Turn with me to the book of Proverbs
chapter 3. Proverbs chapter 3. There's a
precious promise that's given in Proverbs chapter 3. My heart and I know everyone
here that knows him. longs to hear again and again
a promise. This is a promise. And it comes
at the very end of a verse, verse 6, Proverbs chapter 3, and here's
the promise. And He shall direct thy paths. He shall make straight and plain
That's what direct means. You'll make it straight, you're
going to make it plain. Now, that which makes this promise
so comforting springs from a realization that every believer has, knows. He knows this, I'll just read
this, it's Jeremiah 10.23, I know that the way of man is
not in himself. It's not in man that walketh
to direct, to order his steps. Now, let me tell you, just so
we kind of understand what the Lord is saying here, what it
means to, for our good and for the glory of God, for our eternal
good and for God's glory, this is what it would take to be able
to order our steps for our good and His glory. This is what it
would take. We would have to be able to order everything. We would have to be able to direct
everything, every movement, every life, every event in nature. For us to be able to direct our
paths for our eternal good, we would have to be able to work
all things according to God's will and God's
purpose. We'd have to be able to accomplish
that. Now let me read this scripture
again. Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself.
It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Now that, we know that. Proverbs 20, 24 says man's goings,
man's steps. are of the Lord, how can a man
then understand his own way? We just, we just ain't that smart. We're not omnipotent. We're dust,
creatures of God's mercy, compassion. I'm telling you, we are dust,
and that God Almighty has had mercy is only according to His
will. We think that we can order, but
we can't. We cannot direct. We don't know
what tomorrow is going to bring. How are we, Mike, how are we
going to do something today that's going to make, that's going to
fit tomorrow? Don't say today or tomorrow we're
going to do so and so. We're going to do this, that
and the other. No, but rather you say if the Lord wills we're
going to do that. Because if the Lord doesn't will,
let me tell you what you're not going to do. Whatever you think
you're going to do, you're not going to do it. We're going to
do so and so and so. If the Lord wills we're going
to do that. We're just pilgrims. sojourners
traveling through this world for just a little while. And
Almighty God has allowed us to be here according to His good
pleasure and will, and we're going to be here just as long
as He's ordained we're going to be here. And while we're here,
the Scripture says that the Lord shall direct the paths of His
people. With that divine promise, that
comfort and encouragement for God's people, all that are truly
convinced of that truth, we are thankful for that. Now, let's
just see. I'm going to look at verses 5
and 6. About every few years, thankfully, this verse of Scripture
comes back as it did here the other day, back to my heart,
and I thought, I need to look at that again. I think on that
passage, Paul says, you know, for me to say the same things,
we've already looked at this passage before. To my recollection,
according to my notes, this will be the third time since I've
been here, since I've spoken on this passage of Scripture.
Third time. If I'm wrong, then, okay, then
it's only the second, but I think it's the third. But at 17 years,
right at 17 years, I think I need to hear it again. So I want us
to look at it. Verses 5 and 6 of Proverbs chapter
3. Here's what the scripture says.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Trust in the Lord. Cling to. Confide in. Cast yourself upon. Set your hope and confidence
in Him and rest upon Him who is God. Do you know what it takes
to be able to do that? The grace and power of God. Because
I don't have that ability. I can say it. I think of that woman with the
issue of blood that said if I could get to Him if I could touch but
the hem of His garment, I'll be whole." Trust in the Lord. Trust in the capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D. Trust in Jehovah, in the tri-unity
of His persons, in Father, and Son, and Spirit. Here's what
Solomon, through the Spirit of God, is saying. In God the Father. Now, just for a few minutes,
let's just stop. Trust in Him who is, and there's
no way in the world that I'll ever exhaust, you know that.
I'm going to make a few statements on each of the persons of the
Godhead. But trust in Him who is the electing
God. Aren't you glad? that there is
an election of grace. I know the world hates that.
