Trusting God is Hard Word

 

Genesis 20-21                   John 6                  Proverbs 1

In Genesis 20-21 we once again see Abraham not trusting God to fulfill his promise and want to take control of how life is lived out. By telling a half-truth he attempts to protect himself and what he has and deceiving others. The cost to the others is great and it through them that his sin is revealed.

 In the same vein we see the cost of his earlier sin in attempting to fill God promise in a way that at the time made since to Sarah and him by using her servant to provide the decedents. Since that wasn’t God’s plan, we see the pain caused when they are sent out into the world. When we think about it we are still experiencing the pain from this separation in that the two half brothers would become the father of many nations that even today are odds and often at war with one another.

 In John 6 it begins with Jesus and his disciples, but the people follow him because they want to experience the healing he offers. It starts with a challenge to his disciples to examine their resources and ask if they are prepared to meet the peoples needs, not their purpose in coming to him. They respond with a attitude of scarcity seeing their limited resources and what seems like an impossible task. Jesus takes those resources, gave thanks for them, and distributed what they had to meet what they saw as an overwhelming need. Not only was that need met, but there was also an abundance left over!

 Jesus withdraws to avoid meeting what could be a demand of the people to have their way. The disciples go across the sea by boat and in the midst of a storm Jesus comes to them and brings calmness.

 When the crowds gather Jesus tells them they are their because they want their needs met. He challenges them to do the work of God so that they can receive the blessings of God. They ask what work they can do that is God’s work. Interestingly his response is that their work is to believe in the one that God sent, Jesus. Their desire for a sign, something they can tell others about, shows how little they understand how believing in something that we cannot see is work. It goes on to recognize their struggle with the need to believe but wanting more proof. It leads to a promise of eternal life for those that are willing to put their trust in Jesus, do the hard work of maintaining faith even in the face of the storm

 The rest of the chapter foretells the difficulty ahead of putting this faith in practice in the years to come. It is a story of the battle between flesh and spirit, mind and spirit. The difficulty in struggling with this concept led then to many walking away just as they continue to walk away today because the work is too difficult. Peters question about what the alternative is is an important one for us to consider today.

 Finally, today I turned to Proverbs 1 where we are reminded that the only place to put our trust and faith is in God. Any other person or thing we put our trust in will lead us away from the wisdom and way of God and lead to destruction. When we turn from the truth and understanding that comes from wise counsel, we become fools that despise wisdom and instruction from the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. When we look to the Word of the Lord the Spirit is poured out on us and God’s words are made known to us. When we fail to make the Word of the Lord our foundation and turn from God then call out to him, we will not be heard. We will harvest the fruit we have planted.

 When we turn back to the Lord, we are offered the chance to live securely and free of dread.

 If you are full of dread about what the future holds who has turned away from faith that leads to peace?