Sermon on 9 May 2021 by Pastor Paul
Introduction
Last week we learnt that God’s plan is the best plan. Let us be sensitive to God’s will. How do you know that God is leading you? There are 3 essential conditions.
Message
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6
1. Trust in the Lord
God is sovereign; He is almighty. Everything was created through Him. Nothing is impossible with Him. Trusting God is not just about saying the words, “God, I trust You.” Trusting God comes from all of your heart, and not by sight. We have to believe wholeheartedly, and not base our faith on what we can see.
God’s ways and thoughts are higher than our ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Hence, we cannot rely on our human wisdom to try to understand God’s ways. But, we can use our heart to trust Him.
2. Do not depend on your own understanding
The Israelites depended on their own understanding. They, cornered between the Red Sea and the Egyptians, asked Moses why he led them there to die. But Moses believed in God’s words and plan. He trusted in the Lord with his heart and the Lord delivered them. Our God is faithful.
In another example, Peter, a disciple of Jesus, received instructions from Jesus to go to Him, walking on water (Matthew 14). Peter trusted in Jesus with all his heart, and successfully did it. But when Peter saw the strong wind and waves, he was terrified and began to sink. He cried out to the Lord to save him. Peter struggled because he believed with his mind, not with his heart.
Jesus said on the sermon on the mount that blessed are those poor in spirit and broken-hearted who believe. This was the case with the tax collector who asked for mercy. In comparison, the Pharisees were proud and self-righteous (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus said that the tax collector went home justified before God, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. James 4:6 tells us that God resists the proud and gives mercy to the humble. When we are humble, we realise that we need God every moment in our life. We need to be humble to be teachable – to receive His teaching.
3. Acknowledge Him in all our ways
Do we acknowledge Jesus as the Lord? Is our life reflective of His image and ways? Is Jesus the Centre of it all? Is He the Centre of lives, our family, our church, and in all that we do? Ephesians 1 tells us that we have redemption through His blood for us.
If praying our lifestyle? Do we always pray? What do we pray about? In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the apostle Paul tells us to pray continually. King David, before every battle, prayed and followed the Lord’s instructions (1 Samuel 23:2,4; 2 Samuel 5:19,23, 21:1). Praying is an act of humility and submission to Him, acknowledging that we need Him.
Seek God’s will in all that we do. What is God’s will? Do we recognize God’s will is good? God’s will is God’s words. God does not want us to be lazy, as seen in the parable of the tenants. If we seek God’s will, we must obey His words. We are to be holy (Hebrews 10:10). Draw closer to God. God will use us for His glory.
Closing
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding, and seek His will in all you do. And He will show you which path to take.
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