Who Can You Trust?

By Paul Chappell

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

James 1:17–18

In 1999 John F. Kennedy Jr. flew his small airplane from New York City to his family home in Massachusetts for a wedding. On board were his wife Carolyn and her sister. Though Kennedy was a licensed pilot, he had not yet been approved for instrument flight (using only instruments to navigate). When their takeoff was delayed until after dark, Kennedy should have waited for daylight or sought a more experienced pilot to help. Yet, Kennedy took off into the darkness. The plane never reached its destination, and all three passengers were killed in the crash.

Investigators determined that the crash was likely caused by disorientation from flying over open water at night without any landmarks or visible horizon. Kennedy’s lack of experience may well have led him to trust what he thought he was seeing more than what his instrument panel was telling him.

Our human nature is such that we frequently are not sure who or what we can trust. All of us face the temptation to walk according to sight instead of faith. Faith—if it is based on the right thing—will keep us from crashing. The reason faith in God and His Word keeps us on the right path is because God never fails. There is not even the slightest hint that He will ever change His nature, His character, or His promises.

No promise is better than the one who makes it. We have seen many examples of people who trusted investments, companies and governments only to find that their confidence was misplaced. Those who put their faith in God never suffer the disappointment of broken promises.

Today's Rooted Principle:

Instead of relying on your own wisdom, trust the Word of the God who never changes.