Category: trust

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Why Worry?

Psalm37 God is in control and He alone knows the heart of both the righteous and the wicked. We look about and see the unrighteous and their sins and we are beside our selves wondering what is next. As it was then, so it will be now. There will always be those who reject God and live according to their own thoughts and actions. The psalmist says, yes there will be those who live according to the ways of the evil one, but you are protected by the loving hand of God. 

One verse jumps out of this psalm: Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.

We live in a community that has a website to share thoughts and seek help for many different things, but one thing is disturbing. People seem to share the troubles they face more often than the praises that come their way. They fret over things that are foolish and not worthy of their time. So this is a wise saying…do not fret! God is in control! 

Vs 25 is a key thought: I have never seen the godly abandoned. God knows who are His and He will not leave us or forsake us. He knows each hair on our heads and He has determined our day and our destiny. Today seek His way and you will be blessed. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. That which has come to you has been ordained in eternity past so DO NOT FRET! 

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Hindsight

Acts 27 They say hindsight is 20-20 and it seems that this is true in this chapter. Paul had wisely told the centurion that they should not try to sail but his words were lost to the wind, (pun intended). As it happened, Paul’s words came to be and the ship and all of its cargo was lost, but the 276 persons were saved. 

How often has someone given us wise counsel and we have ignored it only to face the consequences of our choice that will turn out to be harmful and injurious, not just to ourselves but others around us. Take heed dear reader, listen to the counsel of others and test the words by prayer and the reading of the Word. 

God will not lead His children astray. Prov 3:5-6 comes back to tell us: trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding but acknowledge him and he will lead us in the way we should go. This also brings to mind that verse in Isaiah: “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, This is the correct way, walk in it,” [Is 30:21] 

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Trust God, that which He said, He will do!

Acts 23 Be Strong and Courageous

How many times have you set out to do what you thought was God’s will and all trouble of all kinds come your way and you wonder what is going on? You wonder where will this lead? So, it is comforting to know that what God has planned, that will He do!

Just as Paul is wondering how this riot will turn out for his future, the Holy Spirit comes in the middle of the night to tell him: “Have courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” [ Acts 23:11]

How interesting that Paul’s nephew was in the right place at the right time to overhear the plans of the enemy and how they were seeking how to kill Paul. What is even more encouraging is to see how the Commanding officer was willing to listen and then to take steps to protect Paul! Again the words of the psalmist: Be strong and confident,  all you who wait on the Lord. [Ps 31:24]

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Wise or Foolish?

Trust God

Ps 20 Archaeologists seek to unearth the things lost to mankind and are hidden in the depths of the earth. They dig and find and then determine where these came from and the stories behind them. The Pharaoh’s in Egypt had pyramids to store their bodies and their riches to enter the after life. But, when the pyramids are opened, all that is there are mummified bodies and decaying riches. 

In the NT, Jesus told a story about a man who built many barns in which to store his riches. Jesus called him a fool. Jesus called him a fool because, just like the Pharaoh’s of old,  he trusted in those riches to meet his needs both in this present life and in eternity. He noted that like Pharaoh and the barn builder, they  trusted in chariots and horses for victories. He was saying, don’t put your trust in those things but instead put your trust in God because earthly riches will surely turn to dust and be lost in the rubble of the garbage heap but men who put their trust in God will one day be called wise by God. They heard the word and built their house on the rock, not on the sand. Both heard the word but only one put their trust in the rock of God.  

Where is your trust today? Do you trust in what will decay and be lost in the rubble of the earth where it will rot and rust? Or do you trust in the God of eternity who will determine your destiny? 

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Which path are you following?

Proverbs 3 Our coastal land is prone to wind and storms of all kinds. After the storm you can walk the beach and see the erosion and the faltering homes. The last hurricane here in Florida was an example. Today you can walk the beach and see the many homes that have fallen into the sea or are precariously sitting on the edge of the land. Floridians have spent millions to shore up their properties only to see the destructive forces of hurricane winds and waves take their possessions and toss them like rag dolls. Jesus told a similar story about two builders who also faced physical storms of life. One built on the rock and the other on the sand. When the storms came the house on the rock stood firm but the one on the sand fell flat. 

Jesus used that illustration to remind us of how our lives mirror the house on the rock or the house on the sand. He is asking us to choose where we put our trust. Is on the rock or on the sand? What do you rely on in times of testing? In what do you trust? Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”

Trust means that you wholeheartedly believe and look to God for how to build your life. 

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Are you trustworthy?

