What does it really mean to trust God?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8

What does it really mean to trust God?

Or, you could ask the same question this way, “What does it mean to really trust God?”

That is THE big question, isn’t it? It is important enough to address it with a Proverb from the wisest man who ever lived.

To begin answering the question, consider this simple story:

I heard a story of a missionary in Africa who received a knock on the door of his hut one afternoon. Answering, the missionary found a native boy holding a large fish in his hands. The boy said, "Reverend, you taught us what tithing is, so here. I've brought you my tithe." As the missionary gratefully took the fish, he questioned the boy. "If this is your tithe, where are the other nine fish?" At this, the boy beamed and said, "Oh, they're still back in the river. I'm going back to catch them now."

Like this young boy shows us, trust is giving God your first, your best, and your all!

Like this young boy shows us, trust believes God for the rest!

Like this young boy shows us, trust is giving with zest!

Like this young boy shows us, trust believes that God will bless!

Does your trust in God pass this test?

July 10, 2018

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."  Proverbs 3:5-8

Most of us have read the beautiful poem called Footprints. It’s brought comfort I think to all of us. If you haven't read the poem I am confident you have seen the painting inspired by it.

What’s interesting is that the lady who wrote "Footprints", Margaret Fishbeck, went through amazing trials. The person that she loved left her, she caught meningitis, and was literally bedridden for many months. She came to the lowest place of her life. During that time, another man fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. But she wouldn’t marry him. She basically said, "I’m out of trust. I’m not sure I trust God. I know I don’t trust men. I’m out of trust."

One night in her diary as she lay in bed, she began to write that beautiful piece, "Footprints". And that night she saw the answer. I’ll just take a moment to read it to you, if you’ve never heard it: "One night a man had a dream, and he dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes of his life, and for each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him and the other belonging to the Lord. After the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. And he also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and at the very saddest times of his life. This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. He said, ’Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I’ve noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there’s only one set of footprints. I don’t understand, Lord. Why, when I needed you the very most, you would leave me?’ And the Lord replied, ’My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’"

Trusting God requires many different responses from us. This third chapter of the Proverbs gives a helpful listing of those requirements.

Let's focus on this one today. Trusting God means believing that He is carrying you when it feels like it and when it doesn't. Sometimes the footprints don't appear until the end of the journey. But that is the point of trusting - His promises are His proof of His presence - not His footprints!

Will you rest in His arms today and enjoy the journey?

July 9, 2018

"Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors." Proverbs 22:28

We have established that boundary stones had not only had legal significance but also spiritual implications.

Moving a boundary stone was not only illegal but it was sinful because it was trespassing on the property of a neighbor as well as transgressing against the law of God. That would be double trouble!

You have to assume that since Solomon considers it important enough to mention this prohibition there must have been problems with people moving boundary stones. And you would figure that when they did move those stones they would not move them in terms of feet but only by inches so it would not be obvious a stone had been moved.

Once a stone was moved ever so slightly and everyone got accustomed to seeing it the adjusted position, it was safe to nudge it outward another inch.

So that is how greedy dishonest thieves stole land from their neighbors, an inch at a time and a month or two at a time for generation after generation. Inch by inch one boundary line was increasing while another was shrinking.

Isn't that how sin operates in our lives? Most of us avoid big, obvious sins but our daily acts of disobedience nudge us ever further from God until we find ourselves far from Him.

Let me ask you, "Are you moving boundary stones that God has said shouldn't be moved in your life?"

Have you convinced yourself that a little nudge here and a little nudge there doesn't really matter?

The Wise Man of God says, "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors."

Maybe it would be a good time to call the Holy Spirit in to do a survey!

Perhaps it is time to get lined up with God?

The good news is that even though you may have move gradually away from God, you can come all the way back with just one act of confession and repentance!

July 8, 2018

"You have said, Seek My face. My heart says to You, Your face, Lord, will I seek, inquire for, and require." Psalm 27:8

What are the necessities of your life? What do you absolutely have to have? Can you even name those essentials that you could not be without?

I'll bet if you took the time to figure it out you would find it is a short list.

David, the Psalmist King knew! The one indispensible thing for him was God's presence! He could not - or more accurately - would allow himself to be denied the presence of God.

To "seek God's face" means to come into His presence. The great John Piper frames it this way:

"This happens through “seeking.” Continual seeking. But what does that mean practically? Both the Old and New Testaments say it is a “setting of the mind and heart” on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God.

“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2)

This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God. This is what Paul prays for the church:

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

It is a conscious effort on our part. But that effort to seek God is a gift from God.

We do not make this mental and emotional effort to seek God because he is lost. That’s why we would seek a coin or a sheep. But God is not lost. Nevertheless, there is always something through which or around which we must go to meet him consciously. This going through or around is what seeking is. He is often hidden. Veiled. We must go through mediators and around obstacles."

Herein is the merging of discipline and desire. The desire to seek God motivates the discipline to schedule time and screen distractions and study the Word until you hear from God and experience His presence.

