Category Archives: Trust the Lord

September 4, 2018

The True Hope for the Future

By Daniel M. Klem

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:18, KJV

Surely there is a future [and a reward], And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:18 AMP

One of the most misappropriated verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11,

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The reason thos verse is so misapplied to lives is that many people tend to think God will never let them suffer but only prosper.

The full context of this verse is that God is sending Israel into exile as punishment for breaking His covenant! He orchestrated suffering!

But it was for a future glory!

Using the two different translations today was for showing how rich today’s verse is.

We need the reminder that there is a tomorrow. Today’s struggles are temporary, because the future is coming.

That future may have problems. In fact, God also told us that a great time of suffering will happen before the Lord’s return.

But the temporal future has an end, when Jesus returns!

Just as Jeremiah reminded us, there will be suffering, but God has a plan! Yes, things will get bad, but remember that He holds the future. This gives us hope!

Trust in Jesus, and the future holds our reward of eternal friendship and peace.

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August 22, 2018

God Can Change the Flow

By Anthony Baker
The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. – Proverbs 21:1 KJV

So often we – yes, you and I – feel it’s useless to pray for our leaders, especially those like presidents, kings, and even dictators. We pray but never see any results, like our prayers were never heard.

I’ll be the first to admit, it can get discouraging, especially when we are exhorted to intercede for those in authority:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

But what we have a hard time comprehending is how God can bring about change in what seems unchangeable.

The king’s heart…the president’s heart…the prime minister’s heart…is as hard to change as the course of a river. You and I cannot do it, but God can.

Believe it or not, rivers changing their course is not as uncommon as you might think. But in an article I was reading on the subject , one sentence stood out, and I think it illustrates perfectly how God works.

“Rivers changing direction is relatively common, according to the scientists, but is usually caused by tectonic forces, landslides or erosion.” – USA Today

The heart of the king can be changed as easy as God can send an earth-shaking event into his life. The heart of the president can be changed as quickly as the foundation on which his beliefs are built suddenly slide out from under him. The heart of the corrupt dictator can suddenly change when the full effect of erosion leaves his policies a wasteland, allowing a simple rainshower the power to wash him away.

The God who made the rivers and changes their courses is the one who holds the heart of the king. His hand is mightier than the heart.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Justice, Promises, Trust the Lord

August 11, 2018

Trust THE King

By Daniel M. Klem

The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. -Proverbs 19:12, KJV

Let’s keep this short and … sweet … today.

No one likes to make the leader of a nation upset, because it could be really bad for your freedom and/or health.

But we must also remember that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, is the King of Heaven.

If you fail to believe in His lordship and sovereignty, that He is the Son of the Living God who sacrificed Himself for our sin, then you are under His wrath and should fear His mighty roar.

However, if you have faith in Christ, you can know true peace and find yourself refreshed each moment in His grace.

Trust the King. His love, mercy, and grace are everlasting and oh so sweet to the soul.

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July 30, 2018

Crushed or Broken?

By Daniel M. Klem

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? -Proverbs 18:14 KJV

A man’s spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear? -Proverbs 18:14 ESV

This will get … heavy.

We hear stories all the time about the two kinds of people who deal with deadly illness, such as cancer:

  1. Those who barely survive or even give up and die, or
  2. Those who not only fight but seem to thrive!

How do we describe these people?

By their spirit!

A fighting spirit. A spirit of life. A strong spirit.

Or a frail spirit. A tired spirit. Even a crushed spirit. Those who have given up on hope.

As Christians, we are encouraged to encourage those who have lost hope. We are expected to be more strong-spirited, if for no other reason than to encourage others.

I think of my mom, who passed away from cancer in August 2014. It was sudden and a shock, but she was strong. We saw more people turn to God as she abruptly faded away because of her unwavering faith in God.

I think of Jesus’ words:

But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
Luke 20:17‭-‬18, ESV

My mother’s body was broken. But my mom fell on Christ and certainly was not crushed. I know my father nearly felt so, but he was emotionally broken.

The great thing about being broken for God is that He can use you for great things.

But being crushed . . .

. . . all that is left is to be ground into powder (Luke 20:18, KJV).

Do you have hope, or have you abandoned all hope?

Do you fall on Christ, or or are you waiting for His crushing return?

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July 18, 2018

Have a plan

By dawnlizjones

moses-2628535_1920Moses, what a guy.  Talk about job stress—the perks were pretty great but so were the occupational hazards.  (And I think I have tough days!)  At least there was clear communication with the Boss; no lost email trails or intra-office misinterpretation of body language, all that.  God’s instructions were always unmistakably clear, right down to what colors of decorative embroidery thread to use for the big church tent!