I know they do. I know, you know, I've seen the
facial expressions of people and I just hear how they say
it, you know, election. That's all you talk about. Isaiah 1-9, except the Lord of
hosts had left unto us a small, a very small remnant We would
have been as Sodom and should have been like unto Gomorrah.
Unless the Lord had elected a people, chose them, selected them, according
to His eternal will and purpose, according to His covenant, unless
God had chosen to show mercy and said, I will have mercy,
I will have compassion on whomsoever I will. I'm not going to let
you perish. I'm not going to leave you to
yourself. You're a chosen vessel unto me. I am going to keep you. I am not going to let you perish
eternally. Unless God had done that, we'd
have all been in hell. Unless God would have absolutely
said You're mine. Trust in the One who has blessed
us, His people, according to Ephesians 1, with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. All these spiritual
blessings which He's given His people according to the good
pleasure of His will. These blessings. We've been justified. Now think of this blessing. Justified
before Him. What does that mean? That means
no guilt and no penalty. Trust Him. He who chose a people
and has justified them before Himself by the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ that has put away their guilt. and Christ's righteousness
that has been imputed to them. Trust Him. Cling to Him. Cast
yourself. Blessings. Spiritual blessings. Peace before God. Peace. What does that mean? Harmony. We're at peace with God. In Christ,
we've been pardoned. Pardoned. What does that mean?
Lifting off. the lifting off of sin's dominion
and power. Pardoned. How could I have done
that? I couldn't have done that. How
could I make peace with God when of myself I'm just a rebel against
God? Listen to this spiritual blessing.
Adoption. predestinated unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. God Almighty has chosen
to make us His children. Because you are sons, He has
sent forth the Spirit of His Son, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Sanctified us. What is that?
Made us holy in Christ Jesus. in him, our federal head. Holy, without blame. And therefore we have eternal
life. Who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly blessings. People talk about, boy, I've
been blessed to the Lord. Why? Well, he got a raise maybe. That's
good. I'm glad. I'm thankful for that.
I've got a house. I'm thankful for that. Oh, but
all of that's going to perish but the spiritual blessings.
The Lord never takes those back. God never repents of that. Trust
God the Father who has purposed and given every spiritual blessing
to His people which heaven requires for their eternal rest. You trust
Him. in the Son. Trust the one Mediator. There's one Mediator. You know what a Mediator is.
The one that can touch both parties. Has a part with both parties.
There's one Mediator between God and men, the man. Christ Jesus. He who has ever
stood and answered as the surety of
the sheep. Wisdom himself, who according
to Proverbs chapter 8, he said, I was set up from everlasting
from the beginning or ever the earth was. What do you mean he
was set up? Ordained and anointed by God
according to the everlasting covenant of God's grace. God's
got a covenant. He's got a promise. That's a
contract. That's what that is. That's a contract. And it's assured
by the faithfulness, by the blood of Christ, the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. I was set up, I was ordained
everlastingly. Ordained for what? As the Redeemer. In time He was made flesh, but
He's always been the Redeemer. He's always been the Savior,
the Lamb, forever beheld by the Father as the propitiation. Now what does that word mean?
I've heard it before. What does that mean? As the atoning
and satisfying sacrifice for the sins of God's people. He's
always been the satisfaction. He's always been the covering.
I always think of an umbrella when I think propitiation, atonement,
a covering, just protection. He is the one who according to
God's covenant of grace, was according to His Word, Proverbs
8, brought up with the Father. He was daily the Father's delight,
always rejoicing before Him as the one who would answer. God
Almighty Trusted him. First trusted in Christ. Trusted
him as the one who would absolutely answer. He's the one that Jehovah
eternally declared, it's not good that the man should be alone.
