Trust in the Lord
Proverbs 3:5, 6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Intro: Less than 15 percent of Americans trust the media. More than 4 out of 5 Americans (86%) say that news organizations advocate political viewpoints rather than report the news free of bias.
According to the poll, only 45 percent of respondents “have confidence that the results of the election will be counted fairly,” while 45 percent lack this belief.
Only 44 percent of respondents trust the results of mail-in voting.
Less than 10 percent have confidence in Congress.
Only 22 percent have confidence in the Supreme Court.
About 24 percent have confidence in the FBI.
In a time when you don’t know who to trust, you can trust in the Lord.
In This phrase is given 19 times in the Word of God.
a day when you don’t know what to believe, you can always trust in the Lord.
I. The Conviction Expressed – Trust in the Lord…
This is the crux of the Christian life; the core; the central theme.
Every failure we encounter in our Christian life can be traced back to unbelief.
Four times in the Scripture we find the phrase: THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
- Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
- Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
- Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
- Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Faith in God will make you or break you.
- Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
II. The Commitment Expected – …with all thine heart… – holding nothing back!
That means without a shred of doubt; no reserve; full commitment.
When a paratrooper jumps out of a plane, that is commitment.
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life.
Jesus found the one thing he couldn’t or wouldn’t let go of: his riches.
Jesus doesn’t allow half-hearted disciples. It is WITH ALL THINE HEART or nothing.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
III. The Caution Extended – …and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Don’t ask me why, but our first tendency is to elevate our own understanding above God’s.
Our default action is to lean upon our own understand.
That makes no sense, seeing how little we really understand!
Isaiah 55
- 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
- 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God will ask us to do things that make no sense – humanly speaking.
EXAMPLE: Exodus 3, 4
Moses could not understand why God would choose him to be the deliverer for Israel.
He spent nearly 2 chapters arguing and debating with God about God’s poor judgment.
EXAMPLE: II Kings 5:11
Naaman was told he would be healed of his leprosy if he dipped in the Jordan River 7 times.
He got angry. He told them that he had rivers back home he could dip in.
What he didn’t know was that it had nothing to do with the river, the water, or the 7 times.
The healing came from obedience to God.
IV. The Condition Explained– In all thy ways acknowledge Him…
God doesn’t just want a part or a portion of you; he wants you to acknowledge Him in ALL THY WAYS!
Some people are content giving Sundays, or Sunday morning until around 12:30, but the rest belongs to them.
ACKNOWLEGE: to recognize; to consider and to declare
Do “your ways” declare God?
V. The Confidence Expected – …and he shall direct thy paths.
This is a promise from God.
If we do our part, He will always do His part!
If your path is uncertain; if your path is unknown, try trusting God and acknowledging Him in all thy ways!