Confidence in God

When Jesus was captured by his enemies and his disciples fled and deserted him, he was disappointed in them, but not discouraged by them, for he knew what was in the heart of man. Jesus' confidence was not in man, but in the Father. I know this, friends.

Man will surely disappoint, no matter how grim your situation looks and how alone you feel in this world. I can promise you this, friend. Man may fail you, but God will never, God will never disappoint you.

We can let him down, but he won't let us down. He'll never let you down and he'll never let you go. If you are going through a hard time, friend, and someone has let you down, don't despair.

Perhaps you are a pastor and your deacons have turned against you and now you're fighting for your job. Just remember it was God who called you and not man. Or perhaps a loved one has betrayed you and your confidence is shaken and you don't know what to do.

Turn to the one who can heal all scars. We have to be careful, friends, not to allow disappointment to turn into discouragement, because then that can turn into despair, and then the devil has us where he wants us. King David knew all about man disappointing him, for his friend King Saul turned against him, his own son Absalom turned against him, and he penned this psalm to demonstrate his trust and confidence in God.

Turn in your Bibles, friends, to Psalm 71. We will be in verses 1 through 5. Let me read us this striking passage at this time. In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.

Let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape. Incline thy ear unto me and save me.

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. Thou hast given commandment to save me, for thou art my rock and my fortress. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man, for thou art my hope, O Lord God.

Thou art my trust from my youth. You see, friends, David had his confidence in God, and I know my confidence is not in man, but God. And I want to finish this message with a story about D.O. Moody that a friend sent me because it relates to our topic today and the title of my message, which is Confidence in God.

I've been to the house where the story took place in Northfield, Massachusetts, the old homestead of D.O. Moody, and it is the home in which he died in, with the last words on his lips being, Earth recedes, Heaven increases. Here now is this delightful story about D.O. Moody called Teaching Willie Faith. Some years ago, I wanted to teach my boy what faith was, so I put him on a table.

He was a little fellow about two years old. I stood back three or four feet and said, Willie, jump. The little fellow said, Papa, I's afraid.

I said, Willie, I will catch you. Just look at me and jump. The little fellow got all ready to jump and then look down again and said, I's afraid.

Willie, didn't I tell you I would catch you? Will Papa deceive you? Now, Willie, look at me right in the eye and jump, and I will catch you. The little fellow got all ready the third time to jump, but he looked on the floor and said, I's afraid. Didn't I tell you I would catch you? Yes.

At last, I said, Willie, don't take your eyes off me, and I held the little fellow's eyes and said, now jump. Don't look at the floor, and he leaped into my arms. Then he said to me, let me jump again.

I put him back, and the moment he got on the table, and after that, when I was on the table and I was standing five or six feet away, I heard him cry, Papa, I's coming, and I had just time to rush and catch him. He seemed to put too much confidence in me, but you cannot put too much confidence in God, and I want to verify that, friend, that statement of D.L. Moody for you can never put too much confidence in God or in his word because he is true to his word, and his word is true. Let us pray.