Understand that there is a sense in which you are never out of the presence of God in terms of His protection and care. But communing with Him and connecting with Him in that intimate spiritual fellowship that your soul craves requires you full focus.

If you have not sought the face of God for awhile, why is that? Is it because of a lack of desire? Has your heart grown cold? Has sin crept into your life? Have you fallen in love with the world?

Or have you become distracted or diverted or discouraged due to the commotion around you? Has your lack of discipline allow the world to smother your schedule and clutter your mind?

Seek His face today!

July 7, 2018

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

The earnest admonition "do not conform to the pattern of this world" should really say, "don't settle for being conformed to the pattern of this world" because that is what it really means!

It's a fact, a sad reality that unless you have done something to change it, you ARE conformed to the pattern of this world! You were born that way. It is your nature. It is your default condition.

While it is not your fault your were born in this condition it is your responsibility to make sure you won't die in this condition.

The condition I am referring to and Paul has in mind is being conformed to the "schemes" of this world. What are the "schemes"? The mindset and thought patterns of the world are part of the schemes. The value systems of the world are part of the schemes. Selfish thoughts and desires are part of the schemes of this world.

Not one part of these worldly "schemes" is pleasing to God. None! They won't lead you God and will, in fact, draw you away from Him!

You can't tweak them into pleasing God.

You can't reform yourself into a new scheme.

The only solution for being conformed to the world is being TRANSFORMED through the renewing of your mind! 

To put it in computer terms, you can't download an app or a virus protection software. It will require an entirely new operating system.

God, through the blood of Christ will cleanse your old operating system (sinful nature) and download His Holy Spirit into your heart. That is how He renews your mind! It is a complete and fundamental transformation!

Nothing less will do!

Spiritual Tweaking

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

I was a pretty good baseball player. I was good enough to crack the starting lineup at one of the larger high schools in Indiana and later become a regular starter on a college baseball team. My mastery of the fundamentals and my understanding of the game elevated my level of play beyond my natural physical ability.

Honestly, I was only an average athlete and my physical stature was also on the average side of the scale. I lacked the speed and size to play at a higher level.

My dream of being a professional baseball player was limited by those physical factors. Gaining an inch in height or an extra step of speed wouldn't have been enough to make up the difference.

In other words, a minor tweak or two would not have made enough difference in my ability to have a chance in the pros. It would have taken a complete and miraculous physical transformation to get me where I wanted to be!

I share that not just to reminisce but to make this point. There are no minor tweaks we can make in our fallen spiritual nature that will make us into what God requires us to be. We can't reform ourselves into salvation.

And yet it seems many religious people believe they can make some minor tweaks or adjustments and make themselves acceptable to God. It goes something like this, "If I just spent more time in prayer" or "If I just read the Bible regularly" or "if I just get baptized" then I would be spiritual enough.

But as Paul clearly informs the Christians in Rome, they don't need a spiritual tweak they need a spiritual transformation!

You can't conform yourself into spirituality or salvation.

Neither can you reform yourself into salvation.

Only the transforming power of Jesus and His shed blood can pull you out of conformity and beyond mere religious practices!

You need a fundamental change in your spiritual nature! The Greek word Paul used is "metamopho" which is the root word for our English word "metamorphosis".

A metamorphosis is what happens when an ugly caterpillar changes into an elegant butterfly. It is a complete transformation of your nature!

Only Jesus can do that in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Have you been transformed by Jesus?

Conformed To This World

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

If giving yourself to God as a living sacrifice is the "reasonable" thing to do why don't more people do it?

And if offering yourself to God as a living sacrifice allows Him to transform you by the renewing of your mind, why aren't more people offering themselves to Him? 

At least part of the answer, and I suspect a big part, is that it is easier to conform or to try to reform rather than surrendering to be transformed by a holy God.

But rather than surrender to transforming power some choose to revert to their default setting and allow their thinking, their values, their decision-making and their behavior be shaped by their sinful nature. 

Paul would call that "being conformed to the world".

You are born as a sinner because your nature has been shaped by the sinfulness of Adam. Unless you choose to do something about that condition you will remain as Paul describes "conformed to the world" . And if you die that way you have no hope of making Heaven.

Since the mind that is "conformed to the world" is controlled by the sinful nature it will not recognize it's need to change and merely do what comes naturally - sin. Sin will keep you from God and it will keep you out of Heaven.

So, denying that you are really that bad of a person is a "conformed to the world" thing.

Deciding to just fit in with the ways of the world is a "conformed to the world" thing.

Choosing to "go along just to get along" is another is a 'conformed to the world" thing.

No wonder Paul emphatically states, "But do not conform to the pattern of this world".

If you were a passenger on a sinking ship at sea, would you be concerned about fitting in and being like all the other passengers? 

Of course you wouldn't!

No, you would make every effort to do the reasonable thing - find a way to get off the ship and survive!

Apart from Christ, your life is a sinking ship!