I once saw a famous baseball player talking about his faith on television. He spoke about how placing our confidence in people was a mistake, and how we should only put our hope in God. In fact, he made a startling statement like, "People will let us down 100 percent of the time, but God will never let us down." If I had heard this man talking like this before I became a committed Christian years ago, I might have thought he was being terribly cynical. But now I know better. The Bible says, "It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in people." (Psalm 118:8 NLT) The truth is, whenever we put our confidence in people, or become dependent upon them for our needs, we will be disappointed. Only God can make the statement - "Those who hope in Me will not be disappointed" - and have it hold true. (Isaiah 49:23 NIV) Jesus did not have a cynical or suspicious nature, and yet He did not put His confidence in people. Scripture says: "But Jesus didn't trust them, because He knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell Him about human nature." (John 2:24-25 NLT) Jesus loved people enough to die for them, but His faith and hope were in God, not in man. We need to follow His example. (1 Peter 1:21)

Years ago, I heard a godly man say that whenever we compromise God's Word to gain or keep something or someone, we will lose what we are trying to hold on to. I have learned the hard way that there is a lot of truth to that statement. If you are involved in a relationship that is not God's best for you, and you turn your back on the Lord's will to please this person, you will either watch them slip away from you no matter what you do, or what is sweet between you now will eventually become sour. Even when we are in God's perfect will relationship-wise, we will face disappointment regularly. So why would we want to be involved with a relationship that wasn't God's best for us? If our confidence and hope are properly placed in God, HE will fulfill all our needs and desires. Even when the Lord uses others to meet some of our needs, we are not to become dependent upon these people, or to place our confidence in them. While we should appreciate them, we should depend only upon God.

Some believers compromise their Christian values because they are afraid of being alone. But those fears are unfounded because God has promised to provide ALL our needs if we let Him, and that includes our social and emotional needs. Jesus knew better than anyone what it was like to be disappointed and alone. Just before He went to the cross He said to His disciples: "The time is coming - in fact, it is already here - when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me." (John 16:32 NLT) Jesus knew that even if all of His loved ones deserted Him, His Heavenly Father would still be there for Him. That's a message for all of us to take to heart. Today, it is my earnest prayer that you will put your wholehearted trust in the only One who can ever truthfully say - "I will never, never fail you nor forsake you!" (Hebrews 13:15 TLB)

Prayer: Lord, right now, I commit myself to You and ask You to bring me into the center of Your will in every area of my life. Don't let me compromise my relationship with You to please myself or others. When others disappointment me, I ask that You comfort me and remind me that Your presence and provision are always available to me. Thank You that because my hope is in You, I won't be disappointed!

- J. M. Farro