Trust the Truth

Happy Sunday. I heard about a pastor who had a bit of a problem. As the story goes, he was criticized because he supposedly went to a meeting that his wife was attending and he forced her to leave. People were talking; social media was a buzz. In self-defense, the pastor posted the following on Facebook:

"In the first place, I never attempted to influence my wife as to her choice of meeting. In the second place, my wife did not attend the meeting in question. In the third place, I did not attend the meeting. In the fourth place, neither my wife nor myself had any inclination to attend the meeting. In the fifth place, I do not now have and never have had a wife."

People will debate and fight over all sorts of things. That's the world we live in. So much time is wasted. In the case of the story that I just told you, it's hard to fight the truth. Overwhelming evidence should stop the fighters and allow them to move on to something else.

Jesus said this in John 8:32: "You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Proverbs chapter 30, verse 5 puts it this way: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." As we continue in our series called Great Expectations, today we are called to live our lives in the truth of God's word.

Sometimes as Christians we can forget or even ignore the truth. Scripture teaches that we are more than conquerors, and yet at times we feel conquered. Scripture teaches that we have power as children of God, yet at times we feel powerless. Scripture teaches that God is always with us, and yet at times we can feel alone. So do we trust God's word, or do we trust our feelings?

Today I want us to look at one of my favorite Old Testament stories, and after we look at it together, I want us to see how we can apply the truth we find in it to our world today. The story is found in Second Kings chapter 4, verses 1 to 7.

"A certain widow of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elijah, saying, 'Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And now the creditor is coming to take my sons, my two sons, to be his slaves.' So Elijah said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?' She said, 'Your maidservant has nothing in this house but this jar of oil.'

"Then he said to her, 'Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors, empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour the oil into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.' So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her, and she poured it out.

"Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, 'Bring another vessel.' And he said to her, 'There's not another vessel.' So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, 'Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest.'"

I love the truth found in this story. I think that it can really help us to prepare for everyday life. One truth we find is that good people can have big problems. This family was in trouble, and we're told this family feared the Lord. The dead husband was likely a student of Elijah's, and after his death the bills piled up, and the creditor legally could have taken the two boys as payment.

Sadly, today some preach that if you have enough faith, your life will be problem free. As my friend Ken Smith says, that smells of smoke, because it's for the pits of hell. That's not the truth. Jesus said this in John 16:33: "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

The truth is, as a child of God, you'll be able to endure. That's the truth of Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That verse is so misused. Some people claim it to play ball better or to get a promotion. The verse is really talking about our ability to, our ability to rebound when things don't go our way.

Back to our story. The desperate widow was smart enough to seek godly counsel. That's a great truth: seek help in the right places when you have problems. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people can go to many wrong places for help. Some drown their sorrows in alcohol or drugs; others go to worldly wisdom. I know of a person who spent tens of thousands of dollars on psychics.

But our lady in need of help went to Elisha, the great prophet of God. I love the fact that she was obedient to his command even though she likely did not understand. She collected all these empty vessels, not really knowing why, and her obedience was rewarded.

Finally, I'm pleased to see that God can do anything. The oil multiplied. Her needs were not only met, they were exceeded. Psalms 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it." Colossians 1:16 to 17 says, "For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers; all things have been created through and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Not in the government, not in finances, not in science; in him all things hold together. Today I want to remind you that God is bigger than you think. God expects you to have faith and to trust in him. You likely know these words from Proverbs 3: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he'll make your path straight." God expects us to take him at his word.

God bless you as you do that. Thank you for spending time with me today. Many of you have donated to this ministry lately, and I really appreciate it. God bless you for doing that. Please pray for us.

Pray with me now. Lord God, thank you for the truth. In a world where we are constantly lied to, we can come to you for the truth. And Father, help us to set us free, and help us to trust you and not rely on our feelings. Bless each one. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless.