Who Can I Trust?

I once watched a documentary about politics, and the narrator listed each U.S. senator and congressman with a money amount next to their name.  The number signified the amount in contributions, donations, and lobbyist support.  His main point was simple; no one was above external influence or compromised integrity.  Leaders on both sides of the aisle were implicated.  After watching something like this, a person may begin to wonder quite honestly - who can I really trust?

I believe that each and every one of us are looking for two things in general: a person to put our trust and faith in, and a belief system that actually works.  The underlying driving force to search out these two things is a deep rooted desire to be able to trust in something.  

In our journey to understand what being trustworthy means, I believe that we must focus much of our energy on dismissing what author and pastor Timothy Keller refers to as the "view from nowhere."  In other words, Keller insists that there is no one out there (not even ourselves) who can honestly make accurate, non-biased assessments about everything all the time.  Everyone's view comes from a mixture of other views and external influences.  They all come from some other place (instead of nowhere).  And as such, our perspective is often blurred or slanted one direction or another, based on cultural values and mores. 

Indeed, the Bible says that if we follow our heart and our own desires all the time, it can often lead to a problematic outcome.  Proverbs 28:26 says, "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe."   But whose wisdom are we really talking about here?  

Many of us have spent years investigating different belief systems.  I have a good friend in fact, who made it a personal assignment to go through each of the major world religions and study the different claims from each one.  Take Islam for example ... we see a certain type of perspective when it comes to God (Allah).  Their holy book the Quran often talks about following the rigid precepts and commands of a God who sometimes seems aloof and intimidating.  I remember feeling some degree of dread and fear after reading through the first few pages and suras (chapters) of the Quran myself.  I wanted to get a personal idea of what this religion taught. 

When tackling religions such as Mormonism or the Jehovah's Witnesses for example, there are other books and documents that are venerated in addition to God's revelation from the Bible.  The Book of Mormon and The Watchtower are the two main publications.  This might lead people to wonder how much is God's truth versus how much is from man's own biased perspective.  This is no reflection of the people who might hold to these different religions of course, I am speaking only of the belief systems themselves here (in an analytical way).  I don't think this should be offensive, as truth claims should be subject to scrutiny without censorship. 

But I think it is important to mention that when looking at the various world religions, typically the main concept put forward revolves around human beings earning our way up the spiritual ladder.  The more good works we do here on Earth, the faster we become Holy like God (see the Karma Wheel from Buddhism for example).  The better we behave, the more we increase our chances of attaining some type of higher self-actualization.  

Christianity, by contrast, is a worldview where this Holy and omniscient God actually takes the time and effort to come down off the ladder to be with us.  Rather than waiting until we are good enough, the God of the Bible says, "I'm coming to meet you where you are at."  This is good news, especially given the Christian concept that each and every one of us falls short in some way when compared to Jesus Christ.  We need a deity who recognizes this flaw, and takes the burden of sin onto  Himself.

But what happens when we look around the secular world for a person to trust and a belief system that works?  Do we not often feel betrayed at some point?  If we are being honest, I think most would admit that at times our friends, family, or even our spouse will occasionally let us down.  When it comes to belief systems, our political structure can sometimes fail us also.  If we look to non-religious  systems of thought, the same thing can occur.  Scientism and atheism can fall short, at least as it pertains to answering life's bigger questions like what does it all mean and why am I here.  Most modes of philosophy and reasoning get us only so far also.  

When we are let down in this way, people often feel disillusioned or lost.  What once had the potential to help and guide us begins to show weak spots, and if we are not careful it's easy to become complacent.  My advice is not to give up.  Life is a process of lessons and learning from our mistakes.  We take our successes and our failures and then we move forward.  As we become older and wiser, discerning who and when to trust something may become a bit easier (if we are lucky).  

Proverbs 3:5-6 states, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  I used to have this Scripture taped to the top of my computer monitor at work for years.  The only reason I took it down was because I finally got a new office and a different screen one day.  Just the same, this phrase is also scored on my heart.  It helped get me through a particular time in my life when money was tight and my friends were few, and I was able to place my trust in even fewer people.

It is okay to trust God the Father.  The Bible uses the illustration of a branch in-grafted to the vine as a metaphor for you and I staying connected to the life giving olive tree that is Jesus.  Furthermore, Psalm 37:5-6 says, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun."  

Who among us isn't ready to shine like the sun?  Begin trusting in the Creator today, and then be prepared to watch what He brings into your life tomorrow.  Although other human beings will let you down from time to time (and remember we do the same to them) - God is always there, and He is always good.  

