The decisions that we are faced with every single day determine whether or not the right or wrong choice is being made. We in the church have to make sure that we decide wisely, especially since we are to set the right example; for we are the few who have been called out of this world (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).  As Jesus Christ says in John 15:19, “… Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” 
 
Let’s think about what this means. The day will come when the WHOLE WORLD will HATE us because of our beliefs.  There may be people right now that we don’t get along with, whatever the reason may be, but this pales by comparison with what is to come.  Do we become so wrapped up in what other people think about us, that it could cause us to make wrong choices?  Satan, who is very cunning, finds ways to get into our heads, causing us to get sidetracked and lose focus on the bigger picture, and as a result, we become blindsided by our faulty decision-making. 
 
To avoid this, we need God for direction (Isaiah 28:29).  We do make wrong choices from time to time, but we have God to help us, which is why prayer is crucial in ANY circumstance (Colossians 1:9; Ephesians 6:18).
 
We are faced with making decisions as the annual church conference is upon us, by focusing on the mission and purpose the church is set out to do (Mark 16:15).  Through faith and trust in God, we can be confident the right choices will be made.  We bear a certain responsibility in the church, and due to that, we will be faced at times with pressure situations, because we must live as examples by staying true to our faith.  Since we do not compromise with our beliefs, as God does not compromise (Malachi 3:6), we have stood up for what is right, and many will come to realize where we stand, based on our convictions. This shows how we are to be good examples; why it is crucial that correct decisions have to be made.
 
God’s purpose for mankind is the same today, as it was then!  Every person on this earth makes choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, there is a group of people that God has called out of this world; to come out from the evil ways, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments!  Even God had a choice to make, choosing those out of the world for a purpose, for God only called and chose the few (James 1:18).
 
Yes, God has called you and me at this time, and He has given us His Spirit and His Law.  As God did so in ancient times, He has also given us a choice to make: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply…But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
 
He has said to us: “Choose life!” What choices will we make, today?  More importantly, will God be pleased with the choices we make?  Simply put, do we want to live or die? Do we want to keep God’s commandments, or do we want to break them? To reiterate once again, God has called you and me at this time; He has given us His Spirit and His Law; and He has said to us: “Choose life!”

This world places too much trust in people and physical things. Many times people don’t end up getting what they ask for and what they want. The reason becomes obvious when we consider how they ask, what they ask for and whom they ask. Many forget or don’t even know about the bigger picture and who it is that supplies all desires and who is the source of trust.

Where do so many people put their trust?  They trust in riches, in their jobs, in their boss and co-workers, in physical things, or in certain individuals like a doctor or a lawyer; they trust in their religion, friends and family and their mate; or they trust in their political leadership or the opposition.

So where do WE put our trust?  Do we put our trust in the same things that the world does?  Do we put our trust in what we hear on TV or what we read in the paper, as distinguished from our weekly updates?  Do we trust in man like a political leader; for instance, the president?  Do we trust in our country?  Do we trust in a false god and false religion or a false teaching?

Micah 7:5-7 tells us that we should not even put our ultimate trust in a friend or any human being, including ourselves, and Proverbs 20:19 states that we must be careful with certain people. The Bible also warns those who put their trust in money: “He who trusts in his riches will fall” (Proverbs 11:28).

We should know whom we ought to trust. But do we? Do we really trust God the Father; Jesus Christ; God’s Word, the Bible; and God’s Church—the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15)?

We must never leave God out of the picture.  It is through God and because of God that we can have certain trust in selected individuals, but we must be aware that trials will come to test our trust. We also have to be careful that we don’t trust in ourselves, without God in the picture, as it says in Proverbs 28:25-26: “He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

Tough times are ahead of us, and as the Church’s annual conference approaches in just a few days, tough decisions may have to be made.  We have been admonished by the ministry to pray and even fast for the success of the conference, and that everything will be done and decided with total trust in God. This principle applies to every facet in our individual lives as well.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: “Trust in the LORD  with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” When we trust in Him, He will give us the desires of the heart, as it says in Psalm 37:3-4.

We read about several individuals in the Bible who put their trust in God, like David who went to God many times in prayer to ask for deliverance from his persecutors (compare 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 7:1).  Job went through some very serious trials and had to trust God that there were reasons for his suffering. Abraham trusted in God when he was to offer his son as a sacrifice. Moses had to trust God when he was commanded to free Israel from Egypt. Even Jesus Christ, when He was on this earth, had to trust in His Father to get through many trials, and also, when He was being tempted by Satan. Christ could have sinned because He was in fact human, but through trust, faith, and the power of His Father’s Holy Spirit in Him was He able to overcome and remain sinless. He did it for us, for our benefit, so we could inherit eternal life.  

Trust and faith do go together.  We can’t have faith if we don’t have trust, and we must pray with good intentions, as it says in Hebrews 13:18-19: “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.”

The Bible prophesies that times will get more and more tough. We have to stay strong and trust in God and what God promises us.  The world is blind and in darkness. They don’t realize what is to come in the near future. If we are ever in doubt about somebody or something, we should always remind ourselves who it is that we can count on at all times, and where we should put our trust. Remember: In God We Trust!!