I'll make him and help meet for him. Oh, trust him. who has a
bride. A bride that's been given Him. Trust Him who united Himself
to her and put her in union with Himself. A union that's never
going to be dissolved. You trust in Him. You trust in
Him who's eternally betrothed her. married her. The scripture says in Hosea 2,
he betrothed her to himself in righteousness. What does that
mean? That means his righteousness is her righteousness. What I got is Glenda's. That's
hers. Why? By marriage. That's hers. He betrothed her to himself in
judgment. What does that mean? He answered
every demand for full payment to the broken law that she hadn't
even broken because she hadn't even been born yet. God knew
it. You're going to fall. God saw him. That lamb slain. Betrothed her to himself in loving
kindness and mercies. That is, he did what he did for
her willingly. lovingly, mercifully, and in
faithfulness, the scripture says in Hosea 2, 19 and 20. That means
he faithfully honored every jot and tittle of God's law. You trust in him. Trust in the
Father, trust in the Son, the one who is the Word, the Word
made flesh, the only begotten Son in whom the Father is well-pleasing. Trust in the Holy Spirit. Trust
in the Holy Spirit. He's God. One God. Trust in Him who is the quickening
God. The one by whom sinners are born
again from above. Born of heaven. Trust Him who
is the glorious witness of Christ. The comforter. You know why? You even understand what I'm
saying right now and believe it? Because the Spirit of God
just gave you faith to believe it. Faith coming, coming. I've said before, I just, I know
by nature, by, men hear this thing of faith and they say,
well, I've had faith just, you know, I've always believed. I
heard Brother Henry say, if you've always believed, that's just
a little bit too long. No, you haven't always believed. But
when God grants faith, Faith is continually coming. It cometh. So here is the Spirit of God
who is the comforter of God's people and He's pleased to continually
open the spiritual understanding and grants continually that communion
with the Son and the Father and the persons of the Godhead. And He grants that faith that
when we hear of the Son, we're pointed and directed toward Him.
He gives that fresh new hearing
ear again. It's something that we just naturally
don't have. But He gives in that seeing eye.
Trust Him who is sealed, God's people. He's sealed. He's the down payment of our
inheritance. The earnest. We have Him. We have Him. The earnest of God's
Spirit. He's sealed us. He's sealed. It's a stamp is what it means.
He's sealed us. It's a seal. What's the evidence?
What's the seal? Faith. There it is. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. All God's people believe God,
and they're kept by the power of God through faith. I'm just
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Trust Him.
Trust Him who has convinced the redeemed and regenerated. He's
convinced them of sin. He said, I'll send the comforter. He'll convince you. of sin. What are God's people convinced
of concerning sin? Well, they're convinced that
by nature that's what they were born in and what they are by
nature and of their need of mercy. God's grace, they're convinced
of that. I don't have the ability to do anything about it, but
I know He does. They're convinced, secondly,
of righteousness. What is it? That they don't have
any of themselves. That theirs is nothing but filthy
rags. You're convinced of that. You
know that. You that believe, you know that the only righteousness
that God's going to accept is the righteousness of His Son.