 

 

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Solomon's Divided Heart

Who was Solomon from the Bible you might ask?  Many know him to be wise beyond his years.  It is true, he was king of Israel following his father David's reign - and also one of the wealthiest rulers of his time.  It is also worthy of note that King Solomon reigned for forty years after his succession to the throne.  He famously wrote the book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, as well as the Song of Songs.  History records that he had seven-hundred wives and three-hundred concubines.  He was a busy man.  

There is something else about Solomon that people don't usually speak about however.  That is the fact that Scripture records him as having an unusually divided heart.  In fact, the Old Testament describes him as falling short  in two distinct ways.  The first way is the fact that he worked to furnish his own palace and make it luxurious first, allowing the temple church to sit unfurnished for years.  Though it isn't expressly mentioned that this angered God, the reader will notice that he completed work on his palace long before the temple (and that his palace was twice the size).  The second way that Scripture records Solomon's failing was the fact that his many foreign wives led him to worship false gods from their indigenous homeland. This included Baal, Ashtoreth, and Molek ... all referred to as "detestable" in Scripture. 

As you may have noticed, both of these dilemmas involve what I like to call 'spiritual distraction.'  The first comes by way of starting and stopping construction of God's Holy temple, and the second through a waning of dedication to the true God over time from outside influences.  The end result is the same here; Solomon had compromised his obedience to God.

It is very difficult to love God in a halfhearted manner.  Think how this applies to everything else in your life.  Those things that you are fully dedicated to often grow and blossom, while the areas in your life that get ignored and put on the back burner tend to fade away.  I suspect it is no different with our relationship to God the Father.  A divided heart when it comes to worship is reflected in our behavior and level of obedience.  

When we find ourselves straying from the righteous path, it becomes imperative to make our way back to the Lord as soon as possible.  1 Kings 8:57-58 says this, "May the Lord God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may He never leave us or forsake us.  May He turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors."     

It appears then, that we need God's help to make certain our hearts don't turn away.  What an odd thing to think about - the idea that we must even ask God for help, such that we don't decide to wander.  In the midst of the spiritual battle for our time and attention, the Bible seems to suggest that we had better be praying to the Lord so we don't become lukewarm.  Pray so that the values of the secular world don't begin to creep in and distort what we think and feel.

So what are the symptoms of a divided heart?  I think we can focus on just three things for the purposes of our lesson today.  Idolatry, spiritual complacency, and lack of peace.  

A divided heart shows itself well when it comes to idolatry.  Remember this means placing something at a level over and above God.  For example, when keeping up our home, our vehicles, or even managing money takes center stage in our lives instead of worship, our heart begins to stray from God's heart.  This disconnect then leads to a plethora of smaller inconsistencies in our life that people around us can eventually notice. 

Spiritual complacency sets in easily in situations like this as well.  We may apply the following working definition to complacency: a lack of intentionality or drive to actively seek out and nurture a relationship with the creator.  When this occurs, we begin to see a dropping off of church attendance and spending time in the Bible.  The things around us begin to replace the thing that created us.  

Finally, another symptom of a divided heart is lack of supernatural peace.  Without nurturing the undercurrent of staying in tune with God's will, we can get tossed about in life like a small boat in a storm.  Meandering here and there, never finding refuge in something greater than ourselves or our own selfish desires.  In effect, we have no real or lasting peace.  

Why not try something entirely different?  Solomon was also billed as an individual who was loved by God in spite of his shortcomings.  So are we.  Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."    

Understanding this truth and applying it to your life has a cascade effect.  It allows the concept that if you keep God first in your life (and reject the divided heart lifestyle), He will eventually deliver to you everything you could ever want anyway.  The difference is that they will all be good and holy things, as opposed to the material things that the world can offer.  It is the difference between life as you know it, and life as it could be.  

Think about this for a moment - would you stay in a halfhearted relationship with someone?  Have you ever been part of a one-way friendship for example, where all the effort comes from you?  Not much fun, is it?  Not quite what you had envisioned for yourself I would suspect.  I think it works the same way with God.  He wants all of us, not just a little part once in a while on Easter or Christmas.  But rather our waking mind, body, and soul all the time.  This is what the Christian symbol of the cross is really about.  Jesus went to his crucifixion so that we could be one with the Father.  If he thought it best to sacrifice everything so that we could spend eternity with him, then we may take it as important.  

Seek after God first in all that you do, then step back and watch what happens in your life.  You may just find that all of those things that took up so much of your time begin to fade into the background, and more important things begin to take the forefront.  Things like peace, love, kindness, and patience.  The types of things that a divided heart cannot provide.  

