Stand & Read - Proverbs 3:5-6
?Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. [6] In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.?
?Building Your T.R.U.S.T. Fund?
Prayer?
This morning I want to bring our attention to an area within our lives that CAN afford growth?
That area is our TRUST in the Lord?
When we think of the term ?Trust Fund?, we come to think of a spoiled, rich kid who has a rich family; who has set aside mounds of finances for their benefit when they reach a certain age?
-This is an amount of money that has been acquired by the parents for the benefit of the child?
-However, when it comes to our trust fund with God?it works a bit differently?
?God has a TRUST Fund of another sort?
While He IS rich; owning the cattle on a thousand hills, actually owning all that there is?after all, the whole world is in His hands, and the world is His footstool?
-And through Christ, we know that all those resources are available to each of us!!! Praise God!
Not to mention that we are described as heirs, and joint-heirs in Romans 8:17, when it says???and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.?
-You see, all that God HAS and IS, is made available to us through the work of Jesus Christ!
But we must understand that we don?t receive by just being associated with Him?(ie., by just owning a Bible or giving a few bucks to the church)
Notice in the second half of the phrase in Romans 8:17?it says??if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.?
-You cannot be ?guilty by association? like a school-boy who hung out with the bad crowd?never doing what they did?but yet, he got in trouble anyhow?
-Paul reminds the readers of this verse that their key to victorious life in Christ is not an easy path?
Jesus suffered, and we will suffer?and this suffering that we endure is considered a suffering with Him?
But it is in these sufferings that we are identified with Christ?and are able to ?stake our claim? to the riches in Him!!!
-You must be identified with Christ!
-You must be His, and He must be yours.
But we have got to come to grips with something in God?s Kingdom that is different than in this world that we live in?
-While all that God has?comes as a free gift to us from Him?
-It comes by bearing some responsibilities that come with knowing Him?
You will remember many of the promises in the Word that come to us. They all come to us with the phrases??If? and ?Then??
One of my favorite examples of this comes from 2 Chron. 7:14 and it says??If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.?
You see, God has desires to bless and smother His children with good things; however, we must bear the responsibility in acquiring them.
-His gifts are of great value, and they will be given to those who live accordingly?and who will use them with responsibility.
ILLUSTRATION:
You will remember the parable of the talents?and the one who used his talents responsibly, was entrusted with more talents to be used by him with maturity.
You see?God ways are opposite of the world?s ways.
The world wants things to come easy and cheap?and they do come that way; but they are not lasting.
However, God requires something more of us, and of His gifts?
So for our ?TRUST Fund??it is not just stocked full for us to use at our will?
BUT, it does have an availability of mounting, endless resources?all finding their source in God.
-?if God is the source of all things for our lives!!!
PRAISE GOD THAT WE DO HAVE A GREAT GOD TO WHOM WE CAN TURN TO AND HAVE TRUST IN!!!
But that is the key?WE MUST TRUST HIM!
2 Cor. 3:4-5
?And such confidence (trust) we have through Christ toward God. [5] Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God??
Our adequacy comes from God, as we trust in Him!
Do you have need of building your TRUST Fund today? Do you find yourself falling short when you need someone to lean upon in times of trial and difficulty?
Could you say that you would love for your ?TRUST Fund? to grow in God???
-A answer for all of us would be?Yes!
-We all can afford to grow in our TRUST in God!
I have some simple thoughts working from the an acronym T.R.U.S.T. this morning?
Some things that we can remember and put into action so that our trust in God may grow and be a foundation for our relationship in Him?
The first thing that we must remember when we think of TRUST?is in whom our trust is placed in?THE LORD!!!
And it is in GOD that we find the TOTALITY of our TRUST!
Verse 5, of our text tells us to ?Trust in the LORD?!
God is the source?the origin, the foundation, the basis and the establishment of all our trust!
When you place your trust in God?you have found the best and most reliable person in whom to place your trust! He is GOD, and he is trustworthy!
ILLUSTRATION:
A turtle family went on a picnic. They had prepared seven years for their outing. The family left home, searching for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey, they found it. For about six months they cleared the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangement. They discovered, however, that they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed.
After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt at home. Although he was the fastest of the slow-moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on only with one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed ? and the little turtle had not returned. Five years. Six years. Then in the seventh year of his absence, the eldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich. At that point, the little turtle popped out from behind a tree shouting, ?SEE! I knew that you wouldn?t wait! Now, I am not going to get the salt!?
While we may treat our friends with this type of contempt and mis-trust?
We must not do this with God?for He CAN be trusted and relied upon!
-For it is God who is a friend that sticks closer than any brother?and He continues His promise by saying that He will NEVER leave you nor forsake you!