You're convinced of that. You don't even remotely think
that you could stand before God and plead your own cause. You
don't believe that. You're convinced of sin, that
that's what I am, and you're convinced of righteousness, that
I must have His. And then you're convinced of
judgment. That is, that being found in Christ, you don't have
anymore. You don't have it anymore. Truly,
God's people have never been under God's wrath. We're convinced
that there's therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the
Spirit. Trust in Him, the Spirit who leads His sheep. Listen to this scripture. For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. I was thinking about that, about
being led What are the being led of God's Spirit? What are
the characteristics? What is that? How do you know that? I jotted
down a couple of things. God's people in a state of regeneration,
they're led by God's Spirit to remember something. They're led
by God's Spirit to remember that though they right now, Those
that hear and know what I'm about to say, the Spirit of God leads
you this way. You're being led to know that
even though right now you've grown under a body of sin and
death that's still in you, you know it's there. You know it's
there. That body of death that wars
against your new mind, that you know and you're being led to
know you're going to have it until we leave this world. Still,
by the Spirit of God leading you, you know that you're still
walking in an awareness of your adoption and peace with the Lord. You feel that body of death and
you've grown under it. That's what Paul was saying. He was talking about it in Romans
chapter 7. And he said he thanked the Lord for this, that God had
taught him something. He said, I thank God, verse 25,
Romans 7, 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then
with the mind I myself serve the law of God. He said, I know
there's a new man there. I say as Peter, Lord, you know
I love you. Lord, I love you. But he said
also, I thank the Lord has taught me that with the flesh I serve
the law of sin. God leads His people They that
are led by the Spirit of God. We're not walking in this world
blindly or ignorantly thinking that sin is not still present
with us. We know it is. We feel it. We
behold it. And secondly, they're continually
led to know afresh how that without the Lord, They can't do anything. They know that. I can't direct
my paths. I know that it's not in me. But
they're led to rejoice in the fact that sin, though present,
is not dictating to them. They know that they're not debtors
to the flesh to live after the flesh. That the Lord has freed
them from it. They're struggling, and then
they're led to know that the Spirit of God bears them up.
In the time of trials, without Him, they know that they'd fall. They know that they enjoy in
Christ all the privileges of sonship. Oh, and they say in
the book of Revelation, come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly. They're older. been around a little bit longer
like me, you know, and you start, you start with an anxious anticipation,
don't you? You start thinking, I, you know,
I see myself, I get, I'm tired. I get tired. And you, you know
this. The Lord has promised that there's
coming a day which we're going to see Him. And you find yourself
being led with, with with an anticipation of that. I still
know that we struggle because of sin with that, you know, I
don't want to leave. I don't know. I don't know about
death. I've never gone through that before. There's something
about it that I don't understand. But then there's that same time,
that realization that I've been bought. And the blood of Christ
is covered, paid for. We cry unto Him. in the Lord. Trust the Father. Trust the Holy
Spirit. Trust the Lord with all thine
heart. And lean not into thine own understanding. Don't lean on your wisdom, your
cunning, your prudence. We don't have any. We don't know. Trust Him with a heart that knows. When it says trust the Lord with
all thine heart, trust Him with a heart that knows. that I'm
weak. When I'm weak, then I'm strong.
The Lord is my strength. And I know this with all my heart. I know this with all my heart. He's the shepherd. With all my
heart, I know this. I'm the pot. He's the potter. Trust the Lord with all thine
heart. With all my heart, I know that
He loves His own. With all my heart, I know this,
He's not gonna leave me. I don't believe He's gonna leave
me. I don't believe He will. With all my heart, I know that
He knows the end from the beginning. I know with all my heart in me,
I don't have anything in which to glory save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. Jeremiah 9, 23 and 24, Thus saith
the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither
let the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory
in his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this. Now here's
what, don't trust in your might and your riches. But he that
glorieth, let him glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
me. that I am the Lord, which exercise
lovingkindness, judgment, righteousness in the earth, for in these things
I delight, saith the Lord. For man, woman gonna glory, let
him glory in this, he's God. He's in the heavens. And he's
done whatsoever he's willed to do. Doesn't that just, isn't
that a precious thing to glory in. I'm going to glory in Him.
He's going to do whatever He's pleased to do. Lord, have mercy
on me. Lord, call upon me. I think about so many times that,
oh, that thief on the cross. Lord, would you remember me?
