Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding - S2E11

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523935/episodes/19321301

In this week's episode of the TRUTH Be Told Podcast, join Evangelist Michele Love and Pastor Steve Hofmeister as they discuss Scripture about not leaning on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6

#christianpodcasts
#Christian
#Christianity
#Bible
#Faith
#God
#SpiritualGrowth
#Inspiration
#ChristianPodcasters
#Podcast

#Proverbs356

Harford Signs
independently owned, woman-led sign company in Harford County built on more than 30 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

So, hi Michelle. How are you doing today?

SPEAKER_01 0:02

I'm good on this beautiful, beautiful spring-summer day. It's gorgeous here in Maryland. It's beautiful. And we are actually at the park that we prayed over recently here in Maryland, praying for protection for the kids and predators, groomers, and traffickers and Johns to be called out and exposed in the name of Jesus Christ. So it's kind of cool being here back at this park because we know that the Spirit of the Lord is here and it's holy ground because we marched, we anointed, we prayed, we believed, we decreed and declared, and now we know this park is safe for the children.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

In Jesus' name. Absolutely. So a little different. We don't normally do our podcast in a car in a parking lot. You notice this is something different. And it and it speaks loud to our mission that God has put us on as a ministry about going out and being out among the people and out in the community. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

So uh we're out here, we're out, and uh don't be don't don't uh I wouldn't put it past God if soon we are doing podcasts in parks, sitting at a park bench talking to people, and because God said to go out. We are the church, we are the body of Christ, we are to go out and preach the gospel, be the gospel, and and declare the gospel everywhere. So that's what we're doing in the name of Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

So anyway, so yeah, so let's um let's go ahead and we will break for our opening stuff, and then we'll go into prayer and we'll get into God's word.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Thanks for joining us for this week's episode. Your host is Reverend Michelle Love. Let's join Reverend Love, Pastor Steve, as we discuss this week's topic.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to get together and do this podcast, Lord, and the technology that you have provided for us to do that, Lord. We thank you every episode for the that ability, Father. We thank you for the ability. You are always changing it up and you're always doing something new. So, Father, we just thank you for this new uh adventure you have us on now, doing this out and about with among the people, being live on uh TikTok as well today. Father, we just thank you all for the amazing opportunities you provide through this, Lord. Father, we just ask that this word reach someone who needs to hear it today. Father, we just ask that you be with both of us, empty us out, dump anything that's been on our being a burden upon us today, Lord. We hand it to you, empty us out, allow us to be your vessels, speaking your word and giving your truth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Amen. And Lord, Holy Spirit, we welcome you and dwell in us, give us and everyone listening ears to hear, and a heart for you, God, and eyes to see, so that the message that you have imparted today in us about trusting you is received and decreed and declared in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you, God, for this opportunity. It is a blessing to serve you, to talk about you, to be in your word of truth. It is such a blessing. Woo! Thank you, God, and thank you to everyone joining us in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. God's will be done. Woo! So hello. You know, Mama Mesh always wound up, always loving word, always operating in the spirit, and always professing word. And um what the Lord has put on my heart is how to pe how do you trust him? A lot of people say it and they repeat it. I trust God, I trust God, and then in the next breath, they are denouncing the very thing they were trusting God for. Number one, because God didn't do it fast enough. Number two, because they didn't profess the word. Number three, they just don't know how to trust God. How do you really trust God with everything? It starts with prayer. When you go to God in prayer, now I'm gonna prove it through scriptures today because I have pictures, scriptures to back up everything we're talking about, and and the Holy Spirit is saying, jump into the first scripture, and I'm gonna do that right now. So the first scripture is Proverbs 3, 5 through 6. Now, I don't know if you know anything about me, but I'm an evangelist. I uh and am a teacher of the word. God has given me amazing discernment when it comes to reading the word of God and understanding it. He just drops, the Holy Spirit drops discernment in the word. So when I read word, I will stop and explain it. And that's the Holy Spirit, that's the prompting of the Spirit of the Lord doing that. So I just wanted to make you aware in case you're joining us for the first time and you're listening to the word being taught. So Proverbs 3, chapter 5, verses 5 through 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. This is the most known scripture about trusting God, but when you dissect the scripture, it actually tells you how to trust God. So we're gonna start in Proverbs 3, verse 5. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. You can't be half-hearted trusting in the Lord when you trust Him with your whole heart. That means you're all in. That means everything that is in your heart, in your mind, and in your spirit, you are trusting God with. I'll give you an example. Lord, I trust you with the the bills that are due. I trust you with all of my heart. I hand up the BGE, or that's electric here. I hand up the electric bill I hold up, I hold up our rent, our mortgage, I hold up our car insurance, I hold up the car payment. I give this to you, God, to show me how to pay these things. I trust in you with these bills with all my heart. If you trust in anything with all your heart, then you already know and understand that you can't give something to God and then turn around and take it back. So when you give it to God with all your heart, you are saying it is out of my heart and in your hand. And that is something that is practice. You have to practice doing that. You have to train your brain and your heart to be lined up with the word. So trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and that's staying in your quiet place and releasing the burdens that are in your heart that are tearing you down. And I know that we can all relate because the world is a bit upside down right now. Oh, yeah, and we really need to focus our spirit, our mind, our heart, our entire soul on God. And when you can put everything out of you and in God's hand, there is a peace that will come over you that you cannot explain. Do you agree? Oh, absolutely. So that's step one in verse five, and then it says, lean not on your own understanding. That's when your mind begins to fix, to strive, to worry, to get afraid. So you the the the scripture is two part. First, you trust in the Lord with all your heart, then you do not lean on your own understanding. Because in the world, people are about self. I'll fix it, I'll do it, I'll make it work. But in the kingdom, it's about trusting in God. So if you're a true Christian and you're living in the kingdom, you're in the fold with God, you don't trust man, you don't trust yourself, you trust in the Lord with everything. Everything. It's it takes time. It does. And practice. Yes. And it starts with prayer and praying word. So not leaning on your own understanding. That is not that's not easy to do.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Oh no, gosh, no. I tripped over that one a couple times.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

