Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

In God We Trust

About 30 years ago, my husband built a tree house for our kids that was fit for Robin Hood himself. He chose a big sturdy hedge tree and began to build the fortress, complete with trap door, fireman‘s pole, and a basket on a rope to pull up and let down through an opening in the floor. A few years ago, my daughter and her girls were in the pasture and Lydia Mae and Felicity wanted to go up into the tree house. Mariam agreed, so she got hammer, nails, and boards to add some steps to make the climb doable. Mariam went up first, and then from the top she instructed each little girl where to put their feet and hands as they made their climb. The girls had never done this before, and it was a little scary for them, but they trusted their Mommy to get them through it. And she did.

Without the help of their mother, who knew all the ins and outs of climbing that tree, Lydia Mae and Felicity could not have accomplished their desire. Their high level of trust was very obvious. I love this scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths“ (Proverbs 3:5,6 MEV). This verse is not just something appropriate to write in a graduation card, it’s an everyday-all-your-life command to put into practice.

It’s a downward crash to the bottom of the tree if you think you don’t need God. Proverbs 3:7 NLT reads, “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.“ Trusting in yourself is pretty worthless and leads to a miserable life; and unless you change your ways and begin to honor God, your afterlife will be way worse than your earthly life.

“In God We Trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956. The motto was first printed on paper money in 1957. Back then, money was handled by most adults every day. I believe that printing this motto on our money was divinely inspired. In fact, the plastic cards should have “In God We Trust“ printed on them too! Sixty-nine years ago, our Country’s leaders thought it was important for Americans to put their trust in God — and it still is.

God is absolutely trustworthy. You won’t find a better track record anywhere. Moses and the children of Israel came up to the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army breathing down their necks. God rolled up His sleeves and basically said, “Just watch Me work.” God is not looking at our beloved U.S.A. while wringing His hands and saying, “I don’t know how this is going to turn out.“ No, God’s Word is firm: “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning…I say, ’My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please’” (Isaiah 46:9,10 NIV). God knows the future before it even happens. Everything He plans will come to pass. He simply needs His children to trust Him with childlike faith.

I encourage you to stand firm and beef up your trust in God as the apostle Paul instructed Timothy: “…We trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV).

The Key: Quit trying to climb the tree by yourself, and ask for God’s help.

Great leaders are in short supply. Relatives who are business owners have shared their difficulties in finding employees who lead in their companies’ departments without expecting their bosses to do what they (the employees) have been entrusted to do.

One employer said that his day is continually interrupted by team leaders who want him to solve their problems. They show up in his office, complaining that they are missing a tool or are behind on a deadline or are short on J-bolts. Clearly, they have no desire to figure out a solution but want my relative to do it for them. My husband and I bought him this sign for his office door.

I wonder what these businesses would look like if they had godly men in leadership roles. My morning’s Bible study addressed Moses sending 12 leaders/spies to check out the Promised Land. Numbers 13:17-20 indicates that the mission of these spies was not to see if they could take the land, but how they would do it. Effective leaders understand their mission.

Ten of the twelve returned, whining about the difficulties in conquering the land. Yes, there were issues, but they dismissed how God had given them the mandate and the capability to take what He had provided for them. This was their Promised Land. This was their goal, yet they failed to focus on that.

Instead, they spoke of how they were merely “grasshoppers in the enemies’ eyes” when the opposite was true. If we look to Joshua 2:8-11, we read that the Canaanites were terrified of the Israelites. Apparently, they had more confidence in God’s power than the Israelites. Effective leaders do not exaggerate their problems.

Effective leaders have confidence in the abilities God has given them. These ten spies did not deal with this maturely. They told the rest of the tribes who then accepted that defeat was ahead. They wept loudly, according to Numbers 14, and begged to return to Egypt and to replace Moses as their leader. Instead of remembering what the Lord had provided for them, the Israelites believed these naysayers. Great leaders do not share negative reports about their company. They trust its leadership and have confidence in their own ability to solve problems.

Fortunately, there were two who knew otherwise. Joshua and Caleb. I love Caleb’s response, following the grumbling of the ten. “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” He was the factory employee who says, “Let’s start from the beginning to figure out why this machine is stalling.” She is the coach who reminds her team of its ability to compete with the talented opposition. He is the pastor who holds prayer meetings to trust God will enable the elders to stop their divisive ways. She is the wife who prays for her wayward husband instead of grumbling about him to her friends.

Caleb and Joshua reminded the Israelites that God would provide, but they chose instead to complain. God had had it. Those 20 years and older who grumbled would die in the wilderness and never seen the Promised Land, and as for the 10 spies who had caused the problem, they would die by plague. We know what God thinks of poor leadership.

At one time or another, we all are called to lead. Which kind of leader are you?