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I recall many years ago when I often used one of my granddaddy’s tractors to do my garden work. It was an old rusty M Farmall that had spent a lot of hours in the field. It had a burnt valve and the old four cylinder engine often skipped terribly making it sound more like a B John Deere than an M Farmall. I did not mind it being old and rusty and I could even tolerate it not running like a new sewing machine, but the big problem was getting it started. The six volt battery was usually too weak for the starter to crank the engine, which meant I had to resort to using the hand crank to get it started. I didn’t mind that so much either, except during those times when it would kick back terribly. I was in my twenties at the time and in much better shape than I am now, but it was still no fun when that thing kicked back—especially when I was not expecting it. Needless to say, the old tractor was not very dependable and it was not unusual for me to spend more time trying to get it started than it took to do the cultivating I needed to do.

It is a frustrating thing to have equipment or helpers who are not dependable. Like the old tractor that I used, it always leaves a question in the mind as to whether the task can be accomplished or not. On the other hand, when we know that what or who we are depending on is dependable, it brings a calm assurance to life and a confidence that things will turn out the way they are supposed to.

When it comes to eternal matters of the soul, we cannot afford to trust in that which is not dependable; we need a totally reliable source in which to plant our faith. Without a doubt, God is that Source of truth that we can trust in under all circumstances of life.

During the day of King David in the Old Testament, the king was experiencing great victories and he was seeing the hand of God at work in his life and in the nation of Israel. In response, he acknowledged the dependability of God and His Word. From one of David’s prayers the Bible records this statement: “O Sovereign Lord, You are God! Your words are trustworthy, and You have promised these good things to Your servant” (2 Samuel 7:28, New International Version).

Much earlier in David’s life and long before he became king, we find that his confidence that he could always trust God was already an important part of his life. In the account of David confronting and defeating Goliath—the giant from Gath who was over nine feet tall–we are given a clear picture of one who fully trusted God because he was convinced that God was fully trustworthy. 1 Samuel 17 gives the full account; one of the details that speaks of David’s confidence that God would come through for him is found in verse 48: “As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” As a result of his depending on the trustworthiness of God, David was used to bring great victory to God’s people and much honor to God.

David worded well his faith in God in Psalm 19:7: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” We can rest at ease with the assurance that God is always dependable; He is trustworthy—100 % of the time. No matter what you are facing, when you put your faith in Him you can take a deep breath and relax with assurance the He has it all under control.