-God is Jehovah-Shammah?meaning that He ?is there? in your life, with you?
While others may fail you?God will not!
When others would sell you out?God will remain true to you!
Even when the whole world would turn its back on you?God remains faithful to you because He loves you!!!
ILLUSTRATION:
We can speak of trust in the same way that we would buy something with a guarantee? Because we TRUST the guarantor to be faithful to is guarantee?
In the way that we may buy something because of it?s great guarantee?maybe even a lifetime guarantee?
The truth of the matter is?the guarantee is only as good as the writer of the guarantee.
The company could go broke, bankrupt, and close?and what would happen to that guarantee? There would be no guarantee any longer?it would die with the company.
But for us, who TRUST in God?there is an ample supply, and never a chance of loosing the guarantee. It is always there, and God will always be available to supply for you all that you need?
IF we will only TRUST Him?
We can also find our TRUST?s strength in the TOTALITY of who God is by looking at His character?
His character as described within God?s many names?
-He is your provider?Jehovah-Jireh
-He is your healer?Jehovah-Ropheka
-He is your banner?Jehovah-Nissi
-He is your sanctifier?Jehovah-Mekaddishkem
-He is your peace?Jehovah-Shalom
-He is your righteousness?Jehovah-Zeba?oth
-He is your shepherd?Jehovah-Ro?I
You can trust Him for these and so much more today because of who God is?
Your trust, this morning, is as sure as the one in whom you place it?
And when it comes to God being the one in whom you trust?you have placed your trust upon the ultimate of trustworthy persons ever.
-Remember?God is Jehovah-El?yon?The Lord MOST HIGH!!!
Psalm 37:3
?Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.?
-It is good to trust in the Lord?and doing so will build faithfulness to Him as well.
Next, when we place our trust in God, and as we build our ?trust fund??it must be done RESPECTIVELY?
What I mean by ?respectively? is this?
When we put our trust in God, we depend upon Him for ALL that He is able to do?which is everything?and we want that to be accomplished in our lives and situations immediately.
This verse says to ?Trust in the Lord, WITH ALL YOUR HEART.?
When we come to God in trust, we must come to Him with COMPLETE trust; respective of the results we desire from God.
-After all, trust is not really trust unless it is complete trust?otherwise it is wishful thinking or hope?
-Trust must be complete and done wholeheartedly.
The goal: To trust God with ALL of your being!!! That is what He requires of you?
Deut. 6:5
"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.?
-In the same way that we are to love God, we are to TRUST Him too?
-These two go hand-in-hand?ask any married couple, and they will say that they love AND trust each other?these go together and are respective to each other.
àWe are to trust God with all our emotions?and even in opposition to our emotions at times?
àWe are to trust God with all our will?even against what our will would desire at times, we are to trust God with that?allowing for Him to have His way?
àAnd we are to trust God with all our might, being or strength?meaning that we will work to give our total strength to trusting God?
Trusting God with ALL our being?in ALL things!
Thirdly, we are to trust with a new UNDERSTANDING?
Verse 5 ends with this phrase???do not lean on your own understanding??
This teaches us that we are to TRUST God with a fresh and redirected understanding?
?an understanding that may go against our own understanding of the given situation.
You see, our own understanding of a situation will lead us to believe what, most times, is not what God sees?thus leading us to make decisions in opposition of God?s best?causing us to kick against God?s ways?and go the wrong way?
-Thus, the need to remember that we MUST NOT lean upon OUR understanding!
Isaiah 55:8 confirms this when it says?
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.?
You will remember Gideon in Judges 6 & 7?in the lesson that he learned about trusting in the Lord?even against his own understanding.
Gideon learned that the Lord was working things out for him and his army to win?but they were going to win in such a way that GOD was going to get the glory, and not the army or Gideon?(he does the same in our lives as well)
-This is why we need a new understanding?because Gideon Himself needed to gain a fresh understanding as to what God was doing. And certainly, God?s ways WERE NOT Gideon?s ways?and yet, Gideon won with God?s help!!! J
But amidst this trying time in Gideon?s life?God was proving Himself worthy of Gideon?s trust; as well as, yours and mine!
Yet?With all our understanding that any human can have?understanding is still limited, fallible and subject to error.
-Therefore, it must be enlightened by God?s Word and lead by the Holy Spirit.
James 1:5
?But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.?
-If you lack wisdom or understanding for your situation?call upon the Lord for help and understanding in Him!
Proverbs 2:3-5
?For if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; [4] If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; [5] Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God.? (See the IF and THEN again???)
-We should desire and seek hard after understanding and wisdom from the Lord?