We have right, and we have to remove ourself from the problem. Yes. I'll say that again. You have to remove yourself from the issue, from the need, from the fear, from the anxiety, from the way that you do things. Right, Steve? And I know that you have been experiencing this.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

I've struggled that. I mean, the biggest thing I think God has shown me is sometimes you may know how to fix a problem, but it's not in his timing for you to be the one to fix that problem. Now that's been that's been a perplexing question for me, but it's that's the reality of it.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

And it's the rest of this scripture, but understanding the first part is I have to trust in the Lord. Right. Lord, I trust you with all my heart. I trust you with all my heart. I'm cleaning out my heart. Show anything in my heart that is deceptive and wicked and against you. Right. This is the prayers. Look up prayers about your heart. Look up prayers about trusting God with your whole heart. You can't be half-hearted with God.

SPEAKER_03 11:02

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

You can't say, I trust in God, and turn around and say the exact opposite of what you just prayed. You've got to train your brain to shh, peace be still, brain, peace be still brain. Yes. But I love the part that's and and lean not on your own understanding, because the in verse six, in all your ways, your ways, he's saying, in your ways, not his ways, in all your ways, right? Right. Acknowledge him. I can't do this, I can't take care of this, I can't take care of that. Right. I cannot live in a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind.

SPEAKER_04 11:40

Right.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

I am yours, God. I'm acknowledging you in all my ways, which means you're laying down your ways of handling things to give them to God.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Right.

SPEAKER_01 11:59

Remember, none of your problems, none of your situations are about you fixing them. Right. They're about God showing you the way. Because in verse 6, when you in all your ways you acknowledge Him, Lord, this is how I would handle this. This is what I would say in this situation. He's saying, Give that to Him, and He shall direct your path. Paths is plural. Right. Which means He'll show you what to do if you trust Him with your heart, not how you would handle it. Acknowledge that you don't want to handle it. Right. Tell him you handle this, Lord. Direct my path so I know how to handle this with your way, your truth, and your path in Jesus' name. And my friends, that's how you pray back scripture. You can pray back every piece of scripture. So from there, I'm gonna take you to Romans 15-13. You have anything to say, Steve? No, no. I mean, powerful, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Yeah, I you know me. I had my two cents when I when it's needed, but otherwise, you're in the word. Let it roll.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Romans 15-13 is going in the flow of Proverbs 3, 5 through 6. Listen to this. Now, may the God of hope, where's your hope come from? From the Lord. May the God of, and I love the first verse. Now so if you were in Proverbs 5, 3 through 6, you gave up the issues to God to handle. And in Romans 15, 13, it says, Now, woo, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit has been with you the whole time. When you got saved, he was there to help you, to help you understand the word, to convict you when you were doing things against God's word. Right. The power of the Holy Spirit, as told in Acts chapter 1 and 2, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit to empower you against the demons, against the trials of life, against anything that is not of God. It empowers you to walk into your purpose.

