Part of my training as an Army chaplain was learning to use a gas mask. I suspect that anyone reading this who has used a protective mask in a gas chamber will undoubtedly find the experience unforgettable. I will never forget my first visit to the gas chamber. I had learned how to properly store the mask and clean it. However, I had not yet learned to place my trust in it. I had practiced putting it on as quickly as possible. I knew how to clear it and then check to be sure I had a good seal. I practiced in front of a mirror again and again to see if I could do it in the allotted time and do it properly.

   Test day, if you will, had arrived. It was a warm sunny day, and we were divided into small groups. The instructions were simple. Go in, line up, and after standing awhile, you were to remove your mask. Then you were to repeat your name and rank and identifying number. As I entered the dark room, I saw that it was hazy in the chamber as the CS gas/tear gas was prolific. Still, everything was fine as I breathed. In some ways, I questioned whether there was anything in the air. The instructors talked to us and then the process began. Unfortunately, I was at the beginning of the line. As I removed my mask, immediately I knew there was something unpleasant in the air. My facial pores burned. I could feel the gas in my nose and in my eyes. I had to wait until the entire line repeated what they had to say. I was farthest from the exit and faced the gas as one by one removed his mask and said what needed to be said. When the last person completed the task, he stood there. He had not faced the onslaught, if you will, of the gas for as long as I had. I remember yelling, “Get out of here.” I could not get through that door fast enough. Nothing or no one was going to prevent me from that refreshing air that awaited.

   The 84th Psalm has two verses that really speak to me. Verse 10 reads: “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (NIV). I envision in my thoughts the gas chamber representing the darkness of sin in the world. It is all around. Entering the House of the Lord helps to remove me from that darkness. I focus on the Light of God that was made visible when Jesus, the Light of the World, came to fulfill the prophecy.

   Verse 12 reads: “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You.” How blessed are those who put their trust in God. In today’s society, I ask whom can we ultimately trust? Can we trust our government? Can we trust social media? Can we trust news organizations? Can we trust our elected officials? Whom can we trust? We can trust our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Like the use of my protective mask, the more we spend time with our God, the more we will ultimately place our trust in Him.