Saturday, May 12, 2012

Trust and Obey



Proverbs 19:3, "The foolishness of man twists his way, and his heart frets against the Lord."


There are two kinds of pain: that which we bring upon ourselves, and that which we do not. The first is overcome with obedience and the second with trust. To distinguish between the two requires wisdom which some never reach in a lifetime.

Timothy is well aquainted with innocent suffering. For two weeks his world was filled with every form of misery, all beyond his control.

But to stop at this understanding would make him no wiser than a fool. Maturity requires that he learn to distinguish between the pain which results from his own misdeeds and the uncontrollable suffering which was inflicted upon him without fault.

Timothy, obey at the forefront and you will be saved from the painful consequences of sin. If you do err, repent quickly and you will be put back on the right path. If you suffer without cause, consider it all joy (James 1:2-4) and put your hope in God.

At the tender age of 2, your heart is at a crucial crossroads. What will you do with both your deserved and undeserved pain? Will you obey and trust, or will you doubt and defy? When Adam fell, he blamed Eve, and Eve the serpent; will you accuse or confess? Will you run like Jonah, or rest like Job? I pray that you will choose the way of wisdom. Galatians 6:8, "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."

"Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey."