And put your trust in the Lord

 

Psalms 4:5(NKJV)

5    Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,     And put your trust in the Lord.

We hear that a lot in the Bible but what exactly does it mean?  Is there any special significance to the word trust? 

That was the question that occurred to me today.  I have a general sense of what it means but I thought I'd look up the definition of the word trust.  Now I've got to admit that I wish I had paid a little more attention in English class so that I had a better understanding of the difference between nouns, verbs, adjectives,  etc.  Oh well!

trust

noun

1. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2. confident expectation of something; hope.

3. confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.

4. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

5. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

adjective

12. Law. of or pertaining to trusts or a trust.

verb (used without object)

13. to rely upon or place confidence in someone or something (usually followed by in  or to  ): to trust in another's honesty; trusting to luck.

14. to have confidence; hope: Things work out if one only trusts.

15. to sell merchandise on credit.

verb (used with object)

16. to have trust or confidence in; rely or depend on.

17. to believe.

18. to expect confidently; hope (usually followed by a clause or infinitive as object): trusting the job would soon be finished; trusting to find oil on the land.

19. to commit or consign with trust or confidence.

20. to permit to remain or go somewhere or to do something without fear of consequences: He does not trust his children out of his sight.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trust?s=t>

So for the most part it means just what I thought it meant.  The additional understanding that I've gotten out of this is that there seem to be two things here that are essential in demonstrating to God that we have indeed put our trust in Him.  Those two things are reliance and expectation.

So what does reliance mean exactly?

re·li·ance

noun

1. confident or trustful dependence.

2. confidence.

3. something or someone relied on.

Pasted from <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reliance?s=ts>

Trustful dependence.  Do you depend on God or is He there "just in case" you need Him? 

Expectation is pretty self explanatory.  It is an attitude.  How do you approach God?  Is your trust in God whiney and pleading or is it confident and full of expectation? 

Why is this important?  Because God has said He has our backs.  When we continually whine and plead for God to fix things I believe this actually shows a lack of trust in God.  Your not sure He has heard you or your not sure He is really going to work it out in the end.  Does that make sense?

So as you put your trust in God, make sure you are truly willing to rely on Him and then once you have made the decision to rely on God then do it in an expectant fashion!

 

"Blessed is the man…."

Psalms 1:1-6(NKJV)

1    Blessed is the man      Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,      Nor stands in the path of sinners,     Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2    But his delight is in the law of the Lord,      And in His law he meditates day and night.

Sometimes simple is best.  "Blessed is the man…." got my attention.  Who doesn't want to be blessed?  So I read on.  "….Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.". 

OK, that seems simple enough.  One of the themes I have been encountering recently is that we will be held accountable for what we believe and who we listen to.  In other words we have to discern who to listen to.

How do we do that?  With all the competing voices in the world, how do we know who to listen to and who not to?  In other words how do we discern the counsel of the Godly from the ungodly.  That would require a judgment wouldn't it?

Yes it would!  As I've said in the past, there are plenty of places in the Bible that tell us to make judgments.  I've noticed that in most cases, when the Bible tells us to make a judgment, the Bible also gives us the standards to use.  Such is the case here.

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord,      And in His law he meditates day and night."

The people you are listening to, do you see the above Scripture in their lives?  If so I'd say that is probably a good indication that the people you are listening to are well grounded. 

Isn't it nice when God gives us an easy one now and then?

"Kiss the Son, lest He be angry…"

I have written in the past about this mistaken belief in Kumbaya Jesus.  This belief that it is a live and let live decision and that if you chose not to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior there are no consequences. 

Now just to be clear, I believe that each and every person who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved.  However I believe Scripture also tells us quite clearly that if we reject Jesus, there will be hell to pay, literally.  

Here is my reading from Psalm 2 this morning. 

Psalms 2:5-12(NKJV)

5    Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,     And distress them in His deep displeasure:

6    “Yet I have set My King     On My holy hill of Zion.”

7    “I will declare the decree:      The Lord has said to Me,     ‘You are My Son,     Today I have begotten You.

8    Ask of Me, and I will give You     The nations for Your inheritance,     And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

9    You shall £break them with a rod of iron;     You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

10    Now therefore, be wise, O kings;      Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

11    Serve the Lord with fear,     And rejoice with trembling.

12    £Kiss the Son, lest £He be angry,     And you perish in the way,     When His wrath is kindled but a little.      Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

 I love the interplay here between God and Jesus.  God first tells Jesus that He (God) is setting Jesus up with His (Jesus') Kingdom on Earth. 

Then you have Jesus answering that He (Jesus) will declare on Earth exactly what God has told Jesus to declare.

Then God tells Jesus that He (Jesus) can have anything He wants.  Verse 9 is one that really caught my eye.  It is God telling two of the reasons He (God) is sending Jesus to Earth.  You'll notice that both have to do with destroying, not loving people.  Who is the "them" that God is talking about?  I believe it is those who reject Jesus. 

Notice verse 12.  "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry".  I don't know how much clearer the Bible can be on this point.  What happens if you don't "kiss the Son"?  The Son (Jesus) gets angry.  Not oh kumbaya, live and let live.  Nope.  Scripture tells us that to not accept Jesus makes Him angry. 

