TRUST AND OBEY - THERE’S NO OTHER WAY
Proverbs 3:5, 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.
This is another one of those popular verses we see on plaques and under paintings in Christian booK stores. It is a verse that every Christian knows they should follow, but most often we do not. We tend to lean on our own understanding and go with that. Trusting in the Lord can sometimes seem risky. And there certainly seems to be more comfort in trusting in our own understanding, because it is usually is based on past experiences that assure a more guaranteed positive outcome. God is not asking us to abandon our understanding and good common sense! What he is asking is that he be the source of our direction that we put our hope and trust in. This requires our seeking the Lord with the intent of doing what the Lord is leading us. It is strange, but sometimes we ask for advice, but we already know what we plan on doing. I think sometimes we do this thinking that it is our duty to ask the Lord, and we are hoping that he will tell us what we already want to do.
Matthew 19:16-22 says, “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus replied. ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.’ ‘Which ones?’ the man inquired. Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.’”
Jesus hit his weak spot, because that the young man wanted to protect his wealth and independence. So why did he persist in pushing Jesus for assurance of his salvation based on his obedience to the law? Because it was easier to trust in his own understanding or efforts, than to trust in Jesus getting him to heaven. Jesus was giving this young man an opportunity to become one of his disciples, but he turned it down. His wealth was his security for his food, shelter and future. When Jesus told him to give his wealth away he was saying in so many words, “Are you willing to put your complete trust in me to take care of you?”
We shouldn’t come down too hard on him, because for some of us just giving that 10% tithe on Sunday seems too much to ask. Can you imagine Jesus asking you to give up everything and trust him to take care of you? Pretty scary thought isn’t it! It is unless you are totally convinced that Jesus will take care of your every need. So is Jesus asking us to give up everything for him? No! He is asking us to live our life as though we are willing to give up everything, and trust him for everything. When we do this we find incredible freedom, and peace of mind and heart.
The missionary Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he can not keep, to gain what he can not loose. Elliot went to South America to tell some primitive people in the deep jungle about Jesus. His father who was very wealthy told him that if he would go he would not get a single penny of his inheritance. Elliot went anyway, and the people he went to save killed him. In a way the logical advice of warning him was logically correct, because his father was correct in that he didn’t receive his father's great wealth. But because of Jim’s trust in the Lord his inheritance was much greater not only in heaven, but here on earth. After his death, his wife and other friends went to the people that had killed Jim, and told them of their forgiveness and then led the entire tribe to Jesus! What a legacy Jim Elliot left for all who would have the courage to trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding!
Back in the late 1800 a man went to hear a well known evangelist by the name of Dwight L Moody. At the end of the service Daniel Towner stood up and told everyone that he was going to trust and obey the Lord. Those words were made into a song by John Sammis that have blessed and encouraged Christians for generations. Why would we want to lean on our own understanding when we can have the Lord’s?
Prayer: Lord, please give us the courage and commitment to trust and obey you. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
