Trust in the Lord

Proverbs is a 3,000-year-old collection of truths compiled by King Solomon. The short assertions in Proverbs, describe how life often works. Proverbs, has encouraged, challenged and instructed people in every corner of the planet. One truth that has been foundational to countless generations is Proverbs 3:5-6. “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) This verse has been instructional to so many because life is full of everything but “straight” paths. Life takes twists and turns, climbs and dives and at the most unexpected and inconvenient times. I’ve never experienced a season like I have the last 18 months. The path has been different continuously. The only constant has been uncertainty. Life is filled with twists, turns, lefts, rights, stops, goes, slow down, come, stay, uphill, and then downhill. My regular litany of questions goes like this: “Lord, do I go left, right or straight? Do I keep going or stop? Do I really need to stay? Climb again?” I keep going back to the same truth recorded by Solomon. The New Living Translation, which I often teach from, translates the Hebrew like this: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) I rely heavily, exceedingly heavily, on this truth. At this point in time, it’s easy to “do not depend on your own understanding” since I have almost no understanding. “Seek his will… and he will show me which path to take.” I’m relying on that truth. Show me the path Jesus!

The Father's Reward

Year after year, for 61 years, Gallup’s 10 Most Admired Men included the evangelist Billy Graham. Graham excelled in integrity, devotion and faithfulness. Graham also excelled in generosity. From his life of generosity Graham learned, “God has given us two hands—one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding; we are channels made for sharing.” You have two hands. One is for working, investing, earning and receiving. The other hand is for giving. One hand is the inlet, and the other hand is the outlet. The Dead Sea in Israel is dead because there is no outlet. If a person doesn’t exercise their outlet hand, they will be a “Dead Sea.” In Jesus’ longest recorded teaching he said: “When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:2-4 (ESV) Jesus gave three instructions for giving. I want to learn these, and I hope you want to learn them too. Don’t toot your horn! Tooting your own horn for your generosity is hypocritical and praise seeking. Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Don’t let your inlet hand know what your outlet hand is doing, and don’t let your outlet hand know what your inlet is doing. If your inlet hand thinks your outlet hand is giving too much, your inlet hand will throw a tantrum. Don’t let your inlet hand know what your outlet hand is doing. Give in secret. When a person gives without tooting their horn, they open their outlet hand and keep it secret, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything better than the reward of the Father! I want the Father’s reward! How about you?