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Watching God at Work

In the book of Exodus in the Bible, there is an account of Moses walking into a tent to speak directly with God about how to lead the Israelites.  It was called the tent of meeting (eventually referred to as the Tabernacle), and it was always a certain distance outside of the main camp.  What a curious thing it must have been for Moses to actually hear the audible voice of God and get advice directly from Him.  The Scripture also says that a pillar composed of clouds would show up each time this happened - it has been referred to as the glory cloud in later generations.  It further says that God would speak to Moses 'as if to a friend.'  Astonishing, isn't it?  The creator of all things choosing to speak directly with mortal man. 

Exodus 33:9-10 says, "As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses.  Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent."   The Israelites watched and waited as Moses received instruction from the Almighty.  What a sight it must have been to see the cloud, and come to the realization that God was with them in physical form. 

It should be noted at this point, that Moses was allowed access where others were not, and this was due to the unfortunate incident with a golden calf statue.  The reader will remember that on one of Moses' excursions up Mt. Sinai, the people left behind on the ground decided he was gone too long.  So, in their collective mind, it sounded like a good idea to build a false idol made of melted gold, such that they had something visible to worship.  Aside from showing an immature faith and a lack of patience by these people, the Bible also says that this action angered God greatly.  From that point on, only Moses was allowed into the tent of meeting - at least for a while.

We love to watch what God is doing, don't we?  We enjoy the idea that He may be speaking to certain people here and there through the Holy Spirit.  But it always seems more comfortable to watch and wait from our own tents I think.  It's much safer that way.  Let the pastor or the priest or the deacon go out and receive divine instructions, then they can bring it back to camp later.  Maybe we can even see the faint outline of the glory cloud from a distance if we squint.  

God eventually promises to deliver the Israelites into the Promised Land with Joshua at the helm, and we should want to go also (at least metaphorically).  We want to see what God is up to, to know what He wants for our lives and for our churches.  Exodus further talks about God's presence in this way: "Then Moses said to Him, 'If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?'" (Ex 33:15-16).

Strangely enough, God decides to agree to this request.  So, I believe the question for us today could be phrased as such: where is God's presence at work today?  I think that we can answer this successfully in three ways.  God is present with us in churches, in the mission field, and in His people.  In all of these ways - if you look closely enough - you will see His love expressed through both faith and action.

The Bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.  I take this to mean that no matter what is going on around us, we will still have at least the teaching of the Christian church to fall back on.  It will be communicated in some way, even in the end times during severe persecution and martyrdom.  God will be at work in what the church is doing, and who they are serving.

The second idea is that God will be present on the mission field.  This can occur of course to those for whom the Lord has pressed upon their hearts to travel over seas and build homes and cultivate farmland.  For these 'harvest workers,' you can never spend enough time in other countries where the faith is just beginning to take hold.  It is rewarding beyond compare for those whose heart points in this direction.  To hear them recount experiences in the field can be both mesmerizing and contagious. 

Still we must not forget, the mission field can also be right here at home.  Our neighbors, our schools, and the people in them all need Jesus.  For some, evangelizing takes place just down the block, as opposed to a thousand miles away.  May the Lord bless both these types of mission work, and give us the courage it takes to talk about Christ in this day and age.

Finally, I do think that the presence of God shows up in the hearts and minds of His loyal followers and believers.  When one person forgives another for example, the divine nature is on direct display for all to see.  It is most definitely not human nature to forgive, much less to do so easily and quickly.  No, I'm afraid that most of us, if left to our own devices, would rather hold on to a grudge or hurt feeling until the very end.  But with God in the mix, we are commanded to forgive as many times as it takes.  It is truly God at work. 

All of this leads to the fact that we can see the glory cloud in front of the tent of meeting occasionally.  And when this happens, we may feel a nudge to go out and be a part of it.  But sometimes, that little voice in the back of our mind tells us to just hang back a bit, and let someone else respond.  Maybe the pastor will volunteer or the elders will go and see ... we will just wait for their report.  We will just watch from our tents; it's safer that way.  Besides, I'm really busy with other things in my life.  It's hard enough to get to worship service on Sunday, let alone anything else. 

My advice is to walk with God into the Promised Land.  Follow the pillar of cloud in conjunction with the church, mission field, or the people.  You might be surprised where it takes you.  One thing remains certain however - if you never leave the threshold of your own tent, then most likely nothing miraculous or faith sustaining will ever happen.  Instead, you will keep wondering what God wants from your life and where your place in this world might be.  You will never leave the confines of the dugout and step out onto the ball field. 

You get an inkling of something special and supernatural from time to time, because you can see something over there that resembles divine activity.  But it's hard to make out from a distance.  Easier to watch the other people trust God.  But if we live this way all the time, we will miss out on countless divine opportunities that were put in our path since the dawn of time, before we were even conceived.  We will forfeit our chance to partner with a loving and caring God ... we will give up our own personal Mt. Sinai experience.  We will continue being content with a golden calf instead. 

 

 

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