In 1956 the motto of the United States was officially proclaimed to be “In God We Trust.” While placing our trust in God can be difficult as well as controversial, people have been doing so since the beginning of human existence, so it is not a new phenomenon. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; in all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths” [Proverbs 3:5-6].

Trusting in someone is never easy and is often ephemeral. There is an old saying that states “It takes a lifetime to build trust, but only an instant to lose it.” Trusting in God can prove difficult because we tend to want to look someone in the eye and observe them closely whenever we place our life in another’s hands.

When Jesus said “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” [Jn 10:27] he was telling us that we can trust him. His voice is familiar; we hear it and know it. The shepherd knows his flock, recognizing each one as a mother recognizes her infant’s cry. The sheep in turn recognize the shepherd’s voice, distinguishing his voice from all others. They know their shepherd by the sound of his voice and follow him because they trust him.

Some time ago I was diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening heart condition that called for major surgery. Like many who have suddenly been confronted with their own mortality, I was afraid and concerned for the future. But then I read the words “In God I trust, I do not fear” [Psalm 56:11-12]. It was as if all my fear was washed away. I realized that I was and always have been in His hands; that he knew me and loved me and cared for me; that I had nothing to fear because I trusted Him.

I distinctly remember the moments prior to surgery, knowing that I would soon be unconscious and totally dependent for my continued health and existence on the skill and ability of another human being, someone who literally held my life in his hands. I realized at that moment that I was not in control; that in fact I had never been in control, and that was a new and very sobering notion. My life — through all the years I had existed up to that moment — had always been under the control of my Creator. And I trusted Him because He loved me.

It is difficult to trust the knowable; how much more to place our trust in the Unknowable. We trust what we can experience through our senses. It is counter to our nature to place our trust in that which we cannot know, cannot logically deduce, cannot perceive because it is beyond our ability to measure.

But “Love never fails” [1 Cor 13:8].  God is, God is Love, and God never fails. Trust in God because He never fails.