Substituting Statistics for Trust

When my husband and I got married, I was 20, and he was 23. Two years later, he started medical school. We moved seven times in the first 11 years of marriage. We also went through several personal crises.  According to statistics, the chances of a marriage making it under these circumstances are very, very low.

“Though a thousand may fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.” (Psalm 91:7 NLT)

These kinds of verses are difficult for me to accept. I am a big fan of numbers and statistics. I trust in things that are quantifiable and measurable. I give more weight to what I have observed and experienced. I consider myself a realist (who leans more toward pessimism than optimism).  This attitude seems smarter.

As a shepherd boy, David trusted God more than statistics. If David had calculated the odds of defeating Goliath, he would have been overwhelmed before he even got started. However, David was not always so trusting. Several years later, after David became King, he takes a census of his soldiers before heading out to battle. Here is David’s response after he realizes his mistake: “I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin--I’ve been really stupid.” (1 Chronicles 21:8 MSG)

Cynicism is not a sign of intelligence. Substituting statistics for trust can lead to a paralysis of fear. Trust in God does not guarantee that everything is going to turn out perfectly. Yet, it allows us to find strength and hope to move forward rather than stay stuck in misery.

Despite the statistics, my husband and I have been married for 24 years now--not because of our own merit, but by God’s grace. I pray that we continue to trust Him.