and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil." Proverbs 3:5-7
We aren't meant to lean on just our own understanding. We aren't meant to figure things out without God.
Proverbs 3:5-7 is what we are meant to do. We will deal with certain problems over and over. When we let God lead us we can see victory.
Statistics Shannon shared in church:
In California the law now states that it is not felony theft unless $950 is stolen. People are going into stores and just taking what they want because people can't do anything about it.
Since the pandemic there has been a:
30% increase in murders
20% increase in assaults
3 times the amount of depression in kids aged 12-17.
14.4% of kids now live in clinical depression every single day.
1 in 3 Native American women will be raped.
We are pursued by 2 things:
1. God!
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
Ezekiel 34:11
"The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”" Zephaniah 3:17
God is seeking you!
2. Satan
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." 2 Corinthians 4:4
That god is Satan -- he is the god of this world's system.
We are going to have trouble -- this is no surprise.
"Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20
This life isn't easy for anyone!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
This world is dying. One day Jesus will restore the world but that isn't now. That isn't until the end.
How do we get off the merry-go-round of chaos this world throws at us?
Realize we, our sin, caused the chaos.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—" Romans 5:12
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
The world is going to be the world -- How do we live in it without being consumed?
Realize we are in a fight.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
Our fight is not against people. We have a job to do -- we gotta tell people the gospel.. Grab people away from Satan.
We need to follow the Spirit.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." John 16:13
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." Romans 8:14
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words." 1 Corinthians 2:13
11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit." Mark 13:11
Trust God.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil." Proverbs 3:5-7
Jesus is there. Jesus was there. Jesus is here.
"Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes." Psalm 37:5-7
The world markets evil really well.
Walk by Faith.
God's at work.
Rest in this:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8