-And, as it applies to our TRUST in God?we need to seek to understand what God is doing as we trust God with our lives?and trust God through the things that transpire in our lives!
So then, we must SEE God at work in all things!
The next phrase that we read in verse 6 is??In all your ways acknowledge Him??
This is a real source of change for any of us?
Perspective is reality?and how we SEE things will make a difference as to how we respond to them.
-So, we should just simply choose to see God at work in all areas of our lives!
-And this simple decision will begin to bring about new fruit and evidence to our lives that we have never seen before.
Gideon had a choice to make?
He could have seen what was happening in his army by God?s hand as cruel and harmful?or he could simply trust God in what He was doing?he had a choice to make.
And this is what Gideon was ?forced? to do...and he got to see God?s hand at work within their lives, and within the fate of that nation?
The choice was his though?
-And in our lives...the choice is ours too!
-But again, it makes demand for trust in God!
Are you seeing God in your life? Do you trust Him with your life?even when you don?t like what you are seeing?
With all our plans, decisions and activities that we have established?we still must acknowledge Him as GOD and LORD?because His will is supreme.
Then comes the remaining phrase??and He will make your paths straight.?
Every day we are to live in this fashion?as trusting God. And when we find that we are not SEEING things as we should, we must then go to God in prayer for a fresh perspective and vision; finding what God is doing.
Philip. 4:6
?Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.?
Another benefit to continued prayer is that when we do begin NOT SEEING what God is doing?prayer can help bring us back to the focus that we do need to have?
-Plus, we are bringing the situation back to God?s attention again in prayer?again TRUSTING Him with the situation and believing Him for the impossible!!!
This is how He goes about making our paths straight?by staying in prayer about it?
-Prayer will keep you focused and SEEING what He desires for you?
-Prayer will also be active in leading you towards His goals for your life?He will remove all obstacles?and He will help you make right choices?leading to the best for your life!!
So, I challenge you?SEE God in ALL the areas of your life?so that your paths will be made straight and right by God!
Lastly, when we are striving to build our TRUST in God, we must simply TRUST!
I know that this may seem to be a foolish statement when trying to give some helps about trust; but this is what we must do?just TRUST!
To trust is to ?have faith in, to have confidence in, to hope, to rely upon, believe, and to depend upon?.
This is trust!
This is simply what we must do with God?we must trust Him! After all, isn?t this how your salvation began and is maintained anyhow???
The key to this point?just do it?TRUST HIM!
So, we must be active in our trust by seeing God as the TOTALITY of our trust?s basis?
-We can trust in God, because He is trustworthy and able!
Then we must trust God RESPECTIVELY to the results we desire; obviously meaning trusting FULLY in Him?
-We desire His best and all?therefore, we should give our best and all to God in reference to our trust!
Which leads us to needing a new UNDERSTANDING concerning our relationship with Him and in trusting Him in all things?
-Our understanding can be jaded by our own ideas, hopes and dreams for our lives?thus we need to pray to God for help to understand what He is doing.
So then, we need to SEE what God is doing in our lives as a benefit for us and not a curse.
-Our perspective can be misleading, so we need to get a fresh look at what God is doing in our lives?attempting to see what God sees!
Then, just TRUST Him!
-There comes a point where you have to stop rationalizing everything?stop thinking things through to much; to the point where you talk yourself out of trusting?so just do it!
You must put your money where your mouth is and do something?and that something is TRUSTING GOD!
IN CLOSING:
In reference to our TRUSTING in God?I pray that we are growing in that arena of our lives on a daily basis. I know that ALL can benefit from growing in trust?and ALL need to anyhow.
Do you find yourself wanting to build your trust fund?rather, building your trust in God?
John 3:30
"He must increase, but I must decrease.?
May we decrease in our own wisdom, our own strength, and in our own perception of what should be?all that we may increase in a new and fresh perspective in God, from God!
Increasing in our Trust in God and His infinite power!
Let?s hear Proverbs 3:5-6 from the Amplified Bible and see if that adds any deeper understanding for us concerning trusting God?
?Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all you ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.?
My friends, as we take an introspective look this morning?my prayer is that you would see the need to grow in your trust in God.
I mentioned last week our need to grow up?and one step towards that end is growing in our trust in God.
Can you trust God with your life? With your family?
Can you trust God even when it seems things are falling apart?
Can you trust God, and wait to see Him complete what He has begun?
ALTAR CALL:
Are you needing to trust God for your salvation?
Are you needing to trust God in a certain area of your life?family, finances, or future
Are you just wanting to grow in your trust for the day you may need it?
SONG:
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
In all things, we need to regain perspective by turning our eyes upon Jesus!
