Trust in the Lord
Live Life Well • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 10 viewsThe wise man or woman trusts God for their own good.
Notes
Transcript
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome everyone!
Hope you had a great fourth!
We will be fasting and praying again this Tuesday!
We are already seeing God answer prayers from that ministry once again so we are picking it back up every week again
OPENING PRAYER
Sermon Introduction
The message today is on trusting in God. If there was one phrase to sum up all of Christianity this would be it. When one comes to Christ for the first time, trust is essential to beginning that relationship. But that trust is not just an initial step of faith, it must continue, it must grow, and it must be lifelong.
The Scripture we are going to read today is very familiar to us all. “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”.
This trust is the essential ingredients of our faith in God. That is really what it means to have faith in God. It’s not believing with your head that there is a God, it’s willing to trust God with your life. And those two things are very very different.
All of the promises of God are unlocked with trust. The wise man or the wise woman trusts God with their lives. And not just in the areas where it is easier to trust Him, but in every area.
We’re going to look at 4 ways that we can trust God today. All of them found together in Proverbs chapter 3. And my hope and prayer today is that you will listen to this message, write these 4 things down, and live them out. If you do, you will experience God in your life like never before.
1) TRUST IN GOD’S WISDOM TO LEAD YOU
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and DO NOT lean not on your own understanding”
What does it truly mean to trust in the Lord? this verse gives us insight into that because it shows us what the opposite of trusting in God is.
To trust in God is to NOT rely upon our own understanding in any given situation
Now that may seem silly. You mean we’re not suppose to use our minds that the Lord gave us to help us navigate life? NO, It is a call to put your thinking, human reasoning, and understanding to the side when it conflicts with God’s ways.
“DO not lean on your own understanding”
We’re told to NOT LEAN upon our human wisdom.
The word “lean” means to rely upon something to support you. It doesn’t say have no understanding. It says do not rely upon your understanding. Our understanding CANNOT BE OUR GO TO SOURCE OF DIRECTION! Human understanding is faulty, it is limited, it is misleading, AND IT IS NATURAL. When we do what we think is best, we take the supernatural right out of the equation.
Our own understanding includes:
Human reasoning. We look at all the options and try to predict which will have the best outcome For us. But this is flawed because it does not include the power of God! It cannot!
Following the examples others: What people have done in similar situations and seem to have had good results.
Taking unbiblical advice: Those who tell us what we should do which is most of the time unbiblical. Even people in the church will do this at times.
Allowing our feelings, or emotions, or fears lead us
Fabricating what we think God wants us to do based upon our own desires. I see people do this all the time. They say, I think God wants me to do this, but really it’s what they want to do, they just use God as a source of justification to do it.
God says, “Do none of that!”. None of that says, “God I trust you to navigate my life through this situation. That says to God, I can figure this out on my own, And I will be just fine without you.
There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Now we know what NOT to rely on…how do we know what God wants us to do?
By following every principle and command that is taught in the Word of God AND that would certainly begin with the wisdom taught in this book!
The Word of God reveals to us the wisdom of God!!
The Word of God reveals to us the will of God.
The Word of God revels to us the ways of God.
And what if you do not know what the Bible teaches?
Go to someone who does.
And ask them to show you what God would want in that situation, AND THEN DO IT!
Word of Caution: This can be dangerous because people love giving advice and much of what is given is fleshly and worldly. How can we know who take advice from?
Listen to people who have the fruit of wisdom in their lives. They do not just say it, but live it and their lives are living proof of the power of God.
When do we trust God?
(v 6) “in ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge Him”
We are to trust God in “all of our ways”
The word “way” means “a road”, or “journey”, or “direction”, or a “path”.
All of us are on a path going somewhere, and down each of our paths, there are many roads, turns, crossroads, obstacles, decisions that we must make
Maybe it is taking a new job, moving to a new place, entering into a new relationship, ending a relationship, changing churches, deciding what path of study we take in college, beginning a new friendship or ending a friendship, and much more
All of us come to these places and you may be at one right now. Something has come into your path, and you are not sure what to do. And God would say to you right now, if the you want to make a wise decision one that is best for your future then you will “acknowledge Him”.
“In all your ways, ‘ACKNOWLEDGE HIM’”
That means “to recognize what God wants” in every given situation
The idea is that WE KEEP GOD IN VIEW OF EVERY DECISION!
