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Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV).

“Just trust God, He will come through for you.” has been a phrase, I’m sure, someone has said to you before for encouragement. For some of us, we have heard it so many times now it sounds like a church cliché. But in reality, we should trust in the Lord with all of our heart. It is not good enough for us to trust God half way and hold on to the other half to work it out for ourselves. Many of us mess up what God has for us because we get impatient. We have to be careful not to make decisions when we are frustrated with life or the circumstances around us.

If Jesus is our Great Shepherd who cares and loves us unconditionally, that means He has our best interest at his heart. When the circumstances in our lives seem dark, that is not the time to trust our heart to make decisions. It is important for us to lean and trust in the Lord and not depend solely on our understanding. Depending on our understanding of the situation will only bring more chaos. When we lean on Jesus for direction and guidance, we will never go wrong. Whatever we do in life, we should always acknowledge the Creator. Failure to acknowledge the Creator, who is Sovereign, in everything we do, is like slapping Him in the face.

There are three ways in which we can trust God that is mentioned in Proverbs 3:5, 6

1. Trust God Entirely– ‘with all of thine heart’. God demands an undivided commitment to Himself.
2. Trust God Exclusively- ‘and lean not unto thine own understanding’. Many people make crucial decisions in their lives base on how they feel and not on the Word of God for guidance.
3. Trust God Extensively-‘in all thy ways acknowledge him’. We should trust God in every aspect of our lives, whether it is small or big. He should be Lord over all parts of our lives because He is Sovereign.

To enjoy the Christian walk with Jesus and be blessed, it’s important to trust Him. When we trust God, we are allowing Him to direct our path and make it straight for success. We will never make it in this sinful world without trusting Him. It is very easy to lose hope in our society, to become a victim of depression or suicide. It is imperative for us to learn how to trust Jesus with every aspect of our lives.

Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie

Resource

Newheiser, Jim. 2008. Opening up Proverbs. Day One Publications.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoinest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23:4-6 KJV)

Last week, we focused on Jesus, who is the Great Shepherd. He is always ready to forgive and restore us when we sin. In verses 1 – 3, we are reminded that there is safety, security, refreshment, forgiveness, renewal, restoration, direction, and guidance in Jesus. All we have to do is repent of our sins and accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

In Psalm 23:4-6, Jesus is not only portrayed as The Great Shepherd but also as a host. When we are facing difficult circumstances or trails in our lives, we have the assurance that Jesus is with us. He has never abandoned us, nor will He. The enemy loves to use fear on the children of God to cause us to doubt God’s promises.

David reminds us that even though the situation appears to lead to death, we should not fear because God is with us. We should keep in mind that it’s only a shadow, not death. A dark shadow can be very frightful and we may think it’s going to harm us but it has no power to bring us harm. Henry T. Mahan writes: ‘… Christ has removed the substance of death and only a shadow remains’. That means it will not lead to physical death.

Shepherd’s used their rod to fight and kill predators that come to bring harm to the sheep. Jesus does the same in our lives. He is there to fight our battles for us as long as we hand it over to Him. Just as the shepherds use their staff to round up the sheep and guide them along the way so that they do not stray. Jesus is there to protect us from the hands of the enemy and disciples us when necessary so that we do not stray.

It is very important to keep in mind that Jesus considers us as His friends. It was customary in biblical times when a guest entered a home, the host would anoint the guest’s head with oil and give them the best choice wine.  Jesus loves us so much that he desires each of his children to enjoy the feast which he has prepared. He desires that we receive and enjoy the overflow of abundant blessings he has promised. The only ways we can receive and enjoy these privileges is to obey God’s Word and love each other as Christ loves us. He loved us so much that He died on our behalf.

