Exodus 30:11-38; Matthew 26:47-56; Psalms 32:8-11; Proverbs 11:24-26
Psalms: “I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel. Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you. Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.” (Psalms 32:8-11 CSB)
One of the most challenging things a disciple of Christ faces is trusting in the Lord. It is so much easier to trust in what you can physically see and audibly hear. It is so much harder to trust in something that is discerned spiritually, especially when what you are discerning spiritually is completely counterintuitive to the things that are physically happening and being communicated all around you. But one of the marks of a true disciple of the Lord is a surrender of self-will to, and complete trust in the Lord. Don’t be a person that has to be cajoled and convinced into trust with a “bit and bridle.” Be someone who willingly places his life into the hands of the Lord, and allows himself to be led by just the sound of His voice. He will instruct us and show us the way to go. He will ever keep His eye on us as we trust completely in Him… and in the midst of your trust, you will be surrounded by His unfailing love and mercy.
Proverbs: “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.” (Proverbs 11:24-26 CSB)
Something that communicates trust is generosity. A person who is fearful or who does not trust will not be generous. Instead, they will hoard and take and isolate themselves. If they do “give,” it will be with guarantees attached. When we trust the Lord as our provider and source for all our needs, then we have no fear of giving… we have no fear of being without, for we know that when we give, more will be given to us. It is the Kingdom law of giving and receiving that runs counter to the world system of take and hoard. When you live by the world system, all you will ever have is what you can physically accumulate by your own abilities or take from others due to your own limitations. However, when you trust the Lord and enter into His economy, you enter into His endless flow of provision that provides, not only for you, but for those around you as well… and as you give, you gain more… and as you give away water, water is given to you. Faith or fear? Generosity or stinginess? Trust in the Lord.
Jamie Hicks 