The Wisdom of Trusting God (2)

The Road of the Wise

Asdov/o3 Wsdahylov Imasdov;ivnu

Imasdovnin Jampan

Proverbs 3:1-9

2 .Trust God

There was this story about a mountain hiker who lost his balance and started tumbling down the hill. Suddenly he was able to grab the branch of a tree. He held this thing and was too scared. He prayed to God for help! In fact, there came a sound saying “Let go of the branch and you will be safe.” The man was terrified, and held the branch as tight as he could and did not let it go, but kept asking for help! The sound said the same thing again and again. The man did not leave the branch, and stayed hanging all night. In the morning, when there was light he looked down and he saw he was a couple of feet away from the safe land.

“Let it go!” Do we trust God? Do we really trust Him? What does it mean to trust His wisdom?

Let us start with understanding our relationship with God, our Maker.

What does trusting mean?

Trust means relationship.

Circumstances should not define our trust in the Lord.

The process of learning to trust God is important. The process of learning to love and fear God is important. Wisdom is not an end, and the result of “being wise” is not an end. We lose perspective when we focus only on gain from searching God’s wisdom.

We find that there is promise that we will gain more days in our lives.

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life…So you will find favor and  good success in the sight of God and man.” (1-2)

We think trusting God equates to richness and prosperity. Success and more days do not necessary mean healthy bodies or sickness-free life or material riches. “These instructions do not promise that those who trust the Lord will find the right career or life partner. Rather, they urge their readers to let wisdom guide them in the way they go about enjoying the gifts of this life and to keep them from making the error of setting their own good life above that of others.” (NIV Commentary on Proverbs, Page 128)

We have the tendency to pursue the fruits of wisdom as an ends in themselves. Do not put the cart in front of horse.

Without fear of God (awe, reverence) and without love and intimacy with God, the search for success and “long days” and prosperity can go terribly wrong. This does not mean that we should not seek and ask for healthy life. God can and will bless us, it is a promise. But that is not our aim in knowing and seeking Him in our lives.

How do we learn to Trust God?

a. We cannot trust anyone if we do not love him. Loving God and the neighbor is a process and never ends. IT IS TOTAL COMMITMENT.

“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (3)

Let hesed, the faithful love of God, the unconditional love of God not leave you. This word hesed is very important. In the NT we call it agape, God’s unconditional and firm love toward us. In the OT we find one of the characteristics of Yahweh, His steadfast love towards his people.

We express our Hesed (faithful love) to God by trusting Him. Also we express hesed to our neighbor.

“Bind them around your neck”. This is referring to some kind of leather strap that one can wear as a necklace that is close to one’s heart, so one will be aware of it all the time.

The Word of God should be in our heart and not just a reminder from the outside. We need to keep His commandments in our hearts. As we said in Prov. 2:9-10 the Wisdom of God becomes a delight for your heart. It becomes part of you. Jesus mentioned,

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

b. We Trust God when we surrender to Him completely

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.” (5-7)

We have two choices here:

Either trust God completely and fear (respect and awe) Him

or trust yourself and fear the other people.

-Trust Him means a deliberate choice to not lean on your understanding. This means deliberately refusing to trust your instincts and thoughts. This does not mean you cannot do anything. No, in fact God is asking us to trust Him in order to love, care, serve, build, work, sing, write, walk, compose, teach, and on on on….. Yet you know that it is not you that is the center; it is God who provides the means to be someone.

-Trusting Him means you know your limits. When you acknowledge that He is the source of wisdom. When you accept He is the Lord and your Maker, you start learning to trust Him completely.

“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Prov. 28:26)

-Trusting Him means that you should not allow areas of your life where God has no access. Surrender to Him all of your heart and ways.

Good examples are Soul vs David.

Lately I am studying their lives in 1^st Samuel. Soul trusts his strength. He appears as if he trusts God, but just with lips, or maneuvers and appearances. David on the on the hand, learns day by day that whatever he does, whoever he is owes to God. God is the source of his strength and courage.

c. We trust God and honor Him by giving

“Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;” (9)

Giving your fruits, your best and not the secondary or the leftovers.

This is also trusting. Giving to God whatever our circumstances. Giving to God demonstrates where your heart is. Jesus said: “…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt 6:21)

Wisdom of Trusting God brings PEACE

Twice the word shalom is used as a result of Wisdom.

“My son, do not forget my teaching…….and peace they will add to you.” (2)

“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”(17)

There is word play on Solomon’s name Shelomo and Shalom, peace. David had this child after Beersheba’s scandal. God gave him a son who was called peace. Peace in the Hebrew understanding is a right relationship with God and each other. Our God does not want us to live in broken relationships.

One more time we find that learning to trust God, learning to keep His commandments in our hearts, produces peace, with God, yourself and with each other.

Summary:

This chapter is about trust. It is means how trusting God can discipline our desires in direction toward God. We learn to control our desires and seek His Wisdom by honoring God and not forgetting to be in peace with our neighbor, to show loyal unconditional love towards my neighbor.

Let us approach the Lord’s Table with His peace.