Trust God Wholeheartedly

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

What does it look like to trust in the Lord with all your heart?  Whose lives in the Bible are good examples of this?  One example is Caleb.  How do we know that he is a good example?  The Bible tells us!  Numbers 14:24 says, “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”  

What did Caleb do to deserve this recognition?  Earlier in Numbers 14, after a group of Israelites came back from exploring Canaan, Caleb and Joshua were the only 2 who had a good report to give about the land.  The other Israelites feared the current inhabitants of the land, but Caleb and Joshua said, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.  If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us – a land which flows with milk and honey.  Only do not rebel against the Lord.  And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.  Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.  Do not be afraid of them”.  

Caleb came back with a report of faith and confidence in the midst of others who were filled with doubt and fear.  How was he able to do that?  He trusted in God instead of looking around at his circumstances and leaning on his own understanding.

I pray that we are able to put into practice the example that Caleb gave us.  Psalm 22:4-5 gives us more encouragement for trusting God: “In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.  They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.”  

The Strong Silent Type

Proverbs 28:25-26

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2028%3A25-26&version=NIV;NKJV

 

 

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, the most popular genre for TV shows and movies was a Western. The shows were literally littered with leading men who all had the same characteristic… the strong silent type. John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Gary Cooper and Randolph Scott, to name a few, were self-made men who forged their way to survive against the bad guys in the western frontier.

 

However, the strong silent type, is just as popular today as it was then. Consider Arnold Schwarzenegger, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, James Gandolfini, Denzell Washington, and Liam Neeson. Even in comedy the role has been popular. Ed Asner in The Mary Tyler Moore Show fit the role perfectly.

 

So you might ask, what’s wrong with being a strong silent type? Absolutely nothing! But it does make you wonder, what the fascination with that character role is. I would suggest that, to some extent, it has to do with human pride and the desire to control our lives.

 

Simon and Garfunkel sang a song called “I am a Rock”. They would seem to confirm this

reason.

 

I've built walls.
A fortress deep and mighty. That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock. I am an island.

 

“I don’t need your help, thank you very much. I can take care of myself”. In one form or another, we have all said this to others, to ourselves and to God. “Thanks for the offer God, but I’ve got it”. That is, until we end up in a jam.

 

If you’re a parent, you spend your whole life raising your children to become independent; to live on their own; to learn how to be responsible. Those are important skills and attributes for all of us to develop. But human nature goes wild, and we lose track of who we are, whose we are and whom we serve.

 

Solomon gives us wise advice in these two verses. Here are two different translations that give two unique perspectives. Read them; meditate on them; and let God’s Spirit speak to your heart and change you through them.

 

²⁵ The greedy stir up conflict,
    but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶ Those who trust in themselves are fools,
    but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.            NIV

 

²⁵ He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

²⁶ He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.    NKJV

 

 

 

 

Romans 12:9-21

             LOVE

It seems that “love” has different meanings depending on the person and circumstances. Certainly we love our spouses differently than our children and we love our parents in a way unlike how we love the elderly man across the street. These people however are not generally difficult to love. They typically contribute positively to our lives and are no threat to us.

Paul, in his wisdom, wrote this book of Romans to Christians in Rome. He especially attempted to outline what the relationship should be between the Jew and the non-Jew. Appealing to the heart Paul urged them to live life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Should we not do the same?

This passage is powerful as it challenges us to do the will of God in spite of our human-ness.

All taken from Romans 12:

“Love must be sincere.”

“Honor one another above yourselves.”

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Love means looking beyond ourselves and at times wrestling within ourselves to do the will of God. This beloved book we call the Bible speaks to us again and again about how to follow God’s will. It also tells us it will not be easy, but the Lord will be with us to see it through.

"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 straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Read/Listen to Romans 12:9-21