Missionary Judith A. Gilzene Moodie

Resources:

1. Ellsworth, Roger. 2006. Opening Up Psalms
2. Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A.R.; and Brown, David. 1871. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
3. Mahan, Henry T. 2007. With New Testament Eyes vol. 1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23:1-3 KJV)

The word shepherd and shepherding is mentioned over 200 times in the Bible. David referred to God as his ‘Lord’ and ‘shepherd’, he was referring to God’s Sovereignty and his caring nature. David who was a shepherd boy in his youth, knew extensively the requirements and responsibilities of a shepherd. He knew that a shepherd was to led his sheep to pasture and water (Psalm 23:1), protect them from wild animals (1 Samuel 17:34-35), guard his flocks at night whether in the open (Luke 2:8) or in the sheepfolds (Zephaniah 2:6) where they were counted as they entered (Jeremiah 33: 13), and take care of the sheep and carry the weak ones in their arms (Isaiah 40:11). During David’s life time, he has been through many difficult situation where he should have died; and he watched in amazement as his ‘Lord and shepherd’ delivered him.

We have the same assurance as David today in Christ Jesus. He is our shepherd who cares deeply and loves us unconditionally. His love goes beyond any other love that exist because no one can love us the way Jesus does. All of the requirements and responsibilities that a good shepherd possess, Jesus possess them all. He died on Calvary’s cross to free us from the plague of sin, in order that we will not be condemned. We should spend time mediating on the Word of God, it is our daily food that he has prepared for us.

God’s people often find themselves in need of spiritual refreshing. We are in a world that is full of evil. We get drained spiritually and in need of spiritual refreshment. Jesus is the only refreshing water which can fill our thirst, when we mediate and study his Word. When we study the Word we will see all of the promises that Christ made to us. These promises will refresh and sustained us daily. We should never allow anyone to condemned us or push past sins in our face that Jesus has already forgiven. We are like sheep, and we do stray at times.

Jesus, who is the great Shepherd is there to forgive and restore us when we seek forgiveness. We should always keep in mind that we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus). There is safety, security, refreshment, forgiveness, renewal, restoration, direction, and guidance in Jesus. God loved us so much that he send his only Son into this evil world to died so that we may have eternal life. Think about it, “Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like this?” Only a foolish person.

Missionary Judith A. Gilzene Moodie

Resources

1. Brand, Chad; Draper, Charles, and England, Archie. 2003. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville:TN, p. 1484
2. Ellsworth, Roger. 2006. Opening Up Psalms. Day One Publications, Leominster:HR6 8NZ, p. 45-48

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:26-28 NLT)

Have you every been at a place in life where you felt as though your life has been turn upside down? You emphatically trust and love God, but you are facing difficulties and hardships to survive in this economy? Paul wrote Romans 8:26-28 to comfort us during those difficult times to strengthen our faith in God. It is such a great honor and privilege to serve a Mighty God who steps in and intercedes on our behalf when we lack the strength to pray. When we don’t have the words to verbalize our hurts, He comprehends our cries and groans. Which other god is capable of doing that? None. Buddha, Allah, Muhammad, or any of the other gods that people worship cannot comfort or intercedes on their behalf when they are weak naturally or spiritually. The Holy Spirit is the only one that can bring perform such a feat in the lives of believers. Believers are those who have repented of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

God understands what the Spirit desires even though it is inexpressible in human terms (v. 27). God is the one who has complete access to the heart. His knowledge is direct, not dependent upon one’s ability to articulate concerns. God is a searcher of hearts and knows the desires of our spirit, as His Holy Spirit intercedes for us in harmony with his will. No passage of Scripture provides greater encouragement for prayer. The Spirit comes to the aid of believers baffled by the perplexity of prayer and takes their concerns to God with an intensity far greater than we could ever imagine. Our groans (v. 23) become his (v. 26) as he intercedes on our behalf.¹

There are circumstances that take place in our lives, many times we do not understand why and may ask the question ‘Has God forsaken me?’ The answer to that question is ‘No, He has not forsaken you.’ First, let’s get this clear, if a believer is being disobedient and steps out of the Will of God, then everything is not working for your good. Romans 8:28 states ‘God causes everything to work together for the good of those who LOVE GOD and are CALLED according to his purpose for them.’ As believers, Jesus is in control of every circumstance that occur in our lives, we may view the ‘good’ that Paul mention as suffering but He views it as beneficial for us. We are here to bring glory to Him and many times it comes through trials and persecutions. We are reassured in this Scripture that no matter what we face in life, God is working it out for our good. Whenever we find ourselves at the place where the words will not flow from our lips and the only sound that comes forth is groaning or crying, go ahead! Cry and groan to the Sovereign One, Jesus, because that’s the time the Holy Spirit will step in and intercede on our behalf to the Father.

Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie

So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  For the Scriptures say, ‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’  Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.  So let’s stop condemning each other.  Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. (Romans 14:10-13 NLT)

 A good runner knows how to stay in his lane to avoid disqualification or causing others to stumble and fall.   The same principle applies to life.  We must stay in our lane and not assume God’s role as judge because we will in turn stand before His judgment seat to be judged.  When our fellow brothers and sisters fall into sin, we should be quick to forgive and restore those individual back into fellowship with God.  That is not the time to gossip about it or constantly remind the person of their past sin.  In John 8:1-11, a woman was caught in the act of adultery.  The Scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus to be stoned to death as the law of Moses required.  Though the LAW required her to be stoned to death for her sin, Jesus said to the crowd ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’  Not one of them did because they realized that they all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Jesus did not condemn the woman; He forgave and restored her back to Him.  As believers, Christ expects the same from us – forgive and restore.

Jesus allowed His life to impact the world for over two thousand years because He was and still is the Light of the world.  We should never find ourselves at the place where we become a stumbling block to others. Our lives should reflect Christ, He forgave those who offended and betrayed Him.  He does not hold on to un-forgiveness, bitterness, or animosity.  He has a pure heart and He loves us unconditionally.  We have all sinned, and we have all been hurt by our fellow believers in Christ in some way.  People make mistakes, we are human.  Hebrews 12:1 states ‘Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.’   Having sin (un-forgiveness, bitterness, animosity, etc.) on board will slow down a believer and will eventually cause a person to lose the race.  We began the race when we accepted Christ as our Savior.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, let us not allow sin to stop any of us from completing the race that God has set before us.  Let us also keep in mind that we will all have to give an account to God for our action.

Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered! (Psalms 139:13-17 NLT)

David reflected on the Sovereignty of God and how He created him.  David knew that he was uniquely, lovingly, and graciously created by God for his good and God’s glory. We serve a marvelous and miraculous God who knew us before we were even conceived in our mother’s womb.  David said ‘You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb (v.13).’  Let’s examine this for a moment.  From the first day we were a fertilized egg, God begins to knit us together with cells and tissues in our mother’s womb.  Keep in mind He did not need a womb to create Adam and Eve. He formed them from the dirt. That alone shows His Sovereignty.

It is important to be who God has created us to be.  We are created in His image.  We should stop trying to be someone else and be who God created.  God loves and knows us, we are His handy work.  He took time to knit us together, making sure that all of our cells, tissues, and organs are in the correct place and our blood is flowing to enable us to breed.  Doctors are still amazed at the design of the human body.  They are still studying the human body to understand its complexity. Sadly, they will never fully understand it because we are created by a God that is Sovereign.  There will always be something about our bodies that we do not like and would want to change.  However, if we keep in mind Psalms 139:13-17, we will realize that we are uniquely and wonderfully made by an all-powerful God.  Let’s take the focus off what we don’t like about ourselves and focus on glorifying God with these bodies that He created for His glory.

Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie

Resources
Barry, John D.; Faithlife Study Bible
Fitzpatrick, Elyse; PD101 Our Identity in Christ
Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psalms 119:11 KJV)

I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart, so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. (Psalms 119:11 MSG)

Let me first start by asking the questions: ‘What are you depositing in your heart? Are you depositing the promises of God or are you depositing sin?’  We have to be careful what we are allowing in our hearts.  It is necessary for us to constantly deposit the promises of God into the vault of our hearts.  We should value the Word because of what it does in our lives.  The Word produces cleansing, it gives liberty, it provides direction, and it gives understanding (Ellsworth, 2006).

