Saturday, June 14, 2008

Trust in the Lord

Something has been weighing on my heart for a while now and I just thought I would share some thoughts on this.

Proverbs 3:5-7 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. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

2 Corinthians 5:6-11 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Psalms 118:8-9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Psalms 25:12-14 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalms 128:1-2 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

It is really clear that those that trust in men are cursed and those that trust in the Lord are blessed. Additionally, the fear of the Lord, being the beginning of wisdom, is where we start looking to the Lord rather than trusting in men. Consider the implications of trusting in men, or ourselves, God will not lead them. He can't (Prov 3, Psalm 25). So, what does that mean to us. Here we are in a day of such confusion with the church of Jesus Christ and many are running here and there looking to see what the Lord is going to do with this people or with that people. What are we doing? Are we not looking to men? Many will say, including myself, that we are going to see what God is doing with those people. That may be true to a certain extent but aren't we still trying to see with the eyes of our flesh rather than the eyes of faith. The eyes of faith speaketh on this wise, that the Lord is building His church in the lives of all those that love Him and that depart from iniquity. All those that are willing to trust in Him with all their heart and not lean on their own understanding. This is one of the most desperate things about our times. I am very concerned. However, I have hope. Hope for all that are willing to repent of seeking to find refuge in man but instead find their only refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will therein get glory.

May He be blessed in your faith today!

David