Trust In The Lord
Trust In The Lord
Proverbs 3:1-18
Proverbs 3:1-18
Day 1
Read Mark 12:28-34
(Today’s devotion written by Michael Brittenham)
What does it mean to trust? We tend to think of trust in terms of something merited. But is it really more closely aligned with faith? Our tendency is to look at trust as something we earn, hence the reason we say that you must "earn someone's trust". The idea is that we place our trust in things that have proven themselves trustworthy. They have proven that they are faithful, they will be there for us, they will not abandon us in times of trouble. We also talk about how long it takes to earn trust but how trust can be broken in a moment. Human trust is heavily influenced by circumstances. When we apply this to God it gets incredibly messy because God expects us to trust him regardless of our circumstances. The scribe in Mark 12 learned this in his exchange with Jesus seeking the greatest commandment. Jesus explained we are to love God with everything. That's it. There's no promise of anything in this passage, no conditions, no exceptions. God is not required to prove Himself first, He is sovereign. This hit me hard today after going to the doctor and finding out my health wasn't as good as I expected. I thought I had done "all the things" you are supposed to do but I didn't get the results. I found myself asking God "why" even as I sat down to write this devotion. We face all manner of circumstances, struggles, and even the valley of the shadow of death. God is no less trustworthy because of my circumstances. The problem is thinking that my definition of trustworthy can be applied to God. I believe that when we arrive on the other side of our circumstances we will look back and see that God was as faithful as ever, worthy of trust and everything our heart, soul, mind, and strength can express in love.
Are you letting your circumstances undermine your faith in God?
What characteristics of God show that we can always trust in Him?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
(Today’s devotion written by Michael Brittenham)
What does it mean to trust? We tend to think of trust in terms of something merited. But is it really more closely aligned with faith? Our tendency is to look at trust as something we earn, hence the reason we say that you must "earn someone's trust". The idea is that we place our trust in things that have proven themselves trustworthy. They have proven that they are faithful, they will be there for us, they will not abandon us in times of trouble. We also talk about how long it takes to earn trust but how trust can be broken in a moment. Human trust is heavily influenced by circumstances. When we apply this to God it gets incredibly messy because God expects us to trust him regardless of our circumstances. The scribe in Mark 12 learned this in his exchange with Jesus seeking the greatest commandment. Jesus explained we are to love God with everything. That's it. There's no promise of anything in this passage, no conditions, no exceptions. God is not required to prove Himself first, He is sovereign. This hit me hard today after going to the doctor and finding out my health wasn't as good as I expected. I thought I had done "all the things" you are supposed to do but I didn't get the results. I found myself asking God "why" even as I sat down to write this devotion. We face all manner of circumstances, struggles, and even the valley of the shadow of death. God is no less trustworthy because of my circumstances. The problem is thinking that my definition of trustworthy can be applied to God. I believe that when we arrive on the other side of our circumstances we will look back and see that God was as faithful as ever, worthy of trust and everything our heart, soul, mind, and strength can express in love.
Are you letting your circumstances undermine your faith in God?
What characteristics of God show that we can always trust in Him?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 2
Read Matthew 5:2-16
(Today’s devotion written by Michael Brittenham)
There is a popular phrase that says, "Knowledge is Power", but how does knowing something give power? I believe that knowing gives an illusion of control and we equate control with power. When faced with the unknown we seek answers. Sure, some people will prefer ignorance over knowing but the majority of people want answers. Most of us get very interested in understanding when the check engine light comes on in our car. The cost of not knowing in that case can be very high. Laws to prevent insider trading in the stock market are designed to prevent people with too much information from abusing the privilege. Granted, it doesn't always work (cough cough, Congress, I'm looking at you) but that's the idea behind certain laws. Unfortunately, we are no longer as interested in understanding the truth, we instead choose to "make our own truth" because if I can re-define my reality, then I know all the rules and have all the power. There is no better example of leaning on our own understanding than trying to define your own truth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus starts by giving examples of those who are blessed, those who have the good life and then talks about how we are to be the salt and light. As I read verses 2-16 it occurred to me that not once does Jesus tie greatness to understanding. We are not called the light of the world because our great knowledge shines forth. We are a light because our humility and good works point everyone to the only source of real Truth and understanding.
