Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6
In all your ways acknowledge Him through prayer. Whether the answer is yes, no or wait, it is always for our own good:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Lastly, we always have a sin problem. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In the 2Chronicles verse God says turning from our wicked ways is the third condition. Humility focused us inward to be honest with ourselves about our own condition. Prayer focused us upwards to remember that God is above all of our problems we may face. But focusing inward and upward is not enough. There has to be a change of our will. Knowledge without application is useless. Here is Jesus teaching about this concept:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand . The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7: 24-27
Both of these men in this example could very well have humbled themselves to look inward and directed their focus upward to hear the words from God but only the one who put them into practice benefitted. The one who heard the words but continued to live as he wanted did not survive the storms life threw at them and his house fell with a great crash. The admonishment grows only stronger in 2Peter:
These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." 2Peter 2: 17-22
Springs without water; mists driven by the storm. Knowing the truth and doing nothing about it is worse than never having ever known the truth. One is a matter of ignorance but the other is an act of the will. Our key verse today implores us to examine ourselves to see where our faith is. That might be a frightening idea but a necessary one. Is our focus outward or inward to reveal the areas we need to work on in our walk? Is our focus outward or upward to the One who is control of everything? Lastly, once properly focused, what do we do with the knowledge gained? God does not expect perfection beloved. He just expects that we work on ourselves and represent Him in the same measure of love we have received. He knows we will have humility problems, prayer problems and sin problems. He just expects that we will seek Him to resolve them and never forget the grace which we have received.
Reverend Anthony Wade June 9, 2010
