Trust in the Lord

“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) [Read Proverbs 3]

Proverbs 3 is an exhortation to the young (addressed as “son”) to be obedient, to practice faith, to pursue wisdom, to be charitable, to avoid evil, and to be righteous. Proverbs teaches that if Gods commandments are kept, if He is sought diligently, long life and peace will be the rewards for the faithful.

Tithing, although not thus labeled, is taught in Proverbs 3:9: “Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.” A result of recognizing God’s lordship even of our possessions will result in enough as indicated in verse 10 with “barns filled with plenty” and “presses shall burst out with new wine.” That was an agricultural day when full yields would indicate a recognition of God in all the elements of good soil, adequate rain and sunshine, and even good health for the work necessary to produce full yields. Now, with a different kind of economy, faithfulness to tithe, or give God the firstfruits of our earnings, is seen in enough to meet the reasonable needs of our lives. This is promised not only in Proverbs but in other Scriptures, notably Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Trust in the Lord involves complete dependence upon Him in all things. When we make Him Lord of our money and earnings, we trust Him with our livelihood, knowing that our needs will be met. In my husband’s experiences in the ministry, I recall many whose trust in the Lord covered fully their considerations about money. There was Joe who would not be baptized until he placed his billfold in his pocket, saying, “I want my money to be dedicated to the Lord.” That was his way of showing his trust in God’s plan of stewardship. And there was Hallie, a dear lady, though beset with dread leukemia for several of her later years, who had reared her children as a single parent. She worked hard as a supervisor in a sewing plant. So faithful in setting aside the tithe and teaching others to do, she was known affectionately as the “stewardship lady” in the church. Leaning on our own understanding is not enough. Trust in the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Acknowledge the Lord. He will make your paths straight. That is a condition with a faithful promise.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, June 30, 2010