The Wisdom of Trusting God

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Are you cursing yourself by wrong choices?

Jeremiah 17 gives us a strong warning, which the following testimony supports. The warning is that we receive either blessing or curse depending on what we put our trust in. The wisest thing you can do is to trust the Lord, while the most foolish thing you can do is to trust yourself or some other human agency.

The Biblical Warning

The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed a clear warning against trusting in self, or other human supply, while giving a strong commendation for trusting God.

“Thus says the LORD; Cursed is the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh (humans) his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD. For he will be like the heath (tumbleweed) in the desert, and will not see when good comes; but will inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and will not see when heat comes, but her leaf will be green; and will not be careful in the year of drought, neither will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8

As is the case with many Bible truths, this truth may not come to life in your understanding until you can see it in operation. So the following testimony from my friend Sammy Au will help you get a better grip on what God is saying to you through the prophet Jeremiah.

Sammy’s Situation

Sammy is a talented and well educated man. He gained an MBA and then set off to create his own business. He is also hard working, so he expected all to go well.

His choice of business was a fast photo developing shop. However, business did not go well. The industry was changing quickly and technology and customer expectations were on the move, so he found himself without the income and success he had planned for.

This ultimately left him with a crippling lease on equipment, with insufficient income to pay the overhead costs of shop, staff and equipment.

His education and training told him that he was done for. Those around him would have counselled him to cut his losses and make the best of it that he could.

Being a relatively new Christian he was aware that God may have plans in the situation, although it certainly looked impossible.

God’s Intervention

As long as Sammy relied on “flesh” (see Jeremiah 17:5) he was under a curse. As long as he trusted in his training, willingness to work hard, and professional planning and approach, things went badly for him.

Then he noticed that a silly thought kept invading his thinking. That thought was to contact the company he was leasing the photo processing equipment from and tell them how badly he was doing. Everything in his professional training warned him not to do that. If the supplier knew he was a bad financial risk then they would be obliged to step in and protect their interests, at Sammy’s loss.

Yet the prompting continued, despite Sammy’s determination to resist it. So, finally, he gave in and contacted the rep from the equipment supplier.

To Sammy’s surprise the company was very supportive and proactive in helping him find a place to off-load the equipment. So at least he would not be hit too hard by the failure of his business. As it stood he was down by about $30,000 just in shutting the shop down, without the cost of his equipment lease.

Icing on the Cake

That irrational prompting from God, contrary to Sammy’s own wisdom and what he had been taught by the professionals, proved to be a good move. But it then proved to be better than he could have hoped. The equipment was on-sold to someone who wanted it and the profit was paid to Sammy, totalling $30,000!

God not only had a better solution than bankruptcy, God brought Sammy out of his failed venture with no loss!

Now, let’s take that back to Jeremiah 17:5-8. When you trust in human wisdom, yourself or the experts, you come under God’s curse, because you are trusting in mortal flesh. But when you trust in God, choosing to go His way, even if it doesn’t make sense, you come under His blessing.

A Slow Learner

However, Sammy was much like the rest of us. He was a slow learner of God’s principles.

Following the failed photo business Sammy set up a maintenance business. He had some pretty good contracts and life was going well. In the process, however, Sammy began to feel confident in this own wisdom again. He felt that he was now master of his own destiny and that he had done pretty well for himself. That means, he began trusting in “flesh” again.

God humbled Sammy yet again, through an explosion at the Longford Gas Plant in Victoria. Sammy’s maintenance activities were disrupted and his business suffered for a while.

That threw Sammy back to prayer and to reliance on God. And through it all Sammy has come to testify that, “For me to live is Christ, not these other things”.

A Final Word from the Bible

The Apostle Paul was strong on his emphasis of putting aside human credibility, so that we can all rely on God. He declared that God delights in humbling humans. God takes those things that are looked down on and uses them to surprise and offend those who think they have everything going for them.

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men.” 1Corinthians 3:18-21

Catching the Slow Train

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Do you complain about the journey at times? Do things take too long or trap you in the slow lane? Does it seem much harder to make the progress you are hoping for? Then consider this prophetically inspired fictional allegory….

You are waiting on the platform for an express train to get you quickly to your destination. Then an announcement informs that the express train has been cancelled and alternative arrangements need to be made. To your disappointment there are no good connections and so you set off on the slow train to get as far as you can.

Changing Course

To get you through the long hours of grinding progress you read a magazine someone has left behind. An article piques your interest and you devour it with delight.

Since the slow train only goes so far, you find yourself waiting on a lonely platform for the mail train. You buy a coffee and find an old man to chat with. He fills you in on some of the local history, which doesn’t interest you. He extols the virtue of the local produce which is made into a special dish at a fancy restaurant in the big city. Once he has spelled the exotic name it sticks in your head, despite your attempts to think of something else. Thankfully the mail train finally arrives and you chug off into the darkness.

You wake from a doze to hear a mother arguing with her child. She appeals to you for assistance and you get drawn into her unhappy encounter. When you do help her quiet her child she thanks you by giving you a ticket to a theatre show where her brother has a lead role, in the city you are heading to.

Then, in the early morning you have to change trains yet again.

Strange People

While waiting for the next connection you are approached by a talkative salesman whose voice keeps you awake with its grating tone. He extols the wonders of various products he has sold over the years and outlines the various failings each one has. You manage to get away from him by going to the bathroom.

The annoying fellow has found someone else to talk with and you end up in a quiet chat with a young lady who tells you about the university course she is about to start. You nod off for a few minutes and are relieved to hear your train approaching.

Last Leg

You try to catch some sleep on the last connection, while you fight off feelings of resentment toward the rail system. Your express train would have deposited you quickly and effortlessly to your destination. You have now had to endure an ordeal that takes you back to your days as a poor student. That memory prompts you to look out for the young lady who is going off to university. You find her and pass her a small amount of money, which you are sure she could do with.