We never take a step forward without the peace and assurance that would have us to go that way!
We never run off on our own no matter how RIGHT it may seem to us if we are not sure the Lord wants us to do that!
You are better off to stay put, to stay single, to stay at your workplace, to stay where you are in times of uncertainty than take a path away from God.
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God”
You will never go wrong waiting on clear direction from God
“And He will make your paths straight”
Straight as in “smooth”, “with less obstacles”, “with less hardships”
God has the best possible course for your life!
Your life will be most fulfilling, most satisfying, with the least amount of hardships if we will keep God in front of every decision that we make.
Imagine the difference between a goose in the sky and a bison on the ground
Both of the animals migrate and take great journeys to do so.
The bird is able to take the straight path because it has much fewer obstacles (maybe some wind, maybe some rain, but it pretty smooth sailing).
The bison however must climb every mountain, must swim across every river, trudge across snow covered fields, escape from every predator and hunter, in hopes to get to their destination
Geese migrate as far as 2,000-3,000 miles every winter
Bison about 200 miles
Quite often, the reason people never reach the life they desire deep down is because they never stay on the straight path God has for them
They are constantly going astray, swerving off to the left of the the right, going off down this hole, going off down that detour, and going in circles leaning on their own understanding
And one day they wake up and would give anything to go back and do it God’s way
YOU CAN DO IT GOD’S WAY RIGHT NOW. STARTING TODAY
2) GET THE SIN OUT OF YOUR LIFE
“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones” Proverbs 3:7–8
This truth is similar to the previous one, except it has an ethical focus
“Do not be wise in your own eyes”
NLT: “Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom”
The person who is “wise in their own eyes” is the kind of person who is a “know-it-all” and does everything their own way because they have convinced themselves that they know best
They hear what God says and when that clashes with what their human wisdom says, they choose to follow their own thinking
This kind of behavior is worse than being a fool
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Self-imposed wisdom ALWAYS leads to evil behavior
Those who live by their own philosophies, their own thinking, their own self-reliance will consistently live in sin
How can I say that?
Not only does this verse say that, but the NT confirms that
Romans 14:23 (NASB95)
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
And do you know what “trust” is? IT IS FAITH
We are to replace that way of thinking with a holy fear of God
And that would require humility
To be humble is this context is to recognize one’s inability to know the best course for their life.
It is to agree with God that He is not only much wiser, but also has the ability to see the future AND WE DO NOT!
What happens when we humble ourselves and get the sin out of our lives?
(v 8) “It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.
flesh and bones speaks of one’s physical life
And that is exactly what God is saying here
When we fear God, and turn from evil, there will be physical healing and refreshment
This begs the question: Does our sin result in physical sicknesses?
And the answer is: SOMETIMES IT DOES! Sometimes God uses sickness to bring us to repentance:
Scriptural examples:
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.
Word of Caution here:
We must not attribute every sickness or calamity to sin. We live in a fallen world, and sickness is a part of that!
SUM PRINCIPLE: If illness comes into your life, the first place we should look is “in” and then “up”.
We first look “in” to evaluate our lives and ask ourselves this: “Do we have sin in our lives that should not be there?” If so then turn from that sin, get it out of your life!
And then we look “up” and cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness.
I cannot promise you that God will heal you, but far greater than physical healing is spiritual healing
Every person Jesus healed, died eventually. Lazarus died, the Centurion’s son died, Peter’s mother-in-law died
All physical healing is temporary, but spiritual healing is eternal
And God will use sometimes use physical to bring about the spiritual
3) HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR MONEY
“Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9–10)
Honor: This word means to “add weight” or “to make heavy”
To add weight does not mean make the Lord fat!
The idea of “adding weight” is to make something important or significant
To add weight to it
How do we “add weight to God” according to this verse?
From our wealth
From the first of all our produce
The principle here is about giving a portion of our income to the Lord
When this as written, the people of Israel were told to give a “tithe” which simply means 10% to the temple.
This money was used to take care of the Levites who at to support and other religious activities
The same principle is carried over and lived out into the NT. The people of God honored God with their money by giving to the church.
The early church sold their houses and land and gave it to the apostles.
Church members set aside money for Paul to come and collect to help out other ministries.
Generosity has always been apart of the people of God since the beginning
Cain killed Able because His offering was accepted and Cains was not
Why does God want us to give?
