5/19/2024 - Better Trust

We were able to go to the pool…a beautiful big pool…yes we tried multiple times throughout the trip to go and had a horrible time trying to get in…but we were finally able to go near the end of the trip.

We were able to go to the Animal Safari trip that we were looking forward to.

We were able to see and pet kangaroo’s

We were able to feed baby goats

we were able to pet and see a sloth.

we were able to see and pet an otter.

It was a highlight for our whole family.

Because of the car trouble we had we almost were not going to be able to do this activity that we had prepaid for.

We were able to see my wife’s Uncle Mark and her Aunt Ellen, and her grandmother…who we haven’t been able to see in many years.

Her grandmother is getting older, and we don’t know how long she will be with us…it’s been heavy on my wife’s heart for years now that she wanted to see her and hug her again…and she was able to do that.

We had some very good things happen on this trip.

We also had some very difficult things happen on this trip

As many of you know we bought a new (to us) car a couple of weeks before we left.

We discovered it needed some repairs before we made the trip.

So although we had some stressful moments with FedEx, we were able to get the parts in and about $900 later it was fixed and we were ready to go.

By the way, God provided that $900 before the car was even done, by someone in our church!

Just before we left we had a warm day and turned on the AC to discover that it didn’t work.

I took it in to Pat’s Auto over here and he worked all day on Monday (the morning we were supposed to leave) trying to fix it…but decided it needed to be taken to a dealer as it was beyond his capability of diagnosing as it was probably a computer issue or something.

But by the way, he refused to charge me for anything other than a few parts he used ($40) even though he had worked on it all day.

So we thought we would leave and deal with it once we got to Florida.

As we are about to leave I get word that the house we are going to be staying at the AC went out and they were waiting for a part to arrive…It wouldn’t be ready for a few days later than when we would arrive.

We decided to go ahead and leave…because I really needed to get out of town.

So we set out on our trip, took our time, and ended up needing a few extra nights in a hotel in Savannah, GA.

But the house AC got fixed and we moved in.

I was able to get an appointment to get the AC fixed, and $1200 later it was fixed!

We figured, that’s OK, we can probably sell our van back in MI and pay for that.

I was so excited driving home with working AC, and then lights started going off and messages on the dash started scrolling.

The power in the engine diminished suddenly, so I pulled over to the side of the road.

I called the dealership and told him what was happening, and he gave me a number to call to get it towed back.

It was the end of the day, so after waiting on the side of the expressway for an hour an a half, the tow truck brought me to the closed dealership.

The dealership had been shuttling me back and forth from the house we were staying at 30 minutes away, but now they were closed.

I didn’t know how we I was going to get home.

I looked up an Uber and it was going to cost $50 to get home.

My wife’s Uncle and Aunt were driving to come see us, and it just so happened they were only 30 minutes away from me.

They were able to pick me up at the dealership.

They decided to take me out to eat since none of us eaten…and I won’t go into detail but we spent two hours waiting for our food in a very disappointing restaurant visit.

Which was just one of many disappointing restaurant visits on this trip.

I had to apologize to them because I think I was under a restaurant curse seeing all that happened to us on this trip with restaurants.

Anyways we get home and find out the next day it is going to cost $6000 to fix the car.

We bought it for $4000, we spent $2100 fixing it - the car was only worth about $7000…so I decided I need to cut my losses.

$6000 down the drain with nothing to show for it.

Back at square one before we got a new car.

No that’s not true - back at square negative $6000 as now we didn’t have the money to get a new car.

To say I was struggling is an understatement!

But I knew God would provide.

I knew I need to preach this Sunday, but I honestly didn’t know how I was going to stand up here and preach.

Then God laid this sermon on my heart.

Proverbs 3:5–6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.

I just want to, this morning, simply walk through these two verses and give all of us a reminder of these deep truths.

First of all the Lord tells us to:

I. Completely Trust Him

1 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.

He is asking us to completely 100% trust him with all of our heart.

What a statement!

What a challenge!

I mean first of all...

A. It’s a Lot to Ask

I mean to ask us to trust the Lord with all our heart?

Everything?

Nothing held back?

That’s not easy!

Our heart is the thing we protect the most!

To the Israelites back in these days the heart was not just the seat of emotions, it was our rational thinking.

It is the control center for our decisions making.

So when King Solomon is asking us to trust in the Lord with all of your heart…he is saying more than don’t be fearful, trust him with your emotions....he is saying trust him with your decisions.

Trust him with how you view your life and your situation.

That’s a lot to ask!

But, secondly we see...

B. It’s a Reasonable Ask

The truth is God is trustworthy!

Even with that which we guard so carefully, our heart…He is worthy of that trust!

