Part two of Trust in the Lord
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:4-5
Is your whole heart (the very center of all that you are, do and think) – in perfect attendance with the Word of God – his promises & truth?
The word heart is very simple, meaning the heart, used figuratively for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the center of anything.
The word translated to all carries the meanings of: “the whole” altogether, all, any or every manner, everyone, everyplace, everything, as many as, enough, to complete or make perfect.
As I thought about this I saw a picture of a classroom in a school. The teacher had a lesson prepared, the school was open, students were arriving, but not all of the seats were filled when the bell rang. Not all of the students were in attendance that day. We are to trust God in ALL areas of our life. ALL areas must show up each day. Is your heart in perfect attendance when it comes to trusting God? As Christians we tend to find it easy to trust God for salvation and sanctification. Nobody really sees that part. But when we start talking about healing, or provision, when the result of our trust is not always visible, do you trust?
I recently came across one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Daniel 3:16-18, but you really should read at least chapters 1-6 of Daniel! These verses are in the middle of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, exiles from Judah to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon crafts an image of gold 90-feet high and nine feet wide then commanded that everyone bow down to worship it. Those who refused would be thrown into the fire. In short (go read at least chapter 3!) Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to worship this gold statue and Daniel 3:16-18 lets us in on their response to Nebuchadnezzar:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Even if your situation were not to change, or turn out the way you had hoped, will you still serve God? Will you still place your trust in Him, even if it cost you your life? Where our trust is impacts what we worship, what we really believe will or can save us. The response of the three men above was to this statement by Nebuchadnezzar in the previous verse:
“Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”Take a look at your life and see if your heart really is in FULL ATTENDANCE when it comes to trusting in God. Challenges will come up to defy God and tempt you to place your trust elsewhere. Especially when it comes to our personal comfort being challenged!
- Do you tithe?
- Do you seek God for wisdom when there is a decision or problem in life?
- Do you seek him daily for the wisdom, strength, peace, guidance, provision, and correct perspective?
- Do you know & trust what God’s word says about who you are?
- Do you trust the calling he has given you?
- Is prayer and fasting a regular part of your life?
These things are good ways to test where your trust and heart really are!
