Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs is the twentieth book of the bible and there are a lot of things to be learned before we hear this Word of the Lord in trusting Him and not our own understanding. Many of those things that come before this instruction were mistakes made by others that came before us. We are taught to avoid the mistakes of the past by studying the mistakes of others.

What if the only mistake any of those that came before us was not trusting the Lord?

The structure of the bible is laid out so that all the words and acts of the prophets come after the psalms and proverbs. Many of the promises to come are contained in those books of the bible and up until that point they seem to be written to humble us and encourage us to worship God.

The issue of following this God set before us in the wilderness experience was a purge of the unbelieving who died in the wilderness and never entered into the promised land. All died before entering except Joshua and Caleb who had spied out the promised land and believed God when God declared He would give them that promise in spite of the giants in the land.

That was one promise and one faith in which only two men believed. Even Moses and Aaron died without reaching the promised land.

Here we stand four thousand years later and the issue of who possesses the promise is still being fought over by agencies that have not learned the lessons of history. They have failed to acknowledge God in all their ways.

Proverbs 14:12

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Then came the warning.

Jeremiah 26:13-15 English Standard Version

13 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Exodus 20:2-3 English Standard Version

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Does that mean it is acceptable to have gods after Him?

“I don’t know, let’s search the scriptures” is an acceptable response.

Let us begin with this God, the one who has declared Himself since this God is one that did something for a generation of people.

Exodus 3:7

Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,

Why would this God hear their cries?

Exodus 3:15

God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

Is it enough that this God is remembered?

Exodus 4:31

And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

The end result is humility and worship but most importantly is that there was first a visitation in which this God proved Himself to be a God that affects change.

Why would anyone who has been visited by God and had their lives changed for the better even consider another god?

In a recent sermon on the issue David Jeremiah answered that question and said, “He was hedging his bet!”

Those who are gambling with their faith have not truly trusted the Lord who has shown Himself, changed their lives and is leading them in the promises that are yet to be discovered.

Who do you trust?