When we read the Word of God we see throughout it’s pages the incredible resume of God’s trustworthiness.

Adam and Eve trusted Him to bring the one who would crush the head of the serpent.

Abraham trusted in the promises of God, and found that He was faithful.

Noah trusted in God’s word and found that God could be trusted.

Moses trusted in God’s words and saw the promised land, even if it was from a far on the mountain top.

Joshua saw how God’s was true to His Word as one city after another God brought victory in giving them what He promised them.

David trusted in the Lord and saw Giants fall, and Nations defeated.

Daniel trusted in the Lord and saw His provision in stopping the mouth of lions, protection for his friends from the fiery furnace and saw future revelation of the coming kingdom that would never fall.

Jesus trusted His Father and through His obedience brought salvation to the anyone who would trust Him.

The disciples saw the world turned on end for Christ, even at the cost of their own lives.

The early church saw God’s provision, even in the midst of persecution.

And ever since the days of the Bible God has proven Himself faithful!

I have always loved the song He’s Been Faithful by Carol Cymbala.

Carol is the pastors wife of the Brooklyn Tabernacle with it’s famous choir.

Jim and Carol Cymbala had been going through a trial with the rebellion and drug addiction of their daughter, Crissy.

It culminated in the difficult time when she had run away.

During those difficult months They prayed and trusted the Lord.

The church was growing and holding four packed Sunday services every week.

They didn’t have a chance to take a break or a Sabbatical.

Pastor Cymbala would cry in his office between every service, praying for his daughter to stay safe, not knowing where she was.

One day the Lord reached her heart and she came back to God and to her parents.

God healed her and helped her clean up her life.

Carol, wrote the words to the song...

In my moments of fear Through every pain every tear There's a God whose been faithful to me When my strength was all gone In my moments of fear Through every pain and every tear There's a God whose been faithful to me When my strength was all gone And When my heart it had no song Still He was faithful to me Every word He promised, is true Oh yes it is And What I thought was impossible I see my God do Chorus: He's been faithful, faithful to me (He's been faithful) Looking back Your love and mercy I see (mercy I see) In my heart I question You're there and I fail to believe But You've been faithful (faithful), (faithful) faithful to me

The most amazing thing about this story is that these words were not written after Crissy came home…they were written while she was still astray.

They were not written as words of praise in seeing God’s faithfulness in answering their prayer.

The words were written in faith that God was trustworthy…all the time…even when their heart was breaking.

He’s been faithful - And He still is!

We need to Completely Trust Him

It’s a Lot to Ask

But it is a Reasonable Ask!

II. Don’t Rest upon What You Understand

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.

If we are going to trust the Lord with all our hearts, we really need this second part!

It’s so tempting to try to solve the problem ourselves!

But where is the first place we run?

When we were buying this car, we were really trying to depend upon God for wisdom.

We prayed, we waited, we moved when we felt that it was the time.

Was it God’s Will for us to buy this car, or did we move ahead of Him?

To be honest I probably will never know for sure.

I know we prayed for wisdom.

I know we did not have a check in our spirit.

I know God provided the cash for us to pay for the car.

Maybe God wanted us to go through this so others can see how powerfully and wonderfully He will provide something so much better.

Maybe God wanted us to go through this so we will be content with a van that is breaking down.

I honestly don’t know!

But I know I’m not going to try to figure it out until He shows us…if He shows us.

But during these times of trials be careful not to lean on your own understanding.

This means before you Call on God…

A. Don’t Call on Your Resources

It’s easy to jump right to this!

What do I have around me to fix this?

There is nothing wrong with fixing things that are broken…we just need to be careful to not trust in our self.

Go to God first and foremost!

God delivered the children of Israel many times, but it was God that did it.

They had the swords and spears, but it was God that brought the victory.

Psalm 44:3 KJV

3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them: But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou hadst a favour unto them.

My wife’s aunt challenged us during this season to pray for and to trust in God’s favor.

How true that is!

God is for us!

We just need to trust in Him!

David continued in this Psalm to say:

Psalm 44:4–8 KJV

4 Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverances for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, And hast put them to shame that hated us. 8 In God we boast all the day long, And praise thy name for ever. Selah.

Don’t look to your resources (your bow, your sword or sheild)…look to God!

secondly,

B. Don’t Call on Man

Don’t go running to man to help you.

Don’t trust in rich Aunt Molly to fix it for you…I don’t have a rich Aunt, or Uncle, or grandparent, or even friend!!!

But don’t go to man to solve it for you…Go to God.

During this whole ordeal, I can honestly say I called many people but I never once called in hope that htey could bail me out…I didn’t know anyone who could!!!!