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Not much we can really do about that, but we hope you uh less came to listen to the actual podcast because it's a good word we got going on. Yep, and we're gonna finish. So we're just gonna continue on.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

We were in Romans 15, 13 talking about may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have joy now, you have peace now. When you're in Christ, when you're trusting God, like we just did with this whole slide, you have joy. Peace comes to those who wait on the Lord. Peace is in Christ. If you're saved, the Prince of Peace lives in you, peace is with you all the time. And a lot of times Christians will say, I lost my peace, I need peace, I need peace. Just call on the name of the Lord, and you will have that peace that surpasses all understanding. My favorite scripture is peace be still. And peace be still is when you're saying, Peace come to me, quiet down all the chaos and confusion and everything going on in my head and in my heart. Peace be still in the name of Jesus Christ upon my life right now. And it's so amazing because as we journey through trusting in God and we use scripture as our battle. It's our it's our battle, it's not our weapon, it's our battle against anything that should come against us.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

So there's a reason the Bible is referred to as a sword.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Yep, it cuts through everything, it cuts through uh anxiety, it cuts through fear, it cuts through chaos and confusion, everything. Remember, the devil traffics in fear. The devil wants you to stay afraid so that he can have a foothold to take your peace away. That's all he wants. He doesn't want, he already knows that Christ is the Prince of Peace. He already knows that he wants to take Jesus from you, and he starts by taking your peace from you. So understanding in Romans 15, 13, that the peace that is upon you is for life. And I love how the scripture starts out. Now may the God of peace fill you with all joy and peace in believing. So today we're talking about how to trust in the Lord, and so far we've learned prayer, God's word, prayed up, and understanding that we need to be moved out of the equation, and that we need to understand that God is the one who fills us with hope, joy, and peace as we lay everything down from our heart to his hand, he continues to fill us and fill us and fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can walk in Christ, walk on his path, stay in word, and pray, pray, pray, which I'm gonna show you right now. Philippians four, six through seven. Word is so powerful. Oh, yeah, it speaks for itself for your journey, y'all. That's right. This is all we teach in this ministry. It's all I ever teach is straight up from the word straight up from the word. So Philippians four. What did I say? Three through six, yeah, I think. Uh, we'll start in four. Philippians four, verse four. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice, no matter what is going on. That's right, no matter how hard life is, no matter what's going on in your community, in your nation, in your in your town, in your home, in your workplace, in your finances, in your children, in your marriage, in yourself. Look up and say, I trust you, God, no matter what, I will rejoice in you, Lord, because something happens when you start rejoicing in the Lord. And I like how verse 4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. And if you think about Jesus all through the gospel, how gentle, loving, caring, concerned, compassionate, and patient He was.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

Even through his sternness moments, he can he exhibited those very qualities as well. So, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

He and we that's why I love it, says, Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Yes, he's right here with us, y'all. He's he doesn't leave us, he doesn't forsake us, he's always going to the Father for us. He's the most uh incredible Messiah and Christ and Emmanuel and Alpha and Omega. He is everything, he is always for us. Who can be against us when God is for us? But let's finish the scripture, verse six. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus. I'm gonna die. this a little bit. This is verse six and seven. Be anxious for what? Nothing. Remember Proverbs 3:5 through 6. You trust in the Lord with all your heart, which means you you trust Him with everything. Yes. You trust Him with everything. You do not lean on your you do not lean on what you think it looks like. Right. You go to God in prayer because I love this first part. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication. That's sending them up sending them up. What's in your heart, send it up. What's in your head, send it up, send it up, send it up. I believe that some people think Steve that God doesn't care about the little things. That you only have to give the really big things to him.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Alright no yeah well we've seen I've I know I've seen I've seen people in that mindset for sure.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

And that's why the scripture says be anxious for nothing but in everything. Right. Everything the little things the big things the gigantic things all of it nothing is nothing is too big or too small for God.

