Lesson 9
Do We Trust God?
August 19, 2007
Bro. Gary Johnson
Adult Sunday School
Isaiah 55:8-12
Since we have all had to admit that yes we sometimes worry. (I will leave that vague timing to your imagination and description and keep praying that it becomes what ever it is now, less and less).
We will now continue with what we have been looking at lately in this course which we only have two more weeks to wrap up, and get control of (but don’t worry about that) and that is how to overcome this problem of being anxious and letting it turn into worry.
The book Trusting God by Jerry Bridges (one of my sources used during this study) quotes a book by “a secular psychiatrists” maybe it is just as well that he does not name him and hopefully if he had none of us would have recognized it anyway. The book this “secular psychiatrist wrote was titled Life is Difficult the really bad news about this book as far as I was concerned was he says it is a best seller and the reason is that so many people could relate to it and learn of others that had the same problems they did I guess they could then form some kind of an organization. But there was no mention of ways to cure the problems or prevent them it just conveyed the notion that others suffer theses same things so you are OK and not alone. We have seen some recent newspaper headlines that I have seen during this study about anxiety and worry from a worldly prospective, we even found a magazine article on the subject just a couple of weeks ago that I brought in. The unfortunate truth of the matter is it is a ongoing current event subject and in the world it will continue to be because they do not know what we know from John 16:33 where Jesus tells us: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world Or Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” And 2nd Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” And many others we have looked at this quarter to know from God’s Word that He does not want us to worry.
Not only does He not want us to worry but He has given us a way and a method to use so we will not if we but follow yes obey, His instructions.
Yes there are things to worry about and reasons to worry about them from a worldly prospective but not from a Scriptural viewpoint or knowledge.
It is true from Solomon in Proverbs 27:1 “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” But even though he gave us those words of wisdom he did not say because you do not know you worry about it. As long as we remember. 1st Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it “. Under these circumstances it does not matter that we do not know what is coming we do know we do not have to worry about it being more than we can “bear:
The real truth of the matter of should we worry or should we be worried in the question is actually “Do we Trust God”
Trusting God does not mean that we will not be subject to some times of adversity, it just means that we are not going to be subject to more than we (or we really should say God and us) can handle. We saw Paul asking (pleading with God) to remove a thorn in his flesh. We saw Joseph pleading with Pharaoh’s cup bearer to get him out of (this house) prison. As it says in Hebrews 12:11 “ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. “ No discipline seems pleasant at the time it is being received.
In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not sense. Just as the faith of salvation comes through the hearing the message of the gospel. Romans 10:17 “ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So the faith to trust God in adversity comes through the word of God alone. It is only in the Scriptures that we find an adequate view of God’s relationship to and involvement in our circumstances. It is only from the Scriptures, applies to our hearts by the Holy Spirit, that we receive the grace to trust God in our adversity.
In the arena of adversity, the Scriptures teach us three essential truths about God. Truths we must believe if we are to trust Him in adversity. They are:
· God is completely sovereign.
· God is infinite in wisdom.
· God is perfect in love.
Someone summed up these three truths better then I can so I will quote them even though I do not know who that someone was. He said “ God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.”
The sovereignty of God is asserted, either expressly or implicitly, on almost every page of the Bible.
As I prepare for these lessons it seems that I just keep finding more and more verses on the subject of the sovereignty of God. We have looked at many already some of them more than once and we will be looking at more in the next couple of weeks. Right now I want to use one I do not believe I have used so far in this study though. Lets look at Lamentations 3:37 “Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?”
Another way that the sovereignty of God is presented to us is through His wisdom, as stated in Romans 11:33 “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! “
Here Paul tells us what we must acknowledge as fact if we are to Trust God. We see here that God’s plan and His ways of working them out into our lives are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust Him even when we do not understand what may be going on in our lives.
As we wrap up this series we will be looking at this area of Trusting God even more. Because we have already learned that it is the lack of this faith in God of truly trusting Him no matter what that allows us, yea even causes us to worry.
We will be looking at the sovereignty, love, and wisdom of God. Hopefully we will become so convinced of these truths that we appropriate then into our daily lives and circumstances that we will learn to trust God in the midst of our pains and trials that we will not worry any more, or at the very least we will start worrying less. It should not matter what those pains or trials are how trivial or traumatic they may be if they be temporary or interminable, what ever the nature of them that we learn to trust God and even give Him the glory for allowing us to experience them.
As we learned just read a few minutes ago in Lamentations 3:37 He does as He pleases with the powers He has and NO one on earth can hold Him back from what He desires to accomplish. No one can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it.
We are again reminded that God’s rule is invincible and incomprehensible that His judgements are unsearchable, and His paths are beyond tracing out, In Isaiah 55 Vs:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Vs 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Vs 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
Vs 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Vs 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
The reasons that we challenge the sovereignty of God is because we do not understand what God is doing, because He does not act as we think He should, then we should (but do not) conclude He cannot act as we think He would.
