For that person [who doubts] must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  –James 1:7-8

Growing up my family had a Scottish Terrier named Angus.  I’ve heard that the terrier breeds as a whole have obedience problems, and Angus wasn’t exempt from the issues.  He was often overcome with curiosity, and he loved exploring the open world.  So whenever he noticed an opportunity to sneak out of a door that was accidentally left ajar, Angus fled.  Since we lived in a wooded area, my brothers and I were sent out to traipse through the forest in pursuit of the dog.  Perhaps the most irritating part of the experience was when Angus was within earshot, and we called his name.  You could observe the mental processes going on in his brain: do I come, or do I run?  More often than not, he ran.  And so the chase would drag on until we were able to corner him.  He was a double-minded dog who was loyal to his owners but who also gave in to his curiosity.  Perhaps he didn’t always trust that we had the best intent for him, and so he fled when the opportunity arose. 

I think what we dealt with in Angus is akin to what James was talking about when he described the unstable person who vacillates between trusting the world and trusting the Lord.  When we can’t decide whom to trust, we ultimately end up trusting no one.   Our heavenly Father, however, desires our trust, and story after story in the Bible records how He rewards our acts of trust.  Do you vacillate between trusting in the Lord and trusting in man?  Spend time today asking God to remove your double-mindedness and to build your trust in Him.