful person? Paul writes a list of attributes of a Christian in Romans 12. Consider Romans 12.12 where Paul says, “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer…” It would be worth noting that joy and prayer are attributes of a Christian.
Surround Yourself with Positive People
This is probably the one most people need. We need surrounded by those of like-mind and like-faith. We need people in our life to encourage us. (See Hebrews 3.13)
An ancient story is told of a little boy, a shipwreck and a rock:
During a furious storm at sea, a ship capsized and broke into pieces. The only survivor was a little boy who was swept by the waves onto a rock. He sat there all night long until, the next morning, he was spotted and rescued.
“Did you tremble while you were on the rock during the night?” someone later asked him.
“Yes,” said the boy. “I trembled all night—but the rock didn’t.”
At least 18 times in the book of Psalms, God is called a “Rock.” Each time, the psalmist is referring to God as his boulder, large rock, a place of refuge, or a fortress. The Hebrew words, “tsoor” and “sehlah,” bring the meanings of a stronghold of protection, but also an immovable strength.
Just as the boy in the story, are you holding onto your Rock? Is God your refuge? Your fortress? Your protection?
The Psalmist says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalms 18:2)
Do you feel the same?
The world is a hard place to live. Sin is prevalent and we can allow the current events of the world to cause us to lose focus on our Heavenly home. One of the keys to staying faithful in a troubled world is to hold fast to our Rock.