We then find ourselves worrying, because we do not believe this is the divine providence of God, sustaining and governing, His universe, bringing all events to there appointed end. To the non believer and the doubter this has happened or is happening due to fate or chance.
An excellent example of this coming out in the “world’s perspective” is the fact that insurance companies (they had some Godly wisdom from somewhere, sometime) list earth quakes, floods. forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. as “Act’s of God” but people of the world call such events “bad luck or Mother Nature was upset.” However for those that dismiss the whole idea of God, and way too many do, there is no other alternative but to blame things on “Mother Nature” or “Bad Luck”.
Do not allow yourself to think as the world and even some liberal denominations that call themselves “Christian” teach. I am thinking of items that are taught or written saying things like; God is sovereign, but He sometimes chooses not to exercise His sovereignty in the small daily affairs of our lives. Again Matthew 10:29-31 is still in my Bible, Vs 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Vs 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Vs 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
According to this, God does exercise His sovereignty in very minute events even the life and death of an almost worthless sparrow. It is true that God’s love for us does not protect us from pain and sorrow, it is also true that all occasions of pain and sorrow are under the absolute control of God and He will not allow us to, suffer above what we are able to bear.
This concept was widely acclaimed in 1981 (and I am sure a lot prior to that time) by a Rabbi Harold Kushner who wrote the then best selling book When Bad things Happen to Good People. You do not need to waste any time looking for it in our library.
All people believers as well as unbelievers experience anxiety, disappointment, frustration, and heartache. Some suffer intense physical pain catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control, (caused by) an all powerful all loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.
Yes God in control, He is sovereign. He does whatever pleases Him and determines whether we can do what we have planned. So there is NO NEED to worry about it. This is the essence of God’s sovereignty; His absolute independence to do as He pleases and His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures. No creature, person, country, or empire can either thwart His will or act outside the bounds of His will.
In other words the proof that we trust God is by continuing to show our trust in Him in times of adversity not just during the good times when we should also be giving Him the praise for those times, and not take them for granted. We must believe in a sovereign God and God’s sovereignty, His love, and His wisdom.
Why is it that the love and wisdom seem so much easier to accept then the sovereignty?
It is the lack of acceptance of the sovereignty that allows us yes even causes us to worry. Confidence in the sovereignty of God in all that affects us is crucial to our not worrying because we are, trusting Him. If there is a single event in all of the, universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control, then we cannot trust Him. His love may be infinite, but if His power is limited, and His purpose can be thwarted, we cannot trust Him.
Remember Paul says in 2nd Timothy 1:12 “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”
God permits for reasons known only to Himself, people to act contrary to and in defiance of His revealed will. But He never permits them to act contrary to His sovereign will.
As documentation of that statement let us look at His word in these verses:
Pro 16:9 A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
Pro 19:21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Pro 21:30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
Ecc 7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Lam 3:37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
And into the New Testament
Jam 4:15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
And finally last but certainly not least:
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Are you convinced or do we need to continue?
We make plans, but those plans can be succeed only when they are consistent with God’s purpose. No plan can succeed against Him. No one can straighten what He makes crooked or make crooked what He has made straight. No emperor, king, president, supervisor, or teacher can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not first decreed to either make it happen or permit it to happen. No one can say “I will do this or that”, and have it happen if it is not part of God’s sovereign will.
This should not only be a convincer of the sovereign will, but a real encouragement and comforter to us. Is someone out to get you? That person cannot execute his malicious plan unless God first decreed it. Is your boss on a tirade and you are in fear of losing your job? Your job is safe unless God want to move you to something else. God is in control, not your boss.
Nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control: likewise nothing is so great as to be beyond His power to control it.
The insignificant sparrow did not fall without His knowledge and the mighty Roman empire could not have crucified Jesus Christ except that the power to do so was given to it by God.
So why do we worry? What is true for the sparrow and for Jesus is also true for you and me. It is our lack of faith in believing at all times that NO detail of our lives is too insignificant for our heavenly Fathers attention nor is any circumstance we may find ourselves in so big that He cannot control it.
One of the problems that we have with accepting the sovereignty of God is that since we have a tendency to take things for granted we do not thank God when we should because we think we deserve the blessings that we are receiving, it frequently does not appear that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives. We either have things going so smoothly that we really think we must be in control and are not giving God the glory or we see unjust or uncaring or even clearly wicked people doing things that adversely affect us. We experience the consequences of other people’s mistakes and failures with out looking to God to see what He is trying to teach us through this event in our lives. We can do foolish and sinful things ourselves and suffer the often bitter fruit of our actions again without seeking to find out what the Lord is trying to teach us. As a result we find it difficult to see God working through secondary causes and frail, sinful human beings. But it is the ability of God to so arrange diverse human actions to fulfill His purpose that makes His sovereignty work and if we do not seek Him to see what He is trying to teach us we will just have to be told again at another time and maybe even again.
