It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalm 118:8-9

Duct tape is a reliable product.

I don't know if it is the material that holds the civilized world together, but I've seen the stuff used to make wallets, prom dresses, and everything in between. It is most versatile.

On the other hand, I don't know if I would trust the stuff to keep me safe from some of the world's more infectious diseases like Ebola, smallpox, and Q Fever.

Q fever? Yes, I know it sounds like something from a James Bond film. It's not. Q fever causes fatal heart problems. Q fever is such a nasty disease that it has been studied as a potential bioterror agent.

That's about all I know about Q Fever - - that and I don't want to catch it.

If you're paying attention, you might be asking, "What do duct tape and infectious diseases, like Q fever, have in common?" Good question. Here's the answer. At the government's $214 million infectious disease laboratory in Atlanta, scientists are experimenting with dangerous bacteria like Q fever in a room where the door is sealed with duct tape.

The duct tape was put there more than a year ago when the ventilation system broke down.

Now I don't know if any of you are seeing something wrong with the idea of keeping the public safe by using duct tape, but I do.

This leads me to think there is a great deal of certainty in the words of Scripture which serve as the theme for today's devotion: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."

The truth is people can let us down; organizations, governments, and businesses will do the same. But the Lord won't.

From the day of creation, through humankind's fall into sin, past our regular rejection of God's laws, beyond the Savior's death and resurrection, God has proven Himself to be faithful and trustworthy.

He promised to send a Savior and He did. He says the blood of the Savior will cleanse us from sin and it does. Now He promises to be with us wherever we are, wherever we go, whatever happens.

Indeed, if the lab's duct tape failed and an infectious disease swept over the world, the Lord would be with us, strengthening, helping, supporting, and eternally saving His people.

Because God is always reliable, is why I trust Him rather than man. It's why I trust Him even more than I trust duct tape.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that in this world where trust is so easily misplaced, You can be relied upon. Help me listen to You, follow You, and know You are faithful, in spite of what men might do and the future may bring. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 10-12    Acts 10:24-48

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