Text:  Proverbs 3:5-6

Proposition:  How can I trust in the Lord with all my heart?

Introduction

Trust in God

As D. L. Moody said, "Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." Luther gave a similar testimony when he said, "I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

 I.  Don’t lean on my own understanding

II.  In all your ways acknowledge Him

I.  Don’t lean on my own understanding (How can I not lean on my own understanding?)

A. Cast lots

1. Proverbs 16:33

2. Casting lots is like a coin toss.  Before a game we have a coin toss to see who gets the ball first.  We do things similar to casting lots quite frequently.  We have drawings to win prizes. 

3. When I first thought about this verse, I didn’t quite know what to think.

4. I looked at some cross references

5. Proverbs 18:18

6. Then I thought about all the times that people cast lots.  There are many times people cast lots to determine what to do or how to divide land or clothing.

7. Lev 16:8  And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.

8. Joshua 18:8-10  And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.  And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

9. 1Sa 14:42   And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

10. To determine when and where the Levites would serve, I Chronicles 24:31, 25:8, and 26:13-14

11. Neh 10:34   And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:

12. Neh 11:1  And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

13. Jonah 1:7  And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us.  So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

14. Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

15. Acts 1:20  For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. Acts 1:21  Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,  Acts 1:22  Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.  Acts 1:23  And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.  Acts 1:24  And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,  Acts 1:25  That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.  Acts 1:26  And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

16.  If there is no possible way to determine the will of the Lord.  Pray and then cast lots.  

• Casting lots is not a game  
• It is not used to decide the guilt of anyone.  As with Achan (the text does not say they cast lots, but this is most likely the way Achan was chosen) and Jonah, their confession was what determined their guilt.
• Casting lots is a fair way to decide how to divide something
• Casting lots is a fair way to decide between qualified individuals, such as in choosing Matthias.
• Some don’t think casting lots should be done today, now that we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, but if I go back and look at all the examples that we have looked at if the same situation happened today that happened in those cases, casting lots would be in compliance with the will of God.

B. Go fishing when the Lord says go fishing  

1. Matthew 17:24-27

2.  Men were always trying to trap Jesus.  "If Jesus doesn’t pay the temple tax he is showing disregard for the temple and the command of God (Exodus 30:12-15).  If he does pay he is admitting that he is not the Son of God, as Jesus says the sons are exempt." Peter knows that Jesus is the Son of God.  He said so in Matthew 16:16.  Jesus pays the temple tax, but he pays it so that it is undeniable that He is the Son of God.

3. The story in the Bible ends with Jesus telling Peter to go fishing.  Peter was a fisherman.  He normally used nets, not a hook and line.  Our kids have a story about Peter going fishing.  He kind of grumbles about fishing with a line and then looking in the fish’s mouth for a coin.  When he pays the tax the men who asked Peter if Jesus paid the temple tax say, “So Jesus is not the Son of God or he would not pay the temple tax.”  Peter sees his master’s wisdom in paying the tax this way.  Peter in the story says, “Well let me tell you something.  Jesus didn’t pay this tax, a fish did.  That coin came right out of the fish’s mouth!”

4. Peter had to trust Jesus that the first fish he caught would have a coin in its mouth.  The coin would be worth about $7.00 (a shekel was 220 grains). (480 grains = 1ounce troy) This was a silver coin.  Jesus probably could have come up with $7 out of the treasury that Judas took care of, but Jesus let a fish pay the tax for him.

5. Trust what the Lord says even if you think you know a better way to take care of the problem.

C. Trust Him with my salvation  

1. There are some things we must do to be saved, but the things we do to be saved are all putting our trust in Jesus Christ.

2. In order to be saved I have to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Joh 8:24  "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins."

3. I must repent of sinning against Jesus Christ

4. I must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God

5. I must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins.  I am baptized into Jesus Christ.

6. Everything I do to have salvation is putting my trust in Jesus Christ to save me.

7. Trusting in Jesus Christ with all your heart is the only way to salvation.

8. I must trust that the blood of Jesus can take away my sin.

9. I must trust in the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ to save me.

II. In all your ways acknowledge him (How can I acknowledge Him?)

A. Let the Lord be your confidence

The Miserable Supposer:

There was a poor woman who earned her living by hard labor but who was a joyous, triumphant Christian. "Ah, Nancy," said a gloomy Christian lady to her one day, "it is well to be happy now, but I should think the thoughts of the future would sober you. Suppose, for instance, you should have a spell of sickness and be unable to work, or suppose your present employer should move away and no one would give you a job. Suppose...."      "Stop!" cried Nancy. "I never suppose. The Lord is my Shepherd, and I know I shall not want. You know, dear, it is all those supposes that are making you so miserable. You had better give them all up and just trust the Lord."

1.  Proverbs 3:21-26

2. The future doesn’t look good.  The financial world is in a mess.

3.  Most of it comes from not acknowledging a few simple rules God has given us. 

4.  Romans 13:8, borrowing your way to prosperity will not make you permanently wealthy

5.  Our government has been going deeper and deeper into debt.  Many of the American people have been going deeper and deeper into debt.

6.  We are starting to see what happens when people can’t pay their debts.

7.  Proverbs 22:7, you become the lender's slave.

8.  Deuteronomy 28:13

9.  Deuteronomy 28:43-44

10. We have not been acknowledging God in all our ways.

11. Staying out of debt is one way to acknowledge God. 

12. Psalms 37:21, If you do borrow, pay it back.

13. Hebrews 13:5

14. In God We Trust is our national motto.  It is printed on all pieces of our money.  I can’t think of a better place to put it.

15. Proverbs 3:9-10

B. Don’t be wise in my own eyes

1. Follow the Lord’s commands, and don’t think we know better than God.

2. II Chronicles 26:3-21

3. God blessed Uzziah.  Inventions were made that gave him a superior army.  His enemies couldn’t defeat him.  Then he became wise in his own eyes! He thought he was just as capable of offering incense as the priests were.  He didn’t keep God’s command that only the priests were to enter the temple to burn incense.  He wanted the power the priests had along with the power he had as king.

4. We are wise in our own eyes when we don’t keep the commands of the Lord.

5. When He says, “Don’t live with someone you are not married too,” and you do it anyway - You are wise in your own eyes; you are not fearing the Lord by not turning away from evil.

6. When He says, “Bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” and we let them watch TV and play video and computer games all day - We are wise in our own eyes and not turning away from evil.

Conclusion

I. Don’t lean on your own understanding

A. Cast lots

B. Go fishing

C. Trust him with your salvation

II. In all your ways acknowledge Him

A. Let the Lord be your confidence

B. Don’t be wise in your own eyes