Tithing is a spirtual matter of the heart
“Honor the Lord from your wealth, and first of all your produce”
Honor is not about mechanical giving, but a characteristic of someone who knows God is important to their lives
You can tell real quick how important God is to a person, by the percentage of their money they are willing to put to support His Kingdom
That may sound legalistic, BUT it is not
Jesus said:
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In other words, if we want to know what really has our heart, all we need to do is look at our bank statement at the end of the month
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
Giving is not measured by amount but by sacrifice
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”
God honored that widow more, because it really costed her something to give. She gave what she had to live on, whereas the rich gave what they had left over.
Why does God measure this way?
Because it takes no faith for a person to put in what is left over. But it takes great faith for a person to put in what they need
Tithing consistently reminds us to put God first in our lives
“honor Honor the Lord from your wealth, And from the first of all your produce”
Underline that word, “first”
To truly worship God is to put Him first in all areas of our lives, including our finances
Every time we receive an increase, the first thing that should come out of that is at least 10% to the Lord, and that reminds us that everything comes from Him
That means before Biden takes the federal taxes
And before Kentucky gets the state taxes
And before Blue Cross/Blue Shield gets their cut
And before that portion goes to retirement
The first thing that comes out of your increase goes to the Lord
And here is the promise: “So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
What a paradox!
We think if we give 10% to the Lord, were going to run out of money, but God is saying IF you give to the Lord you will never run out!
Its a promise of God’s blessings upon your finances for the rest of your life.
This is not a promise to make you rich! It’s a promise that God will always take care of your physical needs
Personal testimony:
I have been following these same principles I told you today for 14 years.
One of the first things I did when I came to Christ at 27 years old, working in a factory, making on average $500 a week, was give 10% to the Lord.
And some weeks I barely had enough to live on, and I have lived paycheck to paycheck most of my life.
In the last 14, I have never missed a meal, never missed a payment, and never lacked anything I needed.
But not only that, but God has watched over me, kept me from making big financial mistakes, and blessed beyond what I ever thought possible.
And the more we give, the more God gives. We give 12% of every increase, and our barns are filled with plenty, and our vats overflow with new wine
This is the easiest and most obvious way we can begin to trust God
It’s to trust Him with our finances and give not something, but at least a tithe
And by giving, you are trusting that God will do His part, and make sure your barn is never empty
And the greatest benefit of this, will be your spiritual growth when you see God provide for you, and consistently take care of you
WISE MEN MAKE GOD A PERMANENT PARTNER IN THEIR FINANCES
4) ACCEPT THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD
“My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof, For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:11–12)
What is the discipline of the Lord?
discipline: correction, chastisement, and also translated training
That is, when God allows or even brings circumstances, people, or pain into our lives for the purpose of godliness.
God will use the sufferings in our lives to redirect and shape a person’s life.
He will use sufferings to bring people to Himself
And God will bring correction and chastisement when we get off the straight path and begin to follow our own understanding!
“Do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His reproof”
reject (despise)
Loathe (disgust)
It is not like we have much of a choice when difficulties come into our lives. We cannot say to God, no thank you and he takes them away.
But what we do have control over is our attitudes when difficulties comes, and that is what this is talking about.
If you remember, our attitudes play a part in becoming wise.
People with bad attitudes (especially towards God who is directing things) become fools.
Why should we keep a positive attitude when God is disciplining us?
1) Because, God’s discipline is a sign of His fatherly love.
An earthly father who never corrects his child, doesn’t really love him. Its much easier to ignore a child foolishness than to discipline him, teach him, and train him the right way to go. But a father who truly loves his child will do all he can to keep him from becoming a fool.
The same is true for our heavenly Father. Whom the Lord loves He chastens, and he scourges every son He receives.
2) Because every time God brings difficulties into your life, He is making you more like Jesus.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trials and difficulties are necessary part of sanctification!
And you will never be closer to Jesus, than when you are going through storms in this life!
And God brings them because His goal is to make us perfect and complete lacking nothing
CONCLUSION
Four things that we can do right now to have a deeper trust in God.
Each of these commands has a promise attached to it. If we do this, then God will do that.
Some of us never see the hand of God at work in our lives because we still have not stepped out into the unknown and trusted Him with our lives.
Maybe thats you today. Maybe God has brought you here to listen to this message to TRUST HIM!
Would you right now, in whatever way you understand he wants you to do, commit your way to it.
You will never know the power of God until you do.
~PRAYER~
