Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Where is Our Trust?


Trust in Man
Jeremiah 17:5-6 ESV

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
    and makes flesh his strength,
    whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
    and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salt land.

As human beings, we are born with sin natures. We are without God, and without hope. Our flesh is full of wickedness. It is completely untrustworthy. Our flesh is bound to fail us; to fail others. So, why do we ever put our hope and trust in the flesh of human beings? Such trust is futile.

And yet, many people put a whole lot of trust in the flesh of man, including many Christians do. They trust in preachers, teachers, public figures, politicians, news media and in themselves. But, their trust is misplaced, for they are trusting in what can never satisfy the deep longings of their souls. They are trusting, too, in what will lie to them, and not tell them the truth.

This is a serious issue within the church today, for so many Christians are trusting in flesh, and not wholly in God, if in God much at all. So much of today’s church has gone the way of the world and the world of big business, which is all based in flesh, and is not of the Spirit of God. Yet, if what they have come to believe is church makes them feel good, then they think it is good. But, one does not necessarily equate the other.

So many professing Christians are living not much different from the world. They are walking according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit. They are still living to please the flesh, because even the church, largely, is promoting self-pleasure and incessant entertainment. Even much of the church is more concerned about satisfying fleshly appetites than it is concerned about pleasing God and doing what he says.

But, the flesh cannot be trusted. When we put our trust in the flesh, in place of putting our trust in the Lord, we are turning against God. We are telling God that he is not enough, or that he can’t handle our circumstances, or that we are choosing to disregard his commands, and to go our own way, instead. And, so we are shooting ourselves in our own feet, as the saying goes. We will reap what we sow. What goes around comes around. And, it will come back to us and bite us. It will not turn out well for us in the end.

Trust in God
Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

God is the only one fully trustworthy. He is the only one deserving of our complete trust and hope. And, he is the only one who can satisfy the deep yearnings of our souls. He is the only one who truly knows us, and knows what we need, because he is the one who created us. And, he created us to worship him, to give him praise and honor, and to follow him in obedience.

Since we were designed to give glory, honor, praise and worship to God, when we live outside of that design, we not only will not have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven, but we will not live in the peace and joy of the Lord while we live here on this earth. We will keep running into brick walls, figuratively speaking, and will spin our wheels but not go anywhere.

Because we are born with sin natures, separate from God, due to the sin of the first man, God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ came to earth, took on human flesh, and was crucified on a cross for our sins. In his death he put our sins to death, and in his resurrection, he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death on our behalf.

By faith in Jesus Christ, a faith that is of God, and is a gift of God to us, in which he persuades us to put our trust in him and to follow him in obedience, we are made right with God. Our fellowship with God is restored. Jesus Christ is now our Lord, and we are his servants. The Holy Spirit of God then comes to live within us, to empower us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. So, we now walk according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh.

Now we have purpose and direction and meaning to life. We now have the peace of God and the assurance of his presence always with us. He is the one who now counsels and guides us in the way that we should go. And, following him in obedience and in surrender to his will brings us into perfect harmony with our creator.

Even if all around us is falling apart, we can be at peace and at rest in knowing that we are in the center of God’s will, and that he is the one who will carry us through every difficult circumstance which comes our way.

The result of this trust in God is that we will worship, praise, adore and honor him with our lives. We will desire him above all else, and we will want to sing his praises, to serve him with our lives, and to demonstrate our love for him by walking in obedience to his Word.

No Less 
An Original Work / March 19, 2012

I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.

I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.

I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.


Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 6:03 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from Your Word. May we serve you only and always.

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