A Prescription for Life - Part 3

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. (Proverbs 16:20 ESV).

Yesterday we saw the first principle necessary to experience the victory God desires for us is to trust in the Lord. For just a moment this morning, let’s look at some of the wealthiest people in the world. Hollywood's leading ladies have plenty to boast about financially, until you compare their pay checks to those of their male counterparts. Fair or not, the entertainment industry's highest-earning men collectively raked in an estimated $1.2 billion between June 1, 2009, and June 1, 2010, compared to the $835 million the women pulled down during the same period. In fact, after Oprah Winfrey, who at $315 million out-earned everyone--male or female--Hollywood's second-best-paid woman, Beyoncé Knowles, would place ninth on the men's list. And the remaining top-earning females wouldn't have placed at all. Even the acclaimed Lady GaGa “only” reported $62 million during this period! I’m not sure how she managed (insert lots of sarcasm).

Those bits of trivia caused me to pause a bit. It is often very easy for us to imagine what it might be like to be that wealthy. Many times in life we get all enamored in life over the rich and the famous and want to be like them! However, to trust in them, or even to trust in that kind of wealth is a serious mistake. It is one of the devil’s favorite lies! Our trust should not be in money nor in money people, but in the Lord!

The Psalmist is saying don’t put your trust in people, wealthy people, or people who seem to have it made in life. He says, “Put your trust in the Lord.” People will die, but not the Lord! People come and go but not the Lord! He is eternal, from everlasting to everlasting! He has no
beginning and no end. Put your trust in Him.

The key is how? Let me make some practical suggestions:

1. First, believe that God desires only the best for you. This may not mean wealth, prominence, or popularity. It may mean a life of sacrifice and difficulty as exemplified in the life of Mother Theresa, who gave her life to work with the sick and poor of India. That was the best place for her. It was the place God had for her that would mean her highest level of joy and peace.

2. Second, recognize that God has an eternal plan for you. When we are in the midst of difficulty, it is so easy to focus on the immediate. God is working in our lives for our eternal good and the eternal good of others. What may seem to be very bad now may only be the first step toward accomplishing a great good in our lives or the lives of others.

3. Third, rest in God today. Satan wants us to believe that God is uncaring and untrustworthy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Be still today and rest in Him.