CENTRAL THOUGHT
Those that trust in the Lord abide under his safety.
TEXT: Isaiah. 36;37:1-20 (Reading Text: Isaiah 37:1-20)
INTRODUCTION
The Bible emphasizes issues concerning these perilous times or situations now being experienced. (2Tim.3:1-5). These are those times talked about when men’s heart will fail them due to lack of trust in God.
People will want to make it fast not minding the means. There is a lack of confidence among families, friends, nations and worse off, even in God. Man has become suspicious of neighbors and people they come across on daily basis.
Mature persons take time to build up trust in people. Except instructed or inspired by God, it has become very risky to trust man, especially at first sight even when man may not want to fail or disappoint. Man cannot be trusted totally because he’s not infallible.
God should be trusted because he is the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscience. These are attributes of God for eternity, HE does not change.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
- Understand what it means to trust in the Lord.
- Explain some reasons why people trust other things.
- Highlight why God should be trusted.
- Establish the benefit of trusting in the Lord.
BIBLE TRUTH
Q1. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRUST IN THE LORD?
To trust simply means to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something. Nobody can trust someone he has not seen, known, or interacted with or introduced to by person intimate to both parties. God had revealed Himself as the Most-High with whom nothing is impossible He has been before man began and will remain who he is in eternity.
The Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation have revealed Him to man as He is – absolutely reliable. To trust in the Lord, therefore, is to put our total reliance on Him to do all He says He will do. Trusting in Him is real faith which pleases Him, Man gets from Him or increases his knowledge of Him, and can now relate to Him as Father.
Q2. WHAT CHALLENGES DID HEZEKIAH FACE AND HOW DID HE HANDLE THE SITUATION? (Isaiah 36, 37:20)
Hezekiah, king of Judah, a man that trusted in the LORD God of Israel [1 Kg. 18:3-7], was faced with challenges of threat of war, over-running of his kingdom, various problems, and losses associated with the situation. King Sennacherib of Assyria, did not just boast for the sake of it, he was truly a man of war and would have executed his ambition to the letter, had God not intervened in response to Hezekiah’s request.
Hezekiah faced facts and realities in their true sense and used his God-given knowledge to overcome his plight. He put his trust in God and wore his spiritual war weapons (Eph.6:10-18). He prayed earnestly with fasting waiting upon God until he intervened. He obeyed God as he directed him continually until his victory came.
Hezekiah succeeded using this approach because he knew God personally. Yacht scene heard and believe the God he served from his heart and trusted that he will not be put to shame. He, therefore, took the risk of believing in God. This led him to act very contrary to man’s wisdom. He fought and defeated the Assyrians without using physical war apparatus. He led his people to win a very hard war with words of prayers and songs of praises to God instead of physical combat.
Q3. WHY SHOULD THE BELIEVER TRUST IN THE LORD CONTINUALLY? (Psalm 18:30-31; 62:11-12; Isaiah 26:4)
God as the omnipotent can do all things. Nothing is too hard for him to do at any time. In him is strength, victory, salvation, and solution to problems of all kinds. He alone knows the way through the wilderness. He has brought water out of the rock, made a bird to feed man, open iron doors, saved from fire, made barren women stricken with age to breastfeed babies born by them, made men win physical battles without the use of ammunition and made way where it seemed there was none.
He specializes in impossibilities and is not limited to any type of problem or challenge. The wise believer, therefore, needs to put his trust in Him because he does not fail. If he chooses not to do I think for the believer, it means that that believer either has not asked the right way or does not know that he did not really need to have the thing, no matter how appealing it may seem. He truly loves Believers and will not withhold any good thing from those who truly love Him.
Q4. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRUSTING IN THE LORD? (Psalm 31:19; 34:22; 37:3,5,40; 115:11; Proverbs 3:5-8; Psalm125:1; Isaiah 26:3)
Those that trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion that shall not be moved. There’s that wait upon the Lord shall run and not faint, they shall renew their strength, they show Mount up with wings like eagles etc.
All persons trust in the Lord shall not be put to shame. Innumerable benefits abound to the one who sincerely trust in the Lord. He shall not be put to shame in any sphere of Life issues.
He usually has lots of testimonies to show for his patient trust in the Lord. He will reap endless rewards and benefits from his trust. Seemingly hopeless situations turn out for his good in accordance with God’s word. His faithfulness endures forever. He does not fail if anyone understands, trust and obey him sincerely always.
He does not compel us to go against our will. The only points one to the right way encourages him to thread that path. Anyone who voluntarily abides by his guide always comes up with amazing testimonies to the glory of His name.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
God has revealed himself to man. He has shown man the right way and encourages us to follow Him. There are ways which may seem rides as presented by the devil that are dangerous traps. The wise should avoid them and follow after true righteousness.
God is not happy with the sacrifice of fools. Rather, he wants us to trust and Obey him. He is able and willing to grant us all that we need on Earth here, at His time and lead us to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
“It is better to trust the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm.118:8-9). Who do you trust in? Are you willing to trust God to guide you through and through, and to your Eternal destination? He’s trustworthy and will sell you through successfully. Start to trust him today and you will testify to the glory of His name.
MEMORY VERSE
Psalm 37:3 “Trust in the Lord and do good; so, shall thou dwell in the land and verily thou shall be fed.”