Certainly no Bible believing Christian has any difficulty believing that God can and has worked miracles yet we do not always recognize them when we are involved such as either of the just mentioned circumstances.
I believe we are all on the same page about though not the same type of miracles that are recorded and we read about in His Word that God is still performing miracles today. But to believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention, when God is so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and the ordinary actions of people. Especially, when the message is directed to us. Then we do not want to believe it and that is too bad, because that is the way God usually works.
A nineteenth-century writer, Alexander Carson (and I am not aware of any facts about this author except this quote seemed to fit here to help me say what I wanted to say.) in his book Confidence in God in Times of Danger (Which again I have not read) said “For the wisdom of man cannot see how the providence of God can arrange human actions to fulfill his purpose without any miracle.” None of us knows of such events in our lives (perhaps hundreds) when we have been unknowingly spared from adversity or even tragedy by the unseen sovereign hand of God. When we were in a hurry and got caught by a stop light that prevented us from being in a collision at the next intersection or some other small “inconvenience” or so we thought that spared us from who knows what.
As the psalmist said in Psalms 121: Vs 3 “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.” And Vs 4 “Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Every event we read about in the book of Esther seem to be just ordinary circumstances. But we know (since we finished the book) that all of those events like Esther being chosen Queen, to the King not being able to sleep and what was read to him that night, where as we read in Esther 4:14b “and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Yes God, sovereigntly orchestrated the events of this story to “save His people”. Don’t we claim that title now?
Are now justified in concluding that God always orchestrates the events of our lives to fulfill His purpose?. Does God always orchestrate the events in my life for my good?
The answer is a resounding YES!! The answer is (you should have known it) is given to us in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Yes the answer is yes but it does not say every thing is good, it works together for good. Sometimes we just have a hard time learning what He is trying to teach us.
So what have we got to worry about if no one can act and no circumstances can occur outside the bounds of God’s sovereign will? That is only half of the facts one side of the story to His sovereignty. The rest of the story which is just as important and more than half of the battle to stop worrying is we must Trust in Him, believe and live like we believe that this is true.
Another fact that we need to know and believe is that NO plan of God can be thwarted. God does as He pleases, and only as He pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes.
Since this is also a difficult concept to accept and one which is frequently disputed it would be wise for us to consider a few Scripture passages on this subject:
Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withheld from thee.
Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Isa 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
Isa 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Dan 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
No plan of God’s can be thwarted: when He acts no one can reverse it: no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will
Frankly such a statement as that totally unqualified would terrify us to death, IF that were all we knew about God. But we also know God is not only sovereign, He is perfect in love and infinite in wisdom.
God, cares, He exercises His sovereignty for His glory and the good of His people.
God has a purpose and a plan for us, and God has the power to carry out that plan. It is one thing to know that no person or circumstance can touch us outside of God’s sovereign control; it is still another to realize that no person or circumstances can frustrate God’s purpose for our lives.
Furthermore God has a specific purpose for each of us that is His unique tailor made plan for our individual life. And God will fulfill that purpose because, He says so in Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” And Psalms 138:8 also says He will, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.:
Because we know God is directing our lives to an ultimate end, and because we know He is sovereignly able to orchestrate the events in our lives toward that end, we can trust Him. We can commit to Him not only the ultimate outcome of our lives, but also the intermediate events (that seem to cause us to worry) and circumstances that will bring us to that outcome.
The reason we worry about daily events in our lives (especially those that may happen tomorrow) is it is difficult for us to appreciate the reality of God soverereignly doing as He pleases in our lives, because, we do not see God doing anything. Instead we (in our view) ourselves or maybe other people acting and events occurring, and we evaluate those actions and events according to our own preferences and plans. We therefore see ourselves influencing or perhaps even controlling or maybe being controlled by the actions of other people, but we do not see God at work. But we need to realize that over all of the actions and events of our lives, God is in control doing as He pleases and He does not need our help nor for us to be worried about it getting accomplished. Not apart from those events, or in spite of them, but through them.
All we need to do is as Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) And to remember Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Because God does have a plan for us, and because no one can thwart that plan, we can have hope and courage, and can trust God instead of worrying.
We need to when we are forced to change our plans because of some unexpected event to remember there are no unexpected events in God’s plans and that our forced change of plans is now a part of His plan for us. God is never surprised, never caught off guard, never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and our good.
Our lives are cluttered with a lot of “if onlys”. “If only I had done this” or “if only that had happened”. But God has no “if onlys,” God never makes a mistake: God has no regrets. As Psalms 18:30 reports to us : “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.” Therefore instead of worrying we can trust God for He is trustworthy.