SPEAKER_02 23:17

He is your God created big and small.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Yes. And he is your provider he is your healer he is your deliverer. These are the things you have to get into your head they're all in this word God spoke this word for you and me. This is personal yes this Bible is building a relationship between you and God and whatever he shows you and whatever you learn from this word will use it for you to minister to other people but you gotta get it first said turn that down. Okay so let's continue in verse six dissecting it so be anxious for let's say it again nothing but in everything by prayer what do you pray about everything everything what do you worry about nothing before you worry you pray yes before you come up with your plan to fix something you pray right you don't go do your own thing first we learned that in Proverbs 3 5 through 6 yes you go to God in prayer about everything submit your supplications and who cares God doesn't care if you're an hour he doesn't care if you're pulling everything out of your heart out of your head all your ways because the bot Jesus said it deny yourself take up your cross and follow him you can't deny yourself and do things your own way because that's against God's word right then it says let your requests be made known to God y'all should be taken every moment of every day and submitting everything to God and then resisting the devil because he's a punk he's a stinky punk he doesn't have any hold over you Jesus defeated him at the cross no he likes when you worry and you're afraid and you try to do things on your own oh yeah that's the foothold right how many times have we seen that oh gosh countless countless when you give the devil a foothold he will take 10 miles sub come back submit to God resist the devil he will flee just come right back to God when you mess up when you do things on your own repent yep come back trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not on your own understanding seek his will and all you do he will direct your path come right back to Proverbs 35 through six come right back to Romans 1513 and call on the peace and the joy and the hope from God and then go into Philippians 4 and the peace of God there's that peace again which surpasses all understanding will guard will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Remember hello Philippians 4 your heart is all about emotions you have to train your heart to be all about word you the mind is supposed to transform the heart the heart wants to control the mind yes emotions are not your friends. No gosh no we operate in emotions right yes we get angry we get let down we get sad yeah we uh get afraid oh yeah and none of those are emotions that God wants us to be in agreed now when something happens and we get sad and we cry God wants us God says tears may come through the night but joy comes in the morning right because he heals you he bottles your tears your teal your tears are about healing but you can't stay there. And the only reason people get oppressed and depressed is because the enemy keeps them down. Oh yeah the enemy wants you to stay down and to not depend on Jesus Christ and not depend on the word but to depend on emotions oh yeah I I want to feel this way I'm entitled I deserve this and through that season yeah it's all about staying in word how do you trust God you stay in the word that's right you pray about everything absolutely you are not anxious about anything the more you pray over your home your wallet your children your loved ones your spouse the more you pray over them the more God hears you and he responds that's right he will never leave you hanging that's right so today is imperative in the world that we live in which is becoming very upside down chaos that's for sure confusing all devil terms yes that's all devils that that's all the devil's playground yep he is the author of lies he is the author of confusion oh gosh yes he is the author of adversity he is the author of manipulation yes and the minute you forget to submit to God resist the devil and he will flee the minute you let him in because you're worried afraid and fearful and anxious he will have a field day with you immediately get in Proverbs 3 5 through 6 take the journey we just did and go to Romans 1513 and then go to Philippians 4 4 through 7 and watch the peace come over you watch understanding God will impart right in you what he needs you to do he will give you a creative plan he will give you ideas that you know you could never thought of on your own because God is out of the box God is a problem solver he is the fixer that's right he is the way maker he is the miracle worker and he is the God who will provide don't ever give up on him go to him first Matthew 633 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else you need shall be provided to you so today we filled with script we filled this whole live and podcast with scripture absolutely because the Bible says where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and it also talks about the truth setting you free the truth is God's word you trust God by walking in truth don't sway from the Bible this should be with you everywhere you go meditate on it get it up here make your mind a biblical mind yes and your biblical mind will start transforming that heart that is evil and wicked sometimes oh yeah and it will take emotions and turn them into truth and turn them into your testimony and turn them into what God has done for you as you trusted him.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

So word prayer and truth God so the spirits the spirits putting on me I'm gonna give a little bit of a challenge to our listeners uh in this episode and as you meditate on those scriptures when you let the Lord speak to you through them reflect on what's going on in our world today. I'm not gonna get sp get specific on issues but just reflect on everything that's going on our going on in our world today and reference and with these scriptures of how much of that is either caused or influenced by the fact that people have stopped going to God and giving things to God. Now let the Spirit work on you however he needs to work on you with that question but I challenge you to put that in reflection and see where the Lord takes you with that and how much of that you can take up in prayer on those matters.

