Hello and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled In God We Trust was written by James Banks.

In the early days of the American Revolutionary War, an expedition was launched against British forces in

Quebec. When the expedition passed through Newburyport, Massachusetts on the way to Canada,

they visited the tomb of the renowned evangelist George Whitfield. Whitfield's coffin was opened,

and his clerical collar and cuffs were removed.

The clothing was cut in pieces and distributed in the mistaken belief that it could somehow give the soldier's success.

The expedition failed, but what the soldiers did demonstrates our human tendency to trust in something less than a relationship with God,

money or human strength, or even religious traditions for our ultimate well-being.

God cautioned his people against this when invasion from Assyria threatened,

and they sought Pharaoh's help instead of turning from their

sins and turning personally to him. We find these words in Isaiah chapter 30. This is what the

sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel says. In repentance and rest, is your salvation. In quiet and trust, is your strength. But you would

have none of it. You said, no, we will flee on horses. Therefore, you will flee. Their, quote,

expedition failed as well, just as God said it would. And Assyria overwhelmed Judah. But God also told his people,

the Lord longs to be gracious to you. Even when we have trusted in lesser things, God still

holds out his hand to help us return to Him. Blessed are all who wait for him.

Our scripture reading for today is from Isaiah chapter 30, verses 1 through 5, and verses 15 through

18.

Woe to the obstinate children, declares the Lord, to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my spirit, heaping sin upon sin, who go down to Egypt

without consulting me, who look for help to Pharaoh's protection,

to Egypt's shade for refuge. But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame. Egypt's shade will bring

...