We need to have a personal relationship with God in order to survive this journey and the way we develop that relationship is meditating on His Word.  We cannot obtain this closeness with Him without making frequent deposits. I could not walk into a Chase Bank to withdraw $10,000.00 if I did not have that amount in my account.  I would be denied access for insufficient funds.  It’s the same in the spiritual realm, if we do not have sufficient Word in the vault of our hearts, we will be spiritually bankrupt and prone to sin.  To have God’s Word of promises laid up in our heart is the only security against succumbing to sin (Exell & Spence).  That’s why it is very important as believers to meditate upon the Word of God.  It’s the only security we have to make this journey.  Just as we invest countless hours and money into the stock market, IRA’s, education, work, or a business as security for our future, we should put more effort into studying and meditating on God’s Word because that’s the only security that will last a lifetime.

We need to realize that the Word of God is the agent that the Spirit of God uses to regenerate the hearts of all of us who are saved (Eph.5:25-27).  He continues to use that same cleansing power in our lives today (Ellsworth, 2006).  When our vaults are full of God’s promises (Word of God), we will find it easier to exercise the principles of the Bible and see our brothers and sisters in Christ as He sees us.

Missionary Judith Gilzene Moodie

1. Ellsworth, Roger, Opening Up Psalms, Ryelands Road, Leominster, HR6 8NZ: Day One Publications, 2006.
2. Exell, Rev. Joseph, Spence, Rev. H.D.M., The Pulpit Commentary: Psalms (Vol.111) New Edition, London and New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalms 18:1-2)

David wrote this Psalms when God delivered him from his enemy and from the hands of Saul.  David was expressing his love and gratitude to God for His salvation, His deliverance, and His covenant faithfulness.   David’s love for God was an affectionate love, that’s why God could say of David he is ‘a man after mine own heart’ .  He loved and trusted God to deliver him from his enemies.  He had the full assurance that God would come through for him despite the circumstances.  David used several attributes to described God which emphasize the stability and security found in God, which we can used in our lives today when we are faced with difficulties, distresses, and anxiety.  God wants us as His people to know that the stability and security that we have in Him, we will never find it in anyone or anything else.

God wants us to know that He is our strength– the source of our strength or from whom all our strength comes from.  He is our rock-  our place of safety and protection in time of danger (this rock is like a cleft rock for concealment that one can find shelter and protection).  He is our fortress– our place of defense, a place that is so strengthen that an enemy could not approach it, or where we would be safe.  He is our deliverer- He delivers or rescue us from our enemies and He is a living Protector.  He is our God– our Protector, Helper, Healer, Father, Friend, Savior, Comforter.  He is our strength (Rock)- our firm, immovable Rock.  He is The Rock and His work is perfect (Hebrew -Tsur).  He is our buckler– He covers and shields us from the enemy or anyone who tries to rise up against us.  He is our horn– our defense and strength (the ‘horn’ is to animals the means of their attack and defense.  Their strength and power lies in the horn).  He is our high tower– our refuge and we can run to Him for safety when we are in danger (a high tower/place were built on mountains, rocks, or on the city walls and were regarded as safe places because they were inaccessible).

What a wonderful and gracious God we serve.  He is to us what no one else will ever be or can ever be because He is Sovereign. He is trustworthy and will always be our Rock (Tsur).  That firm immovable Rock that we can always run to for stability and security.  My question for you today is ‘Do you know Him?’.

Missionary Judith A. Gilzene Moodie

Resources:

1. Barnes, Albert, Albert Barnes Notes On The Whole Bible.
2. Duffield, Guy, Foundations Of Pentecostal Theology.
3. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible.
4. Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A.R., Brown, David, Commentary Critical And Explanatory On The Whole Bible.
5. Spence, H.D.M., Pulpit Commentary: Psalms (Vol.1).