What are other examples of how we try to gain control through understanding?
Are you trusting in your truth over God’s Truth?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
(Today’s devotion written by Michael Brittenham)
There is a popular phrase that says, "Knowledge is Power", but how does knowing something give power? I believe that knowing gives an illusion of control and we equate control with power. When faced with the unknown we seek answers. Sure, some people will prefer ignorance over knowing but the majority of people want answers. Most of us get very interested in understanding when the check engine light comes on in our car. The cost of not knowing in that case can be very high. Laws to prevent insider trading in the stock market are designed to prevent people with too much information from abusing the privilege. Granted, it doesn't always work (cough cough, Congress, I'm looking at you) but that's the idea behind certain laws. Unfortunately, we are no longer as interested in understanding the truth, we instead choose to "make our own truth" because if I can re-define my reality, then I know all the rules and have all the power. There is no better example of leaning on our own understanding than trying to define your own truth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus starts by giving examples of those who are blessed, those who have the good life and then talks about how we are to be the salt and light. As I read verses 2-16 it occurred to me that not once does Jesus tie greatness to understanding. We are not called the light of the world because our great knowledge shines forth. We are a light because our humility and good works point everyone to the only source of real Truth and understanding.
What are other examples of how we try to gain control through understanding?
Are you trusting in your truth over God’s Truth?
How does today’s devotion inform your prayers?
Day 3
Read Proverbs 8:22-36
Too many worship songs in our current day, focus on the person or what I get. There are some songs that spend time talking about the intricate beauty of the Lord and his ways. The bad thing in all of that is when I pray, I tend to mock my culture and forget that other part, the part of expounding on the wonders of God. That is why when I read a passage like this, I get confused and begin to wonder why it is there. Can I really learn anything or apply anything in a passage that makes Wisdom a character and gives it actions like it is a person?
Surely we can. Wisdom’s value is expressed here in its place from the very beginning and it’s involvement in creation. The writer is showing that all of life is hinged on wisdom. Like gravity, the thing that you can’t see but that impacts everything, so wisdom’s presence in the very beginning means that all of Creation is built with it’s consideration. Why is that important? Because wisdom has the answers to life’s biggest questions. It was there from the beginning and was used to make it all happen. That is the same wisdom that God gives to us and longs for us to have. Wisdom is portrayed as the old builder that worked on the original project or the wise old man that has been around it all.
What are the applications to your life that come from this passage?
How much value do you have for experience when someone is teaching you as opposed to book smarts?
What image is your favorite in this section of Proverbs and why?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Too many worship songs in our current day, focus on the person or what I get. There are some songs that spend time talking about the intricate beauty of the Lord and his ways. The bad thing in all of that is when I pray, I tend to mock my culture and forget that other part, the part of expounding on the wonders of God. That is why when I read a passage like this, I get confused and begin to wonder why it is there. Can I really learn anything or apply anything in a passage that makes Wisdom a character and gives it actions like it is a person?
Surely we can. Wisdom’s value is expressed here in its place from the very beginning and it’s involvement in creation. The writer is showing that all of life is hinged on wisdom. Like gravity, the thing that you can’t see but that impacts everything, so wisdom’s presence in the very beginning means that all of Creation is built with it’s consideration. Why is that important? Because wisdom has the answers to life’s biggest questions. It was there from the beginning and was used to make it all happen. That is the same wisdom that God gives to us and longs for us to have. Wisdom is portrayed as the old builder that worked on the original project or the wise old man that has been around it all.
What are the applications to your life that come from this passage?
How much value do you have for experience when someone is teaching you as opposed to book smarts?
