Making Sense of Life

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Making sense of life requires viewing life from God’s perspective.

The Bible is a book about life. Jesus said, “The thief comes to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). James, the half brother of Jesus, had this to say about life, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

About life, a dying queen said, “I would give my entire kingdom for one more moment of life.” It was Shakespeare who wrote, “Time I have wasted and now time doth waste me.” Someone else said, “Life is hard, but God is good!”

In all that has been said about life and all the things that could be said, let’s ask that question, “How do we make sense of this whole matter of life; given the struggles, the pain, the suffering, joys, sorrow, etc. that each of us face during our sojourn upon this earth?”

At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, I want to give you four biblical principles taken from Proverbs 3:5-6, that will help us make sense of this whole matter of life. Hear these words from Proverbs...

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart...”

THUS THE FIRST PRINCIPLE...

I. TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART FREES YOU FROM THE DESIRE TO CONTROL YOUR OWN DESTINY.

Concerning one’s destiny, Timothy McVeigh, the man who was convicted and executed for the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building), was reported to have said, just prior to his execution, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,” quoting from the poem - Invictus. If Timothy McVeigh could speak to us now, like the rich man in Luke, Chapter 16:19ff, I wonder what he would say.

What Timothy McVeigh did not understand, it would seem, is that trust is the key factor in all relationships. While we are not his judge, from all indications, however, he had never put his trust in the Lord, and therefore, had never been freed from trying to control his own destiny.

Yes, my new friends, trust is the key factor in all human relationships. Trust is the key factor in the marriage relationship. One thing that has kept my marriage to Carolyn strong and healthy over the past forty-five yars is that we trust each other. The same is true in the parent/child relationship. I remember saying to Carrie, our daughter, early on in her life, “Carrie, your mom and I will trust you as long as you do not give us a reason to not trust you.” Carrie is now 37 years-old and we still trust her.

It was the Psalmist who said, “Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon Thee I was cast from birth; Thou hadst been my God from my mother’s womb” (Psalm 22:9-10). The Psalmist also said, “But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever” (Psalms 52:8).

The problem: One may trust God for their salvation, but fail to trust Him for daily needs. God wants us to be totally dependent on Him.

Now back to the principle: TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART FREES YOU FROM THE DESIRE TO CONTROL YOUR OWN DESTINY.

NOW FOR THE SECOND PRINCIPLE...

II. LEANING ON GOD WILL HELP YOU TO HAVE A BETTER FOCUS ON LIFE. The writer of Proverbs goes on to say, “And do not lean on your own understanding.”

The good news is, however, we do not have to understand. In fact, we are told by the writer, “...do not lean on your own understanding.”

The Prophet Isaiah speaks to this whole issue of understanding when he wrote, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8).

You see, my friends, leaning on our own understanding will cause us emotional stress that we cannot adequately handle. Therefore, it is best for us to trust God and leave the results to Him.

Now back to the principle... LEANING ON GOD WILL HELP YOU HAVE A BETTER FOCUS ON LIFE.

NOW FOR THE THIRD PRINCIPLE...

III. ACKNOWLEDGING HIM WILL HELP YOU TO VIEW LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE. The writer of Proverbs goes on to say, “In all your ways acknowledge Him.”

Habakkuk, the prophet who in his acknowledgment of God, began to see things from God’s perspective, when he said, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me” (Hab. 2:1).

What was He doing? Acknowledging God! Unlike the fool, about whom it is written, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” Or like the last Madalin O’Hara who denied the existence of God. Anyone who does not acknowledge God will never see things from His divine perspective.

On the other hand, the Psalmist was acknowledging Him, when he said, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:1-4). When we acknowledge Him, we can say with the Psalmist who wrote, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever” (Psalms 125:2). It is a good thing to acknowledge the Lord.

Now back to the principle... ACKNOWLEDGING HIM WILL HELP YOU TO VIEW LIFE FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE.

NOW FOR THE FINAL PRINCIPLE...

IV. YOU CAN TRUST GOD TO KEEP HIS PROMISES. God said to His people through the prophet Jeremiah, who were completing seventy years of captivity. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

According to Psalm 137, Israel had lost her song while in captivity, but she would sing again because the Lord is faithful in keeping his promises. Did not the writer of Proverbs say, “For He will make your paths straight?” That includes keeping His promises.

It was the Psalmist who also said, concerning God’s promises, “Thou will make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Jesus said to His disciples ... “Let not your heart be troubled...” (John 14:1-3). “Coming again! Coming again! O what a wonderful day it will be - Jesus is coming again.”

Jesus not only prepared His disciples for His departure, He prepared them for His return as well...

Luke writes in the book of Acts, “And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11).

I often say to new friends as I depart their company... HERE, THERE, OR IN THE AIR! WE CAN COUNT ON GOD TO KEEP HIS PROMISES.

YES, MY FRIENDS, GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE AND YOU CAN COUNT ON HIM TO DIRECT YOUR PATHS AND KEEP HIS PROMISES.

Making sense of this whole matter of life has everything to do with these four principles and when applied to our lives they will change our direction. If we apply the first three: trust, do not lean, and acknowledge, God will do the rest. The first of these “TRUST” is of up-most importance. It is the beginning point for us all concerning our salvation. Faith/Trust is the KEY that unlocks the door to heaven. Have you put your trust in the Resurrected Lord and begun to experience real life? Therefore, in conclusion . . .

L -- Live today as though it were your last for one day it will be.

I – Invest your life in others.

F – Learn to live by faith.

E – Eternal life begins the moment you trust Jesus.