Luke 16 Winning the lottery is all many think of and so they pay out each week a sum hoping that this will be the winning ticket. And if they win they will do thus and thus with the winning pot. Jesus used a similar story about the unrighteousness steward. He too hoped to cash in big one day but then his boss, the manager caught him “cooking the books,” as we say today. He might have hoped to win the lottery but instead the manager caught him red-handed. As the steward thought about this he formulated a plan.

He called the debtors and made a deal to have those debts forgiven or reduced. Jesus pointed out the principle that if you are not righteous in the small things, you will not be righteous in the big things.  God looks for those who can be trusted to take care of his wealth in the present time. Those who are trustworthy can be assured that one day God will have them take care of His wealth both here and in eternity. 

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God is our Protector and Vindicator

Psalm 3-5 Throughout the OT, we read of the enemies of God who seek to undermine and destroy His people. It is the same today as we have recently seen the enemies of Israel being killed by Hamas. As David noted in this psalm, these enemies say, “God will not deliver him.” The men in Babylon said the same about Daniel and his three Hebrew friends. The enemy says that, but they fail to realize that God is “a shield that protects.” That is why we can rest and continue our daily activities just as Daniel did. [See Daniel 6] So what principle can believers cling to in times of crisis?

First, do not be afraid. Elisha told his servant that our side outnumbers them. Secondly, do as Elisha did; pray that God closes the eyes of the enemy and opens our eyes so we can see God’s army. [2 Kings 6:16-17] Thirdly, trust God and do not rely on your own understanding as Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3. Lastly realize that the Lord shows the godly special favor. [Ps 4:3] Even with all these steps, we still need to cry to God for His help and then wait expectantly. [Ps 5:3]

How good are you at waiting? What fear has presented itself to you this day? Will you take these steps so you can rest in Him?

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Why surprised?

From blindness to sight

1Cor 1-4 If there is one thing that amazes me, it is the lack of spiritual hunger for those whose destiny speaks of hell. Just as Paul encountered those who were jealous, angry, and refused the gospel message, we see these same kinds of people today. Paul’s letter was about the cross and the Savior who died on it, but for those who reject it, the cross is seen as foolish nonsense, yet they do not realize that they are perishing.

But, for those who hear and receive the message with joy, there is joy in heaven and here on earth. They are called saints because they call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. God was pleased to use the gospel message through preaching. Again, Paul reiterates that the ones who reject are the same as the Jews who see the message as a stumbling block and the Greeks who seek signs.

The blessing for those who receive the message is things that no eye has seen, ear heard, or mind imagined; these are the things God has prepared for those who seek Him early and those who love Him. [Is 64:4]

Where do you stand, friend? Have you received the message of hope in the risen Christ?

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The Widow’s Offering

Luke 21 God has his eye on his children and his eye is on the wee sparrow. In fact God knows about each sparrow who falls to the ground and he knows each hair on our heads because we are of more value than many sparrows. [Matt 10:31]. So it is no wonder that in Luke 21 we see that Jesus’ eye is on the precious widow and her trek to the offering box. He knew her poverty but out of her poverty she became rich in the sight of God. Notice what Jesus reveals to us about this precious widow.

Some principles we can glean from just these four verses are that when we love much we are willing to sacrifice much and secondly our giving reveals our true heart. Remember God does not need our money but it is our privilege to give to his work. God loves the cheerful giver and this dear widow’s heart must have been overflowing with the joy as she gave to the Lord’s work. And this verse’s principle extends to the reason why found in [Psa 68:5] He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows.

[Luk 6:38] “Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”

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Can you prove it?

John 11/Mark 11 Hypocrisy or Truth

John accurately wrote: If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves. That was the condition of the religious leaders. They had seen the miracle of the blind man made whole and heard his testimony, yet threw him out of the synagogue. Later Jesus found the formerly blind man and seeing he now worshiped. How about us? In John 5 we meet a disabled man at the pool. Jesus “resurrected” him and he could now walk. He obediently picked up his mat and walked but unlike the blind man of John 9, yet he never honored or praised God for his healing.

The religious leaders found Jesus and sought to trap him by asking him to prove his authority to heal. From John 5 we see that Jesus gave them four witnesses to prove his identity: John the Baptist who said; Behold the Lamb of God. Secondly, the works which Jesus did proved that He had the authority to heal and teach. Thirdly, His Father was working and He was working. Lastly, the scriptures themselves proved his authenticity. Jesus reminded them that they studied the scriptures seeking eternal life but He was standing there before them and they rejected the evidence.

Jesus asked the lame man at the pool: do you want to become well? He never answered Jesus affirmatively or negatively. When the religious leaders found him, they did not rejoice but castigated him for breaking a Sabbath rule they had in their books.

When we read stories like this how do we respond? Are we comfortable in our sin or do we honor He who healed us of our sin?

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