As you approach the final station a chap informs you of the big fire incident overnight, filling you in with details which he claims are true, since his brother knows a security guard at the premises.

At the Destination

Your trip has been a disaster. You missed the good night’s rest you needed and all your plans were taken out of your hands, which makes you feel uncomfortable. You would have arranged a much more satisfying set of circumstances.

When you arrive for the scheduled business meeting several things come together, much to your surprise. You are asked to give a short presentation, and you use the insights you gained from the magazine article. Someone laments that there are so few sales opportunities for his particular product range and you suggest that he target people who are using a particular installation which you know to be faulty, thanks to the talkative salesman. You also suggest that he follow up with the management of the building which burned overnight, since their installation was destroyed in the fire and they have to be fully operational asap, no matter the cost. You even suggest a name that he should contact.

Your contributions attract the interest of businessman from out of town who suggests he would like to talk over some things in a social setting. You suggest the peculiar name of a unique dish that he could sample with you and offer to take him to a show where he can go backstage to meet one of the lead actors.

As you and several others step out of the building, several hours later, the young university student sees you and hurries over to thank you for your kind generosity. This leaves a powerful impression with the others, that you are a person of good character and compassion.

Moral of the Story

We choose the path of least resistance and most comfort for ourselves. We like convenience and speedy progress. Yet God sees the big picture and He may well derail our plans, sending off on what seem like useless detours. Yet God is actually taking us on a course of His making, where we can harvest many rich blessings we would otherwise never know.

It might be a good idea to trust Him and commit your way to Him, rather than force your own plans.

Inspiration

I crafted this story from an idea passed to me by my son in Germany…. “There was a prophecy in church last Sunday that was a picture of someone taking a train from A to B. They were expecting an express train that would take them directly and comfortably to their destination, but instead they found themselves changing from one slow train to another, often with long stops at out-of-the-way railway stations. The prophecy went on to say that the person often felt frustrated and wondered why he had to waste so much time. Along the way, at the various stops and on the various trains, he met different people and encountered situations that would not have come up on the express train. When he finally did reach his destination, all of the events and meetings from the trip proved to have been necessary, and he was only able to fulfil his purpose at the destination because of the encounters during the trip. The conclusion was that we may sometimes wonder about the detour and loss of time, but the truth is that God is taking us by the fastest and most direct route that fulfils all of his requirements. It is not a detour at all, and no time is being wasted.”

Back to the Source

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Here I go again with another analogy on the subject of our ‘source’. You can see that it is an itch in my thinking that I keep scratching. I think that’s because God wants me to articulate this theme for your benefit (as well as my own). So let me take you into yet another imaginary scenario, where we can better see how choosing our source impacts our whole life.

Two men are church friends and they often share together. They both have high hopes for their future and they both profess faith in Jesus Christ. In time both men face a challenge where they must wait on God for provision. This is quite trying for both men and their families.

Both men are introduced to a business opportunity which could make them the funds they need. However the deal has a shady quality about it. It may be that money is made at the expense of unsuspecting people. One of the men steps away from the deal. The other goes into the deal.

Some time later, when the man who entered the deal is doing financially well, he calls on the other, who is still struggling. He reveals how well he is doing and exhorts his needy friend to join in the deal too. The friend questions the integrity of the deal and confirms that it does involve exploitation of others. He challenges his wealthy friend about the moral compromise he has entered into, encouraging him to trust in the Lord.

The wealthy man says that he has tried trusting the Lord and it did nothing for him, pointing out that his poor friend still trusts the Lord and it has done nothing for him. He pats his wallet and says, “This is what works. I am secure now and I don’t need the Lord. Money is what is going to get me out of trouble.”

The men part and don’t catch up for many years. In that time the poor man has found his feet financially and established the things he needs for his family. The man who loves money has gone on to greater heights of financial success, although his faith is now just a religious façade.

Then their nation entered a time of immense upheaval. Law and order crumbled. Factions fought violently to take control of the country. Banks collapsed, industry stood still and commerce crumbled. The assets of the rich were taken from them and many people died in the civil strife and mob rule which erupted in the land.

The men met again by chance. The lover of money was being herded into the back of a truck, to be taken away by mercenaries, possibly to his death. He called to his friend and said, “Do something!” The friend replied, “What can I do? Why don’t you use some of your money?”

The richer man replied with despair, “It’s worthless! I’ve lost everything!” Then he called to his friend as the truck pulled away, “Pray for me!” “You can pray too!” His friend called back. The rich man shook his head, “No I don’t think I can.”

The Bible warns us not to place our trust in ‘uncertain riches’.
“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” 1Timothy 6:17

This does not mean that some riches are sure and others are unreliable. It means that monetary riches and physical assets are in and of themselves ‘uncertain”. They are subject to theft, decay, destruction and devaluation. Some riches mean great things in the right circles, but nothing at all in another context. Whole currencies have been scrapped, making the money worthless. Can you imagine how a priceless Ming Dynasty vase would be used in a refugee camp?

The wonderful thing about having God as our source, rather than wealth, is that He is not subject to devaluation or inflation – He changes not. He has always been priceless. He is equally and supremely relevant in every economy and in every place across the planet. He cannot be stolen from you, nor will He decay. You cannot be swindled out of God. There is no currency collapse which makes your connection to God of no consequence. You don’t need an ATM, traveller’s cheques or a stable economy in which to access your Creator.

When you make God your source you are vastly better off than everyone who looks to anything else. Make God your source! Don’t be beguiled by uncertain things, even job security, the promises of men, material assets, or the privilege of your birth or national heritage. God is your only truly reliable asset in all of eternity. Be vitally connected to Him, first of all and above all else.