Session 2: In God We Trust (or Do We?)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Today we are continuing a series that I am calling “Living by God’s Economic Plan (a Christian Response to the Global Economic “Crisis”)”. We are discussing the foundational truths of the Economic Plan that God has established and documented in His instruction manual, the Bible. We will be looking at what we see out in the world, and comparing it to what we see in God’s Word, and then putting into action the steps that God gives us to establish a sound fiscal policy within our own lives. Last Week’s Lesson was called When A Nation Worships Money, and we discussed three key points:
- The LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil.
- Christians need to LEAD the change.
- Our thoughts need to be GOD'S thoughts.
God didn’t create us to worship money. God created us to worship Him. So, let’s start in on today’s lesson - do we worship God, or do we worship money? Do we trust in Him, or do we trust in our money, our job, our stock portfolio? Our opening verses from Proverbs tell us that we need to trust in the Lord with ALL of our heart, and NOT trust in our own understanding. Face it – if we COULD trust in our money, most people would think that they didn’t NEED God. But God wants us to trust in Him:
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:38-39)
God created us to live by faith – faith in Him. God wants us to trust in Him, and in His provision for us. So, how do we begin to live by faith? How do we begin to trust in the Lord? Let’s start in Luke chapter 16:
And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of you? give an account of your stewardship; for you may be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much do you owe unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much do you owe? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take your bill, and write eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Luke 16:1-13)
There is a lot we can discuss in these verses, but I want to focus on Jesus’ summary. Note what Jesus states as he summarizes this parable about the unjust steward – “He that is faithful in that which is least”. How we use money, how we manage money, the “unrighteous mammon”, is the least area – the starting point, for our faithfulness! If we are not faithful in money, “who will commit to your trust the true riches”? Have you given this any thought? Do you think that you are living by faith if you are not trusting God in the area of money?
Let’s consider Jesus’ statement regarding “the true riches”. Are you trying to minister to people in the area of healing? Are you trying to trust God for the salvation for family members? And yet you don’t trust God to provide for your financial needs? This is backwards – Jesus says that if you are not faithful in the area of money, in that which is least, God won’t commit to your trust the true riches. If you are trusting in money for satisfying your financial needs, you will be serving money – you can’t serve God if your trust is in your money.
So, here’s today’s Key Point Number 1: Money is the LEAST AREA, the STARTING POINT, of living by faith. I am thinking of today’s lesson as “God’s Economics 101” – the simple introduction to God’s Economic Plan - , and this point is the first necessary concept that we need to understand and embrace before we can really get into the details of Living by God’s Economic Plan. Now let’s go a little deeper by looking at an experience from Jesus’ life:
And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor your father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them said, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. (Mark 10:17-27)
Let me start by clarifying something – Jesus wasn’t telling all of us that we need to sell all that we have in order to follow him. This was a specific instruction to reveal the state of this person’s heart. He went away grieved – and note that Jesus didn’t go running after him to apologize for offending him. The man made a choice – he trusted in his riches more than he was willing to trust in God. And we know this because this is how Jesus explained it - “how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God”. Again, the problem isn’t that he had riches – the problem was that riches had him! And it was his trust in riches that prevented him from entering in to the kingdom!
Here’s today’s Key Point Number 2: How you view riches REVEALS where your HEART is! Do you want proof of this? Let’s read what Jesus taught:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Where your treasure is, what you desire, what you store up, reveals where your heart is. It reveals who your God is – it is either God, or it is money, but it can’t be both. Let’s put it another way – if you haven’t given God your wallet, you haven’t given Him your heart! Just like we discussed last week, the problem is covetousness:
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. (Luke 12:15)
Let me summarize today’s lesson in this manner: God isn’t really interested in your money, He’s interested in your heart! Why? Because when He has your heart, He knows that you’ll have faith to trust in His promises for you. In the coming weeks we will be looking at the specific details of God’s Economic Plan, and you will see that all of it requires faith in Him – it is not going to line up with your natural understanding! Let’s take one last look at today’s opening verses, in their complete context:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones. Honor the LORD with your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase: So shall your barns be filled with plenty, and your presses shall burst out with new wine. (Proverbs 3:5-10)
Trust in the Lord with all your Heart – Honor the Lord with your substance, and your barns will be filled to overflowing. Key Point Number 3: TRUST in the Lord, and He will be your GOD!
Join us in the next lesson as we look at the next step: Sow, Now What?
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