I can honestly say, I called, texted, and posted on Facebook to everyone of them with intention to call as many of God’s people to the throne of Grace to ask God for help during this trial!

Don’t trust in man!

Isaiah 2:22 KJV

22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: For wherein is he to be accounted of?

Isaiah is saying stop trusting in man to solve your problems…their life is only as shallow as the breathe that God gives them in the nostrils…how can you count on them?

Then thirdly...

C. Don’t Get Angry at God

I’m going to be transparent right now.

I have gone through a roller coaster of emotions these last few weeks.

Excitement for the trip

Overwhelmed with tasks to complete

Worry if God would allow us to get a car to drive to Florida (never thought to ask Him to help us get the car back home after).

Excitement and thankfulness for finding this car and buying it.

Worry when it began to wobble down the expressway.

Relief to find out what the problem was and thanfulness and happiness that God provided the money to fix it.

Frustration that the AC was broken too

Hopefulness that it would be fixed

frustration that it wasn’t

weariness driving in the heat

hopefull that it would be fixed in Flordia

Excitement that it was fixed

Fear and frustration when I was stuck on the side of the road

Hopeful that it was something simple that they left unplugged while fixing the AC.

Discouragement and despair to find out that it would cost $6000 to fix it and it wasn’t something that happened when they fixed the AC.

Depression when I realized I had already put $6000 into it and have nothing to show for it.

But to be honest I never felt angry at God for letting this happen.

I was tempted!

Don’t get me wrong!

The thought came to mind that I should be angry, but instantly the Holy Spirit stopped that from happening.

I was depressed and discouraged…but I was never angry at God.

I didn’t make all the right decisions with my emotions through out all of this…but I knew it wasn’t something God was doing to me, or against me.

I just needed to Trust Him.

I have felt angry at the man who sold the car to me.

I have felt angry at the dealership for taking forever to get back to me.

But I just needed to trust that God has this…and I can’t lean on my own understanding!

Then thirdly, and quickly

III. Just Follow His Leading

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.

The Bible tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways.

The Hebrew word that is translated acknowledge is the Hebrew word Yada.

It is A verb meaning to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern, to experience, to confess, to consider, to know people relationally, to know how, to be skillful, to be made known, to make oneself known, to make to know.

The Bible dictionary tells us that the simple meaning, to know, is its most common translation out of the eight hundred or more uses. One of the primary uses means to know relationally and experientially: it refers to knowing or not knowing persons.

So through this we can see His instruction is to:

A. Remember Who He Is

Remember your relationship with God.

You are His child!

Remember your experience with Him

He has provided all along!

Know Who God is - Acknowledge who He is!

His names tell us who He is!

Jehovah Jireh - The LORD our provider

Genesis 22:14 KJV

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

Jehovah Rapha - The LORD that healeth thee

Exodus 15:26 KJV

26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Jehovah Shalom - The Lord our Peace

Judges 6:24 KJV

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

Jehovah Raah - Teh Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 KJV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Abba Father

Romans 8:15 KJV

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Adonai - a Hebrew word that translates as "Lord" of "Lord Master" from its derivation "sovereignty."

Psalm 8.1 “O LORD (Yahweh) our Lord (Adonai - sovereign Lord)...

Psalm 8:1 KJV

1 O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Alpha and Omega - He is the begining and the end - he knows the beginnign to the end.

Revelation 22:13 KJV

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

El-Roi - The God who sees me Genesis 16

El-Shaddai - God almighty

the Good Shepherd

The Great Physician

whatever your problem or trial you are going through…first remember who God is!!!

Then

B. Look for the Path

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.

He has promised to direct our path…so start looking for the path!

Humbly follow His leading.

Don’t look for the easiest path just be content with any path he leads us on.

It would be great…and He is very capable of it… if God dropped a brand new car in our laps.

But I am not looking for that path!

It may be the path of constant car repair…if that’s what God wants…I will submit.

it may be the path of cancer....if that is the path he leads me on…I will submit.

It may be the path of loss of a loved one…if that is the path he leads me on…I will submit.

It may be the path of financial loss - and it has been…I will submit.

And I choose to Trust in the Lord with all my heart!

I choose to not lean on my own understanding

I choose to Acknowledge Him - remember who He is!

I choose to walk the path that He chooses for me.

Conclusion

What about you?

I have talked about my trial today…because that is what God is using in this preacher’s life.

What about you?

What are going to do with your trial?

are you going to trust God?

Trust Him with all your heart?

Nothing held back?

Are you going to choose to not lean on your own understanding?

I think it should have been this way!

Why would allow this…I don’t understand!

We’ve all been there, or will be one day…but we need to choose to not lean our own understanding of things.