Thursday, January 4, 2018

God's Life Skills - Not for the Half-Hearted

Thursday, January 4, 2018
My child, never forget the things I have taught you.  Store my commands in your heart.  If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying.  Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!  Tie them around your neck as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart.  Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.  Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.  Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.  Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.  My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.  For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.  Proverbs 3:1-10(NLT)
A man was driving home late one afternoon from a visit to a nearby mountain resort.  As he rounded a particularly sharp curve his car tumbled off the road and over the side of the mountain, launching him free of the car.  Free-falling, the man was flailing-about, clutching at anything; his hand caught a branch growing out of the side of the cliff.  Momentarily relieved, he hung there by one hand, unable to move up or down. 
He began to cry out for help.  Hello…anyone up there?
After several calls he hears a deep voice seemingly from the clouds:  I’m here child. 
The man haltingly responds:  God? 
Yes, my child; you called; what is it you’re asking?
Uh…save me, please…uh…in the name of the Father, Son…well, you know.
You want me to save you?  
Yes, please…and hurry, my hand is slipping.
Let go of the branch, child.
The dangling man looks down 1500 feet to the rocks below:  Let go?
Yes, you heard me correctly; let go and I’ll save you.
He looks down again, to each side, and then above:  But, God…
Let go.
He looks down one more time and then lifts a plea:  Is there anyone else up there?
This silly little story highlights the kind of half-hearted trust that goes nowhere with God.  And that is a sure way to have to repeat Basic Faith-101.  Trusting God is not a sometimes-you-do/sometimes-you-don’t, on-again/off-again proposition; you either trust Him fully, or you do not trust Him at all.
The Proverb writer gave us 5 basic benchmarks for a life of fully-trusting God:
·       Be a disciple, not just a believer
·       Be God’s servant, not the other way around
·       Be impressed with God, not yourself
·       Be generous, just like God is with you
·       Be teachable, you can’t get better without correction

For You Today

Go back and re-read Proverbs 3 until those benchmarks begin to sink-in, take hold, and change the way you think about trusting God.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Images: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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