Lord, would you remember me? Buddy, there's not a believer
that doesn't in somewhat Say that continually. Lord, have
mercy on me. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy
ways. Now we just looked at something
just a few minutes ago. Talked about the ways that God
has led and directed. There was Elijah and God directed
him. in all thy ways acknowledge Him. What does that mean? That means
in all your ways acknowledge that He's the one that ordered
this. Now, I'm going to say something if we all, starting right here,
especially right here, if we ever truly believe this, we wouldn't
have another moment's worry. Just be it right here. In all
thy ways acknowledge Him, if I truly believe, which I do,
Lord I believe, help mine unbelief. All things work together. They're all entwined and they're
beautifully one. I mean everything. I mean people
over on the other side of the world that I don't even know,
never heard of, and never will hear of. But everything that's
happening is so intricately entwined and works together and the ordering
of thoughts and directing of people to want to do this or
want to go here or come back this way. We'd never get to the
bottom of it. To the indescribable power of
God in ordering all things. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. That fact right there would settle
us down and realize that everything that I see, that I look at and
I say, you've got to be kidding me. Are you serious? What is that
but unbelief on my part? in all thy ways acknowledge Him. Lord, you have moved to cause
that to happen. Lord, you ordered that. And in
all of these things, acknowledging Him, the Lord put that man and
that woman there. The Lord moved them to do that.
And the best thing for me to do is Trust in the Lord. I don't know, as Don told me
again, I told you the other day, Don told me, he said, Marvin,
we don't know what God's doing. We think, we don't know. Trust
in the Lord. And listen to this, and He shall
direct thy paths. He shall, Psalm 119.24, thy testimonies. He directs our paths. In this
word, in providence, in that voice, He directs the paths of
His people. Remember, I jotted these last
three things. I almost got into it right here.
I'm going to tell you three things and I'm done. As we're being led, and He shall
direct thy paths, He directs His people Number
one, to inquire. You know that in Ezekiel 36. All these things that the Lord
has promised He's going to do. Yet for all these things will
I be inquired of. All these things that God said He's going to do
for us. It's not that our prayer moves God to do anything. God's
purpose to do, but God Almighty has ordained that we're going
to ask Him for it. That's the way He said He does it. And that's
the way He does it. So, in the way that the Lord
directs our paths, There's three things that I've touched on in
these two messages. In that sense, Philippians 4,
6 says, Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
unto God. Whenever God Almighty is going
to direct the paths, which He is, of His people, here's what
He's going to do. He's going to move them to pray
about it. God moves them to pray. He said,
as we are looking for guidance and direction, ask. Now let me ask you this, whenever
you find yourself in a state of need and something has crossed
your path providentially, and God moves you to pray about it,
you want to talk to the Lord about it, don't you? I want to
pray about this, this is a burden to me. Ask, he said, and it shall
be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth. It may not be what you think
you wanted or thought you wanted, but the Lord has promised. You
ask, you're going to receive. You ask for it. And he that seeketh,
findeth. Same answer. and him that knocketh
it shall be opened." Same answer. It may not be what we thought,
but when God directs our paths, He's going to move upon our hearts
to pray about it. Ask Him about it. And secondly,
when God's going to direct our paths, listen. For that's still small voice. God speaks through His Word. But God Almighty is going to
take that Word and He is going to speak to the heart of His
people. Thy Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not
sin against you. God's people hear the voice of
the Shepherd. And He speaks to them just like
the Lord spoke to Elijah. In that still, small voice. There will be a witness, there
will be a witness to the heart. And thirdly and lastly, when
God directs our paths, we pray about it, God's going to speak
to our heart about it. And thirdly, concerning His providence,
how did the Lord work it out? How did God work it out? The
lot is cast into the lap. But the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord. When God directs the paths of
His people, trust in the Lord. Trust the Father, trust the Son,
trust the Holy Spirit. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart. And lean not to your own understanding. We don't know. We don't know. In all thy ways
as He directs our paths, acknowledge Him. And He shall direct your
path. And as He's directing, I'm telling
you, He's going to direct our paths to pray about it. Pray. He's going to direct our
paths, speak to our hearts. It's not going to be a cold,
indifferent, you know, I just don't really know. You're going
to hear. You'll hear. Behold His providence. What did
the Lord do? The Lord directs the paths of
His people and that's how He does it. I pray this is a help. I pray this is a comfort. I pray
it's glorifying to the Lord. For His sake.