One year into their miraculous escape/rescue from centuries of Egyptian slavery, God now has them positioned to pull up the stakes and start their journey in earnest to the Promised Land. 

He has also promised to be their Guide, a cloud by day and something that looks like a pillar of fire by night.  Again, fairly distinctive, even for someone directionally challenged, like me.  When He moves left, they move left.  When He stops, they stop, and up go all the tents.  Kind of like a cosmic GPS.  What could be easier?

Then I read this short conversation sandwiched in the account of the Israelites getting ready to leave.  It’s between Moses and his brother-in-law, Hobab, (who is not an Israelite).  Moses is inviting him to join them on their journey, and that they will share all the blessings that God will give them. 

“But Hobab replied, ‘No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.’  ‘Please don’t leave us,’ Moses pleaded. ‘You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide.’”

Hold on.  I thought God was their guide…?  Has the great leader of the Old Testament who walked his people through the sea on dry land and spoken to God Almighty in the burning bush suddenly gotten cold feet?

As much as I love the “humanness” of our biblical heroes, I don’t think that is the case.  We’re talking about over a million human beings here, so “camping out” isn’t just a matter of taking over, say, an entire State Park.  It’s more like taking over Chicago.  God was going to guide Moses to a general area; a good leader was needing to prepare for at least some of the particulars.

Now, I’ll admit that one of my failsafe, fall back phrases is “God’s got a plan”.  Okay, true enough.  But many times, the very real question of the moment is,… do I?

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

In other words, God’s guidance does not preclude my personal responsibility.  Reasoning brain and redeemed spirit work hand-in-hand.  It may seem like push and shove sometimes, but God can still get His end result accomplished.

ThreadBecause sometimes He may just give us the pattern and let us pick out the color of thread.

Numbers 10:30; Proverbs 16:9 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in advice, Instruction, Trust the Lord, Uncategorized

July 15, 2018

You can make plans …

By Daniel M. Klem

Keeping it short and sweet today, the sixteenth chapter of Proverbs basically says the same thing throughout:

You can make plans.

Sometimes you get in the way of your plans.

Sometimes others, such as those in authority over you, get in the way of your plans.

Sometimes everything flows perfectly.

In every case, the Lord is in control.

It may be that He allows your mistakes and missteps to detail your plans, or He sends someone to block your path, or He keeps all of that from happening to let your plans succeed.

No matter how much you scheme, wink at the right people at the right time, or surround yourself with faithful helpers, if you are not relying on God, your plans may very well be worthless.

Trust God to guide you, and your plans will become His plans. Or at the very least, you can more easily handle when plans seem to change suddenly.

Take a few minutes to read chapter 16. You will see how much Good has told us.

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June 3, 2018

Sustaining the Righteous

By Daniel M. Klem

The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. -Proverbs 10:3, KJV

Several other translations write this verse to say that God will not let His people go hungry, but He denies the cravings and desires of the wicked.

We can see this as the same kind of promise Jesus gave:

“Look at the birds, whom God feeds. Look at the flowers, whom God clothes better than Solomon in his great clothes. How much more does the Father want to take care of you?” (Matthew 6:25-34)

My wife and I have been through much in our relatively short nine years of marriage, times when there was not enough money in our bank account to pay all the bills, let alone to buy basic necessities. But God took care of us during those times.

However, Jesus started this section of scripture by saying, “Isn’t life more than food and clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

What, then does God’s Word promise us, if we cannot trust that we will always have enough food to feel full?

In John 4, Jesus was talking to His disciples, immediately after the Samaritan woman by the well left Him, when He said, “I have food you do not know about … to do the will of the one who sent me.” (vv. 32-34)

Back in Matthew 6, He says to seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be given to you (v. 33).

Therefore, the KJV certainly says it best in today’s verse, for it is implied that God takes care of His people, but the deeper and more obvious (based on the plain reading) meaning is this:

God fulfils the spiritual needs of His people, saving and nourishing their souls, but He ultimately removes the wicked, casting them into Hell.

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May 24, 2018

Measure Twice …

By Daniel M. Klem

When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth -Proverbs 8:27‭-‬29 ESV

God did not begin Creation until He had begun with wisdom.

It makes sense. Jesus, also called the Wisdom of God, gave us hints:

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Luke 14:28

God is smart. He planned and then built.

God’s Greatest Work

However, His universe building pales in comparison to His greatest work: Making us new.