It's funny but it seems like everyone wants to claim the blessings of Jesus without making the commitment necessary to secure those blessing.    But who does Scripture identify as qualifying for those privileges?  Those who put their trust in Him, those who accept Him.  And thus by extension, those who reject Him don't qualify for those blessings. 

So how do you make sure you qualify for those blessings?  Simple.  Ask Jesus to come into your heart and guide you.  Ask Jesus to take control of your life.  Just have a conversation with Jesus and let Him know what you are looking for.  "Dear Jesus…."

How the heck does God do that?

I know this is horrible but man am I glad I am done with Job for this time around.  I love the way Scripture reveals more and more about God to us as we are ready to learn it.  The downside of that I have found is that occasionally I'll hit a spell where nothing is really speaking to me for days on end.  It's like it is written in a foreign language. 

That's the way it was with Job this time around.  That's why I always read a chapter from the Old Testament and a chapter from the New Testament each day.  That way if one part doesn't have anything for me that day the other part usually does.

Anyway on to Psalms.  It used to be that Psalms was like that for me.  Didn't speak to me much.  But last time through (the Bible.  I just keep reading it over and over) I really enjoyed the Psalms.  It's was like God had re-written it or something.  I couldn't believe that I had read these same words before and not enjoyed them. 

To me that is just a great example of how the Holy Spirit works in our lives.  He  resides in us and knows exactly where we are at in life.  He knows God's Word intimately and that is how He is able to reveal to us just what we need just when we need it.   

And how do you get the Holy Spirit you ask?  Easy.  Simply ask Jesus, God's Son, to be the Lord and Savior of your life.   Ask Jesus to come into your life and guide you.  Just have a conversation with Jesus and let him know what is on your heart.  "Dear Jesus…."

Once you have accepted Jesus you will get the Holy Spirit to reside in you and guide you.  Then dig into God's Word and watch it be revealed to you over time.  It's an amazing thing!

Tomorrow we will take a look at Psalm 1

"And the Lord restored Job's losses when…."

Todays passage is a bit longer than usual.  I've highlighted what I want to focus on.

Job 42:7-14(NKJV)

7And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 

8Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”

9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. 

10And the Lord £restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 

11Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.

12Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 

13He also had seven sons and three daughters. 

The first thing that stands out to me is that God seems to indicate here that He sometimes refuses to hear the prayers of those who are not in God's good graces.  God tells them that they need to have Job pray for them.  He is in essence telling them that they need not bother praying because it will do no good. 

Now Job had gone through a lot for God.  God was pleased with Job.  But look when God finally restored Job's losses.  After Job prayed for his friends.  That tells me that even in times of personal trouble God wants to see our focus on others. 

The next thing I find interesting is the phrase "for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him.".  It seems to me that I was taught that God doesn't actively bring adversity on to His people.  He will sometimes let Satan attack but God doesn't do it directly.  According to this verse, apparently sometimes He does.

And finally look how God rewarded Job for all that Job had gone through.  God rewarded Job with material wealth and more family.  In fact God rewarded Job with more wealth then Job had accumulated up to that point in his life.

The lesson I draw from that is don't let modern day Christians make you feel ashamed of your wealth.  If you are actively seeking God's will in your life and living the life God gave you then your wealth is simply part of the blessings that God has given you.  Use it for good but it is totally OK to enjoy it as well!

Run the race to win!

1 Corinthians 9:24-27(NKJV)

24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 

25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 

26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 

27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

I've always loved these passages.  What a great exhortation to be the very best that we can be.  There is nothing wrong with being a competitor.  It is good and it is healthy in my opinion.  Competing against the best makes everyone better. 

Now obviously there are some caveats here.  I think the main issue is that we have to approach competition and being the best in a positive way.  What I mean by that is that we focus on the things that we can do to make ourselves and others better.  What I am not talking about is a ruthless competition that tears others down and destroys to win.

I think that the verses  above do a pretty good job of portraying that.  It talks about self control and training, etc.  All positive things.

Now when should we run the race to win?  All the time!  In all things!

Remember I am equating "run to win" with striving for excellence.    So if it is our work, strive to be the best at what we do.  If it is witnessing, strive to be that best at sharing our beliefs with others.  If it is caring for the poor, be the best at it.  If it is parenting, again working hard to be the best.

We serve a God of excellence.  We are made in His image.  Does that mean He made us perfect?  Nope!  But I think it does mean the we owe it to God to strive to be as much like Him as possible!

OK for some but not for others?

I find this a bit odd.

1 Corinthians 8:4-13(NKJV)

4Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 

5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 

6yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

7However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 

8But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 

10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 

11And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 

12But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 

13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

What I find odd is the concept that some things are OK for one person but not for another based on each person's spiritual maturity.  It would seem to me that something is either wrong or it isn't.  Here it's saying that eating the meat of idols is no big deal for someone with the spiritual maturity to realize that there is only one God, our God, and therefore who or whatever the meat was sacrificed to is not really a god so it is OK to eat the food. 

However for someone else who doesn't have that understanding, if it will bother their conscience, they shouldn't eat the meat.  It would be a sin for them to do it.

That just seems odd and is something I am going to have to ponder. 

Have a great weekend!