Trust in the Lord

0:00Thanks for tuning in to Manna, a short daily meditation to feed hungry souls with God's Word. These episodes were prepared by our day ministers for a radio broadcast called Voice of the Church, and are now republished by the Reform Perspective Foundation, a Canadian charity that applies biblical truth to the issues of our time, here's today serving. Dear listeners, Stephen Leecock, that humorous and esteemed Canadian man of letters, of a half century ago once said, men are able to trust one another, knowing the exact degree of dishonesty they are entitled to expect. Now Leecock may have written this tongue in cheek, and yet it is a sad but true fact that our world is full of mistrust and suspicion. Mist is a word that some, if not many, have eliminated from their vocabulary.

1:01They just don't trust anyone. And no wonder for one in public as well as private life, trust is undermined by many devious schemes and lies. Public confidence in leaders in government and industry disappear as more and more scandals are brought to light. A company hides billions of dollars of losses while hoodwinking the public into sinking the company's healthy and on a roll. A government agency is found to have squandered millions of public money. Indeed distrust and suspicion abounds. Some years ago I read a story of a man who died and his two grown sons had an awful time trying to find their way through all his papers. Do you know why? Well their father had never told them anything, and he didn't tell his wife anything either.

2:04I don't think he doubted the honesty of his sons or his wife. He just distrusted everyone. He trusted no one to keep his secrets. And it appears that many people think that they have to keep to themselves the things that are most important for their future. Could that be the reason perhaps why people find it so hard to trust God? They've heard that the future is in his hands, but they don't want to let go and have him handle it. And now this God is almighty. Sovereign, just and holy. He seated far above the clouds in unapproachable light. And yet he is also a loving and faithful father, one who never goes back on his word, but who always keeps his promises. The writer of Proverbs 3 verse 5 said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean

3:09not on your own understanding. Indeed God is the only one whom you can trust completely with your whole heart. He just saw the good many people are willing to question even that. They think they've tried God, but found him wanting. They say they had faith in him once, but he didn't really come through for them. Of course you have to question whether that was really faith. It sure he was not trust. It was just bargaining with God to see how you come out. What our Proverb is talking about is real faith in God. That kind of faith where one abandons every thought of self-reliance and self-preservation and leans totally on God, a faith which rests and hopes in God alone. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

4:10You know the words of that text were written by a very wise man, Solomon, a king who lived many, many years ago. And that king was out to give his son a good instruction. He told him to bind love and faithfulness around his neck like a beautiful chain. Solomon knew, for he'd learned it from his father David, that only those who would serve the Lord up rightly would be blessed. Only those whose hearts were right with God would have their sins forgiven in the Savior who was coming. That's why he gave this earnest direction to his prince, to his son. He said, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. That is, with every fiber, with every corpuscle as it were in thought and indeed, every day, with every breath and in all of life, in every relationship. And do not lean on your own understanding.

5:14Don't lean on it like a shepherd leans on his staff or like a person leans on a crutch to hold him up. Don't lean on your own understanding. That is, on your knowledge, your intuition, your insight, your intellect. No matter if everyone in your class or at the office should say, wow, what a brain. Why this command and why this contrast? Let me try to explain. To trust someone is to rely on that person wholeheartedly without any reservations. That with all your heart of our text is suggestive of a word that was used in days of old, to describe the fullness of a pregnant mare or a ripe watermelon. I think we get the picture. The trust in the Lord completely is to place one's full, one's pregnant reliance on the

6:16Lord. To lean on him with no ifs and bots and maybes. With that kind of reliance, Solomon's father David once expressed in these words, whom have I in heaven but you, and on earth I desire nothing besides you. He was speaking about his God and his Savior. That whole hearted trust in God. Who have I in heaven but you? It is a joyful yet quiet acknowledgement that your life is in his hands, hands that are not only glorious and mighty, but tender and merciful. Hands of a God who was willing to send his one and only son to save sinners. To do it opted to trust in the devil, people who committed their lives to one who only wanted to take them with him to the pit. So why not lean on your own understanding?

7:17Isn't it so that man's ingenuity has gotten him very far? Why with it he makes the most marvelous machines and he tackles the most complex of problems? With his mind he reaches for the stars and he appears to be able to fulfill his dreams? And now it is so that man's understanding can amaze you. Yet how fickle, how frail, how flawed it is, how subject to sin and death, how prone people are to go off on some reckless pursuit, some tangent that only ends up in frustration and in bitterness. The Bible shows us where man's dependence on his own understanding has gotten him, history confirms it. Supposedly wise counselors have been known to come to sudden and miserable ends. Powerful dictators who trampled on nations invariably bit the dust and the best laid plans

8:20of mice and men come to what? Yet those who trust in the Lord will never be disappointed. Those who embrace his word, his love, his mercy and justice they will shine. Those who delight in his commandments will have sure hope. For if you believe the Lord at his word you have a firm anchor for your soul, you have a platform under your feet. For the Lord of whom Solomon spoke is the one who looked down and saw all the sin and all the misery, the dirty business into which man kind of plunged himself. Through his disobedience of not trusting God in his word, he looked down and he said, I'll send my son to be the savior of many, of all those whom I will put on my side, all those who will believe me at my word.

9:21Once that Lord said to Abram, with whom God made his covenant so rich in promises of life in Jesus Christ, don't be afraid. I am your shield. You're very great reward. Just trust in me. Listeners, don't be afraid to trust in God. Back in 1864 that phrase in God we trust was first spammed on American coins. You know, many citizens asked for that in those days, and today there are just as many even more who would see the name of God erased. Even judges would have no more mention made of God in public life in pledges of allegiance. What's folly? What tragedy? Though some see this as the way to live, it is really the way to die eternally. Trust in the Lord and you have life, and you will have it for a very, very long time.

10:25Jesus Christ guarantees eternal life for those who believe. Although you and I live in the world where many people can't be trusted, it seems. You don't have to live your days and fear. God will give you the strength to do more than cope. When Jesus Christ said Paul in his letter to the Romans, you are more than conquerors. If you rely on him, with all your heart, if you don't lean on your own understanding, if in all your ways you acknowledge him, then as the Bible goes on to say, he will make your path straight. And what he said by the mouth of a prophet long ago, he says to you and to me today, fear not. For I am with you, I will strengthen you, I will help you. That's Isaiah 41, verse 10, God is in control.

11:26Though we may not always see it, but we may always believe it. He can do what you can't do, even with all the intelligence at your command. He can save you and he can protect you, even if you should have to go through the valley of the shadow of death. He'll be near you. He will not abandon you. He can and he will do more if you believe in him. He can and he does we new lives today. He can and does we new relationships, even those who were badly broken. Trust him at his word. There were mistrust and innuendo seemed to rule. He'll build a place of trust and honesty and sincerity. Though he tests our trust, he will make it grow to be strong. He does and he will answer your prayer. He lives forever and his promise is forever lasting life.

12:27In whom then will you trust? In who else but the Lord, with all your heart? Thank you for listening and have a beautiful day. Thank you for listening and have a beautiful day.