What image is your favorite in this section of Proverbs and why?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 4
Read Proverbs 12:15, 14:12, 16:2, 21:2, 26:12, 26:16, 28:11
Be humble. If you are like I tend to be, most of the time, I flinch at that idea. I have been taught to pushback against those trying to hold me down. “Be not wise in your own eyes.” That’s how Proverbs 3:7 says it. But that is a wisdom point, not a commandment that is black and white. Clearly we can know things and even know that we know things, so how far do I take this idea…what’s the line of “wise” in my own eyes? Proverbs is not trying to paint a line, so much as give a warning about a flavor. Beware of the moment you get comfortable with your own wisdom. Because relationships are important. Other people are seeing your life from outside your head and have an important perspective as well. When you get to the point of being wise in your own eyes, you stop relying or leaning on other people and start to isolate yourself as an island. This is not a good place for us as humans. We were not created to be like that and therefore do not function best like that.
You have to slow down and really spend time thinking about these ideas for them to land any value in your life. Don’t skip over it too fast. You have nothing to gain by lying to or deceiving yourself. It is in honesty that you will find humility. Rarely is there a time or should there be a time that you do have something to gain from these types of Proverbs.
Which verse that you read speaks the most to you right now and why?
What is the lesson or the application that you should walk out after being shown the truth in these Proverbs?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Be humble. If you are like I tend to be, most of the time, I flinch at that idea. I have been taught to pushback against those trying to hold me down. “Be not wise in your own eyes.” That’s how Proverbs 3:7 says it. But that is a wisdom point, not a commandment that is black and white. Clearly we can know things and even know that we know things, so how far do I take this idea…what’s the line of “wise” in my own eyes? Proverbs is not trying to paint a line, so much as give a warning about a flavor. Beware of the moment you get comfortable with your own wisdom. Because relationships are important. Other people are seeing your life from outside your head and have an important perspective as well. When you get to the point of being wise in your own eyes, you stop relying or leaning on other people and start to isolate yourself as an island. This is not a good place for us as humans. We were not created to be like that and therefore do not function best like that.
You have to slow down and really spend time thinking about these ideas for them to land any value in your life. Don’t skip over it too fast. You have nothing to gain by lying to or deceiving yourself. It is in honesty that you will find humility. Rarely is there a time or should there be a time that you do have something to gain from these types of Proverbs.
Which verse that you read speaks the most to you right now and why?
What is the lesson or the application that you should walk out after being shown the truth in these Proverbs?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
Day 5
Read Proverbs 9:13-18
We are in some interesting territory in our readings lately. Wisdom has been portrayed as a woman and treated like a person. It is not hard to see that we should be reading these parts a bit differently than we do other parts of the Bible. But now, this is very strange. Now the Bible portrays another woman to us in this text. There is the woman known as Wisdom, but there is also the woman known as “Folly.” Her ways are not portrayed in a positive light in this text and we are to avoid her.
Folly- that is not a word we use very much, so what is a what that we could use that is a bit more common to understand the meaning here? Foolishness or stupidity is another way to understand this. If it helps you, go back and read that passage again with Stupidity being what you are understanding it all to be about. Notice that she is portrayed as loud, and sitting in the seats of honor and influence. She is recruiting many people to herself and even has a version of anti-wisdom sayings that she shares. She is even offering refreshments to those that may be enticed by that.
This is a strange passage, what are you supposed to learn here?
What modern day example do you see around you right now of Lady Foolishness and how is it like what this passage says?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
We are in some interesting territory in our readings lately. Wisdom has been portrayed as a woman and treated like a person. It is not hard to see that we should be reading these parts a bit differently than we do other parts of the Bible. But now, this is very strange. Now the Bible portrays another woman to us in this text. There is the woman known as Wisdom, but there is also the woman known as “Folly.” Her ways are not portrayed in a positive light in this text and we are to avoid her.
Folly- that is not a word we use very much, so what is a what that we could use that is a bit more common to understand the meaning here? Foolishness or stupidity is another way to understand this. If it helps you, go back and read that passage again with Stupidity being what you are understanding it all to be about. Notice that she is portrayed as loud, and sitting in the seats of honor and influence. She is recruiting many people to herself and even has a version of anti-wisdom sayings that she shares. She is even offering refreshments to those that may be enticed by that.
This is a strange passage, what are you supposed to learn here?
What modern day example do you see around you right now of Lady Foolishness and how is it like what this passage says?
How does this become part of your prayer today?
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