SPEAKER_01 32:34

And I'm gonna piggyback that because the Spirit's putting on my heart that we are called to be disciples for Christ. Yes. Christians cannot die out y'all if the Christians aren't professing word amen praying over parks and communities and and school systems and churches we aren't praying over the houses of the Lord and where our children are happy who else is praying for them that's right who else is speaking word out into the atmosphere which cuts through everything the devil's trying to do in this in this world everywhere in the world right now is always in the news every day. Every nation in the whole world is in the news every day. Oh yes and there are forces coming against God's word's people and God's truth and we as true Christians true Christians meaning we're not fence riders we walk talk live breathe word of truth that's right we allow the Holy Spirit to indwell in us Jesus Christ is in our heart we die to ourselves every day we take up our cross every day because we know we are a sacrifice for God down here. We are all called but few are chosen few are chosen because they don't want to walk the call to walk the call you have to be praying in word that's right telling truth speaking truth praying over areas claiming back land that belongs to God claiming back buildings that belong to God claiming back people that belong to God in the name of Jesus Christ we do all things in the name of the Lord we come in the name of the Lord. Yes we can't give up we are few and far between right now across the oceans true Christians need to rise up and come together. Amen and I know in our ministry we do a an international prayer call Wednesday nights y'all can join it's all over our pages. We do spiritual warfare classes on Thursday we're working to try to get them live so you guys can join us we do Bible study on Tuesday we're gonna work on getting that live so y'all can join us. We do church live on Sunday we're getting ready to go out with the RV we've got a a a blessing bus ministry on wheels because God said go out we were going to do the podcast there today but it's not quite ready for that we're gonna get it's all good it's all good. So I'm gonna end in prayer because this was really powerful and and don't you we are coming back oh yeah we are going to be back more with word prayer and truth because that is what we're called to do as true Christians as God soldiers as God's saints we are called God's saints which means holy one that's right because we're made in his image and likeness y'all and we need to take this seriously the reverential fear of God is reverently respecting God and taking him seriously taking his word seriously and knowing our part while we are in this place is to serve and glorify God through our mind body spirit through our actions through what we do to get the gospel of Jesus Christ out there. Right on and we are called to press in to persevere and to never give up on preaching teaching and being the gospel of Jesus Christ so thank you Father God for your precious word today. Thank you Lord thank you Lord that you made a way through the airwaves all over the world for us to speak truth for us to pray for us to come to you God we're with you right now you're right here in this truck we are with you now you are with all these people online God in the name of Jesus Christ we serve an ever living loving God you are with us you will never leave us you will never forsake us you God before us no one can be against us Lord we belong to you. Thank you Lord when we walk through the fires you are there we will not get quenched and burned when we walk through the high waters you will be there we will not drown we will not let the waves overtake us you are there so thank you Father God you are our joy you are our peace you are our hope you are our everything indeed indeed and we trust in you Lord with all of our heart thank you Lord we do not lead on our own understanding we seek your ways in all we do we seek your will in all we do and you will direct our path so thank you God you got us it shall be what you have decided declared and divinely put in our book of life it shall be in the name of Jesus Lord bless all these folks bless their finances bless their ministries raise others up to come on board with them send all provision in the name of Jesus Christ send the buildings needed send the food needed send the finances needed send the transportation needed keep them on the straight and narrow path always looking up because that is where our help comes from the Lord we will keep our eyes on the prize Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life no one comes to you except through him so thank you Jesus Christ Holy Spirit baptize us give us that fire make us radical true Christians transform us help us when we get worried to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and our requests we will send up to you and you will give us peace. So thank you Father God for truth and nothing but truth thank you for all of us being voices of truth for your purpose and your plan in the mighty name of Jesus Christ we all come together and say amen and hallelujah rejoice in the Lord always again we said we hope today's program helped grow your understanding help grow your closer relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