Walk by Trust, Stand in Truth

God is a calling us into a devoted faith walk, in which we trust Him with our very lives, in a state of surrender to His will. He wants us to be so reliant on Him, and not attempt to achieve favor with God through our own futile works. Here is what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:
(1) Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Our righteousness, our standing before God, is not determined by how many good works we do, how many Scripture verses we memorize, or how often we integrate Scriptures into our conversation. Those are all the products of the central relationship we have through Christ, but we don't work in order to be declared righteous before the Lord - we accept Christ, He declares us to be in right standing, and as a result of that knowledge and the work of the Spirit, we can see fruit produced in the form of good works.  It's important that we understand the nature of the faith walk - it's faith first and by faith alone that we are justified before God.

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We can enjoy the promise of new life as we trust Christ. Romans 5 provides this reminder:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

They're proclaiming their trust in God in West Shreveport in Louisiana.  In March, a complaint was filed against a local principal, Albert Hardison, at Walnut Hill Middle School in the Caddo Parrish school district, according to a report from local television station, KSLA.  This complaint, by one citizen, alleged the use of prayer in school communications by Mr. Hardison, which prompted the removal of all references to God or religion of any kind from every school and web site related to the Caddo Parish School District.

Seems that another school, Ridgewood Middle School, had the phrase, "In God We Trust," posted in its marquee out in front of the school.  It was taken down in March, which set up a response by students, who held a rally during lunchtime one day, handing out 500 T-shirts with the iconic phrase printed on them.

Meanwhile, school district attorneys were mulling over the legality of the sign displaying the national motto.  As the TV station reported, Superintendent Dr. Lamar Goree authorized the principal to use his own discretion on whether to put the phrase back on the school sign. And, just over a week ago, the phrase returned to the marquee.

Pastor and parent Joey Ketchum had been enlisted for help and support on the marquee issue by 40 or so members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Ridgewood. He helped out with organizing the T-shirt giveaway at the school.

Another KSLA story reported on the students' initiative to restore the words to the sign, called iStand. Pastor Ketchum is quoted: "That has been a staple in the community and at their school. The students through social media and their cell phones, texting and what not have taken initiative."  The words have been on the sign for 15 years.

This is reminiscent of other instances where students have taken a stand for expressions of faith.  I think of the Texas cheerleaders, who were told they could no longer put Scripture verses on the banners that their football team runs through prior to the start of a game - the courts said that the cheerleaders could, and the district revised its policy, according to a report on the Beaumont Enterprise website.

It's always gratifying to see young people who are attempting to live the Christian life.  Last weekend, the Jimmy Hitchcock Awards, recognizing Christian leadership in athletics, were handed out - over 50 finalists were recognized, with two young ladies and a young man selected to be the award winners.  Here you see young people who have decided that they want their trust in God to be reflected in the way that they integrate their faith into how they live everyday.

And, that's a challenge for all of us.  Three points to ponder today:

For the Christian, "In God We Trust" are words that are more than just a national motto or words we see on our money or on a school marquee.  I do think it's great that those words are displayed wherever there is opportunity. For us, if we take those words to heart, then it will make a difference in the way we think and ultimately in the way we live.

If we say we trust God, then that should mean that we are truly attempting to walk by faith. We are not merely embracing a vague concept of God or giving lipservice to His existence, but submitting our thoughts, words, and deeds to the lordship of Jesus.  Trusting God is more than just embracing a pithy phrase or being identified as a church member - it's the pursuit of a consistent walk that reflects His presence.

Trusting God is more than church attendance or event participation.  These can be important aspects of the committed walk, but the true fruit of trust is what God produces in us as we put to death the desires of self and conform to the desires of Christ.