June 29, 2014
Wise Words
Trusting Wisely
Proverbs 3:5-6
(Advance Slide #1)
Introduction
I’d like to begin this morning with a little riddle…
- What words of religious wisdom do you speak everyday?
- What words of religious wisdom do you speak everyday without moving your mouth?
(Advance Slide #2)
- It’s right there on our money, “In God We Trust”
So, there it is written on our money but is it written on our hearts?
- Its one thing to say that trust in God...its another thing to really trust in Him!
Why do we find it so hard to trust in God?
(Advance Slide #3)
- We trust in other things/people:
You go to a doctor who you see maybe twice a year and whose degrees you have never verified.
He gives you a prescription you cannot read.
You take it to a pharmacist you don’t really know.
He gives you a chemical compound you do not understand.
Then you go home and take the medicine according to the instructions on the bottle...based all on trust!
This morning I want us to consider trust and how we can live a life where we trust in God more.
- The way I’m going to do this is by suggesting a few ways/areas we can trust in God.
(Advance Slide #4)
Text
5 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 straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
Proverbs 3 is a father to his son.
- He has said in vs. 3-4 that these are lessons that must be kept!
- “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you…”
- How do we keep them?
- “...bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
- When you do this...God will guide you.
- “...you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.”
(Advance Slide #5)
There are many reasons why we should trust on God.
- The text that we have today hits the “nail on the head.”
- Solomon says the main reason that we trust in God is that when we trust in God He guides us!
We - TRUST in Him...
He - GUIDES us!
(Advance Slide #6)
- Our part is to do the trusting and God’s part is to do the guiding!
When we trust in God it will make a huge difference in our lives!
Lesson
How do we trust in God so that we can see this difference in our lives?
(Advance Slide #7)
Trust in God’s Care - vs. 5
- “trust” - this comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to put all your weight.”
(Advance Slide #8)
- NOTICE - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart...”
EX. - Trust in your bed!
- You will go to bed tonight laying on your bed trusting that the bed will carry all your weight.
- Kids will run and jump into their beds, we may fall down into the bed.
- Either way we do not give it a second thought.
- We do not keep a foot on the floor just in case the bed falls.
- We put all our weight on the bed.
We need to put all of our trust in God’s care.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart...”
- One writer said it this way, “It is all your trust or none at all.”
- He went on to explain:
- Halfhearted trust is equal to wholehearted doubt!
(Advance Slide #9)
“...do not lean on your own understanding.”
- Little David was ready to fight against to giant that was mocking his God.
- Saul felt bad and brought David some armor made for a full-grown man.
- “Look Saul, thanks but I can’t even walk in this.”
- He didn’t need that armor or any other.
- David trusted in God
- Noah did the same thing!
- Joshua did the same thing!
There might be times in our lives when things do not make sense...trust in God!
(Advance Slide #10)
Trust in God’s Purpose - vs. 6
This is more than reading our Bible and prayer
- God wants for us to do these things, but He also wants for us to “acknowledge Him.”
(Advance Slide #11)
“In all your ways acknowledge him…”
- “acknowledge” - this comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to see Him.”
- In all that we do, we need to look for His guidance.
Where do you acknowledge Him?
- Always means:
We look for Him in our marriage and our family
We look for Him in our job and our hobby
When we get out of bed till we go back to sleep we look to “acknowledge Him.”
How different would your life be if you looked to “acknowledge” Him in all aspects of your life?
(Advance Slide #12)
Trust in God’s Will - vs. 6
When we do our part, bringing things to Him...trusting in Him…
- Then He will direct your path.
(Advance Slide #13)
- “...he will make straight your paths.”
NOTICE that this is a conditional promise.
- God will not force us to make the right decision.
- He created us to be “free will.”
- When we bring it to Him, He will in His own time, direct us.
This is a lot like last weeks lesson.
- When we do not include God in our paths we will end up lost!
- We need to include God in our decisions too.
(Advance Slide #14)
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Psalm 32:8-10
Each of us operates on 1 of 3 levels:
- Level 1 - I do want I want to do.
I don’t care who it effect or the reasons around it!
- Level 2 - I do what I think I ought to do.
This is the level most Christians are at.
- Level 3 - I will do what He leads me to do.
This is where we should all strive to be!
Conclusion
How do I know if my trust is in God?
- How do I know if I’m doing what He’s leading me to do?
(Advance Slide #15)
We begin with God’s word…
- We can learn God’s way through His word, the Bible.
- God’s direction will never be contrary to the instruction found in His word.
- When You read God’s word...you understand God’s will.
(Advance Slide #16)
Another way we can know if we’re trusting in God is through godly people.
- When we surround ourselves with godly people we can be encouraged by them.
(Advance Slide #17)
Sometimes God will open and close doors in our lives.
- “...he will make straight your paths.”
- The idea in this part of the text is the ideas of God cutting a highway or making a path.
- We MUST acknowledge these paths
(Advance Slide #18)