We must remember that right relationship of us with Him was always His goal, a holy people who would give Him glory and love as He lavishes love on us.

… Cut Once

My dad, like Jesus and His earthly father, is a carpenter. He instilled in me the axiom “Measure twice, cut once.” That is, take time to accurately prepare so that you are not constantly fixing mistakes.

We should do the same with Jesus. The passage quoted above is a about the cost of discipleship.

Do we realize we must take up our cross (Luke 14:27)?

Do we realize we must radically change our thinking and actions, that we must tell a fallen world they are destined for destruction, and that it could cost us financially, materially, even bodily (basically Matthew 5-7 and … much of what Jesus said)?

If we do not wisely count the cost, we will be constantly re-cutting things from our lives, things that should have been done. We may even finding ourselves asking for forgiveness from God again.

Let God finish the work He started. Trust the Master Builder to cut and rebuild, and realize what it may cost you.

It cost Him Jesus.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Relationships, Trust the Lord, Wisdom, Work

February 8, 2018

Richly Blessed

By Daniel M. Klem

Proverbs 31:22

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. . . .
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. (KJV)
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. (NIV)

The virtuous woman, the excellent wife, the amazing woman we all want to find. Unless you are a woman, in which case these are adjectives you probably want to hear said about you.

This woman is valued (v. 10) because she is trustworthy (vv. 11-12), wise and hardworking (vv. 13-19), and compassionate and caring (vv. 20-21).

She can also rest comfortably and dress in dignity.

While this can mean that her “coverings” mean financial security and her “silk” or “fine linen and purple” can mean financial prosperity, I offer another meaning.

Truly Blessed

The virtuous woman can sleep in comfort and security because she trusts in the Lord. All of her wise and hard work comes from “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord“, specifically “the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17, NIV).

The virtuous woman is dressed in dignity, though not necessarily because of her clothes. Instead, it is because she can say “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

People can see her wisdom, good works, and righteousness, and they respect her. She is clothed in royal robes of heavenly righteousness.

Her blessings are not because she is such a devoted wife and mother who cares for others and works hard. Her blessings are because she is all of these for her Lord and God.

Heavenly Father, may every man and woman seek Your glory and to please You above all else. By Your Holy Spirit guide us in all righteousness.

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December 27, 2017

Safe In the Rock

By Anthony Baker

Proverbs 30:24, 26

“There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: … The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;”

Conies

The conies are second in the list  “four (little) things” that are exceedingly wise. But what is a coney? Is it a hot dog found on Long Island, New York? Possibly, but only if a legless wiener is capable of wisdom. These conies in this proverb seem to have a defense against being eaten with mustard – they hide in the rocks.

HyraxThe animal described here is the hyrax, or rock badger (no relation to the kind that can chew off your arm). Found in Africa and the Middle East, these cute little critters, weighing an average of 8 lbs., are scavengers which live in groups of 8 to 10 and find refuge in the cracks and crevices of rocky terrain. Though scientists say the hyrax is a close relative to the elephant (it even has tiny little tusks – how cute!), this furry little animal is practically defenseless…at least on its own.

Their Defense System

Even though hyraxes are small, weak, and incapable of fighting off a predator, they are not on the endangered species list. Why is that? The answer lies in where they make their homes – in the rocks – and how they look out for each other.

Being small and rather slow, the hyraxes in Africa are preyed upon by other animals such as wild dogs, leopards, and Egyptian cobras. However, it seems that the conies in Israel, like the ones of which Solomon spoke, have learned how to use the rocks to their advantage, along with a “system of sentries.”

 “In Israel, the rock hyrax is reportedly rarely preyed upon by terrestrial predators, as their system of sentries and their reliable refuges provide considerable protection. Hyrax remains are almost absent from the droppings of wolves in the Judean Desert.” (Wickipedia)

Is it any wonder why Solomon called the conies (hyraxes) “exceeding wise?” Knowing the danger posed by wolves and the like, the defenseless animals band together, watch over each other, and run to the rocks any time there is a threat.

Our Defense

One would have to be blind to miss the parallels here. Why do so many fools fall victim to the ravenous wolves of the world? Their bones are found scattered across the sands of time because they ventured out alone, without the watchful eyes of others, and without the defense available in the true Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.

Why won’t more people heed the wisdom of Proverbs? Why do so many of us continue to be eaten alive by the enemy when there is a Rock in which to run and hide?

“OH! Rock of Ages, hide thou me!”

Leave a comment | posted in Animals, Trust the Lord, Warnings, Wisdom