Portions of a meditation given by Pastor Ivars at a wedding yesterday:
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.
As wonderful as today is, with God's blessing -- we are always on the brink of tomorrow. We are always expected to be ready for change. We are constantly called to leave the comfort of what we know -- into the challenge of what is new. The best way, and really the only way, to cope with the unexpected that tomorrow will bring, is to trust in the Lord with all your heart.
An ancient rabbi, Bar Kapara, said that this text is the hinge on which all the essential principles of Judaism rest. Well, it is also the hinge on which Christianity rests. Paul wrote to the Corinthians "that we should not trust in ourselves but in God." Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me."
Our text from Proverbs amplifies this: "In all your ways acknowledge him." The words trust and acknowledge come from the same root work in Hebrew which means not only to see but also to know. This is knowledge with totality. This knowledge includes not only the mind, but also your will and your heart. It is the same as Jesus' declaration of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The difficulty with this is our own sinful, prideful nature that keeps telling us that we know what is best -- that we know what we should do. That's why the text from Proverbs doesn't stop with trusting in the Lord with all your heart. It goes on to caution us, "And lean not unto your own understanding."
We have the tendency to call upon God only when we think we need him -- when our own ways have gotten us into trouble -- or when we face some unexpected tragedy we cannot control or overcome. Of course, these are times to turn to the Lord. But our text tells us that even at other times we are not to depend upon our own understanding. We are to acknowledge God in all our ways. It is when we trust and depend upon him to lead us all of the time, that he will direct our paths in the way we should go.
The Psalmist says, "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord." Your trust in him will allow God's blessings to shower down upon you and your marriage. May you love one another, as Christ first loved us all. Amen.
+ pax
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.
As wonderful as today is, with God's blessing -- we are always on the brink of tomorrow. We are always expected to be ready for change. We are constantly called to leave the comfort of what we know -- into the challenge of what is new. The best way, and really the only way, to cope with the unexpected that tomorrow will bring, is to trust in the Lord with all your heart.
An ancient rabbi, Bar Kapara, said that this text is the hinge on which all the essential principles of Judaism rest. Well, it is also the hinge on which Christianity rests. Paul wrote to the Corinthians "that we should not trust in ourselves but in God." Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me."
Our text from Proverbs amplifies this: "In all your ways acknowledge him." The words trust and acknowledge come from the same root work in Hebrew which means not only to see but also to know. This is knowledge with totality. This knowledge includes not only the mind, but also your will and your heart. It is the same as Jesus' declaration of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
The difficulty with this is our own sinful, prideful nature that keeps telling us that we know what is best -- that we know what we should do. That's why the text from Proverbs doesn't stop with trusting in the Lord with all your heart. It goes on to caution us, "And lean not unto your own understanding."
We have the tendency to call upon God only when we think we need him -- when our own ways have gotten us into trouble -- or when we face some unexpected tragedy we cannot control or overcome. Of course, these are times to turn to the Lord. But our text tells us that even at other times we are not to depend upon our own understanding. We are to acknowledge God in all our ways. It is when we trust and depend upon him to lead us all of the time, that he will direct our paths in the way we should go.
The Psalmist says, "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord." Your trust in him will allow God's blessings to shower down upon you and your marriage. May you love one another, as Christ first loved us all. Amen.
+ pax
posted by ivars krafts at
12:43 PM
