Trust in God

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD … he will be like a tree planted by the water …  its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8 NASB

Born in Munich on this day in 1864, Richard Strauss influenced music and culture throughout Europe and the United States. Although a talented conductor, he gained the greatest fame as a dynamic composer. In strictly musical terms, his compositions often are inspiring. Yet his personal philosophy rejected God.

Strauss is best remembered as the composer of the fanfare opening of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (taken from his tone poem “Thus Spake Zarathustra”). This was music based on the book by notorious atheist Frederick Nietzsche.

Other compositions also conducted atheistic themes. Strauss called his Alpine Symphony an anti-Christian work, celebrating the act of “moral purification by means of one’s own strength.” Ignoring God, the Alpine Symphony encouraged the “worship of glorious, eternal nature.”

Strauss held to his convictions. Just before his death in September 1949, he commented to his daughter-in-law, “Dying is just the way I composed it in Death and Transfiguration.” There was no evidence he ever recognized the reality of God.

Many people are like Strauss – confident in themselves, trusting in their abilities, and not concerned that the Bible warns that those who trust in themselves are “cursed” (v. 5).

If you want God to bless you, remember that you cannot trust in your own resources, skills, or abilities. Commit your life to Him. Seek to serve Him. Trust Him.

Reflection Question: How can you ensure you’re trusting God in every facet of your life?