We are put to shame when we fail to live the new life, when we drift or fall away, when we do not reach our goal, when our boasting does not hold water, when we sin. This was therefore a very significant prayer that David sent to the Chief Musician when he submitted Psalm 31 to him. Verse 6 is very noteworthy: “I have hated those who regard vain idols; but I trust in the Lord.” This matter of trusting in the Lord entails much. It includes everything that is the complete opposite of trusting in empty, futile idols that are unable to help. The apostle John says, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21. To us, idols are not wooden statues, or the sun, the moon, or similar things. They are simply everything we can be tempted to put our trust in, to regard, from which to seek comfort or to which we attach any kind of significance. These idols are: money, our own and other people’s strength, food and clothing, honor and authority, as well as the opposite sex. Trusting in the Lord in spirit and in truth is the same as not attributing any essential significance to these things; it is the same as hating them in a scriptural sense, or that they have absolutely no power over us. That a woman has so and so many worshipers is a common expression that speaks clearly about the human condition. This is very striking! If you completely trust the Lord in the fullest sense of the Word, you have all these earthly “values” and “powers” under your feet, which is the equivalent of having Satan crushed under your feet. Rom. 16:20. Then the Lord alone is your fountain, riches, security, and glory! Then you can rightly shout, while singing and dancing, “All my fountains are in You!” When a person sins, it is because the above-mentioned idols have power over him! All these earthly things are intended to be used according to God’s will and laws. Rightly understood and as it is written, everything is lawful to us, but none of it must have power over us. On the contrary, it is we who shall rule over these things. For example, a hen-pecked husband has let one of these earthly values—a woman— gain power over him. Thus he regards vain idols and thereby proves that he does not put his trust in the Lord. He has been put to shame or has not yet put off his shame. When a person falls prey to the wrath of man, which is extremely common, this is clear evidence that he is an idolater. Earthly values (e.g., money and honor) weigh heavily in the scales in his life. If these things were under his feet, the cause of his anger would be removed, thereby causing his anger to disappear. There is a reason for everything. The greatest promises apply to those who put their trust in the Lord, and the strongest curses apply to those who do not put their trust in the Lord. Just take a look at Jeremiah 17. The person who values the honor of men is an idolater and will therefore reap the opposite of honor, namely: shame. The person who whines and complains and is anxious for food and clothing and other things is virtually wading in shame; he cannot even pray this prayer properly: “Let me never be put to shame!” You cannot speak about never being put to shame when you continuously walk in shame. However, for those who thank and praise God for all things without ceasing, as it is written; whose hearts and mouths always say, “The Lord be praised,” it can be said of them that there will never be an exception to this wonderful rule. This is the kind of life that we are called to live. The Scriptures testify to it from cover to cover. “And in His temple [in our hearts!] everyone says, ‘Glory!’” Ps. 29:9. Yes, glory be to God in the highest and down here in the lowly places! In the dust we will praise and glorify God for all things. To Him belong honor and praise and power and glory. He alone shall be worshiped. We shall trust and rely on Him alone! Everything else is vanity! Vanity of vanities! Most people who are called God’s children clearly testify that they are not redeemed from earthly things. In other words, they still worship idols. They still have not come to the place where they completely and utterly put their trust in the Lord! They think that a little bit on the side, or preferably a fair amount, would be a good and reassuring support. It is no wonder that they cannot please God. We have an excellent recipe for dealing with idols in Isaiah 30:22. “You will throw them away as an unclean thing; you will say to them, ‘Get away!’” “Then He will give the rain . . .” it says in the next verse. When we have all the earthly things under our feet so that they do not have power over us, then it can happen that we will never be put to shame. Then we can rightly sing, “But I trust in the Lord.”Elias Aslaksen