When you have no investment in life,
you have no determination to live. Your life is past, present
and future, divided by transition. You invested in your past to
be where you are now, and you are investing now which determines
where you will be in the future.
Invest: to spend
or devote for advantage or benefit
Determination:
to decide or settle conclusively and authoritatively
When things are handed to us without
any investment they
usually have very little value to them—consequently, we don’t determine to keep them as we
should.
God invested everything He had in
you. That is why He is
determined that you will not fail. The disciples invested their
lives for Christ, therefore they were willing to die for
Him.
A test is always the result of an
investment. We often
say “you can trust me,” but biblically, trust is reserved for God,
not us. The scripture
teaches us to love one another, for love covers a multitude of
letdowns. Therefore,
trust God, love people.
It’s not, “you can trust
me.” but “you can test
me.” When God invests,
He tests.
Ex. 20:20—Moses said
to people, “Do not be afraid, God has come to test you so that the
fear of God will be with you to keep you from
sinning.”
Deut. 8:2—Remember
how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty
years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in
your heart, whether or not you would keep His
commands.
1 Chron. 29:17—I
know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with
integrity. All these
things have I given willingly and with honest intent, and now I have
seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to
you.
Ps. 26:2—Test me, O
Lord, and try me.
T
Take an inventory
R
Recognize God as your source
U
Understand God’s principles
S
Surrender everything to God
T
Trust God’s promises
Principles of
Trust
1. The Cheerful Attitude
Principle: 2
Cor. 9:6-7—Remember this, whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will
also reap generously.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver.
Stewardship begins with loving, not giving. Love asks, “How much can I
give.” Legalism asks,
“How little can I
give.”
2. The Big Shovel
Principle: Luke
6:38—Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your
lap, for with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you. “You
use.” You set the
standard by which you receive.
3. The River
Principle: A river
gives 5 outlets of power.
a) Through our life—what we are. b) Through our lips—what we
say. c) Through our
ministry—what we give.
d) Through our
money—what we give.
e) Through our
prayer—what we claim in Jesus’ name.
Characters of
Trust
1. Noah: Gen. 7:6—And Noah did according to all the Lord commanded
him. A
test is always the result of an investment. What investment? Trusting God and building
the Ark when there was no
rain.
2. Abraham: Gen. 22.1—Sometime later, God tested Abraham. Vs 12—“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Do not do anything to
him. Now I know that
you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your
only son.” A
test is always the result of an investment. What investment? Abraham was willing to
sacrifice his Son, knowing God would raise him up from the
grave. Jehovah Jirah—my
provider.
3. David vs. Goliath: 1Sam: 17-39—I cannot fight with these, for I have not tested
them. A test is
always the result of the investment. What investment? To be king, with a sling, a
stone and a song.
Trust Test with the
Tithe
There is only one place in the Bible
where God says, “Test me.”
Mal. 3:8-12—Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, “How do we rob
You?” In tithes and
offerings. You are
under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing
me. Bring the whole
tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. “Test me in this,” says the
Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of
heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room
enough for it.” I’ll
prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your
fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. Then all the nations will
call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord
Almighty. He
will provide for us (vs. 10).
Your tithe, the first 10th before
everything else, goes to the church, your offering—over and
above—is your choice.
You Can Trust Him!! He’s the one who
made us. It is He who
made us and not we ourselves.
The heavens declare the Glory of God. No means of measure can
define His limitless love, and no farseeing telescope can bring into
visibility, the coastline of His shoreless supply. You Can Trust Him!!
No barrier can hinder Him from pouring out
his blessings. He is
enduringly strong and He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally
steadfast. He’s
gracious, He’s powerfully and impartially merciful. He’s the greatest phenomenon
that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He is the sinners’
Savior! He’s the
centerpiece of civilization.
You Can Trust Him!!
He doesn’t have to call for help, and you
can’t confuse him. He
doesn’t need you or me.
He stands alone in the solitude of Himself. He’s unique, unprecedented,
supreme, and preeminent.
He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest
personality in philosophy.
He’s the supreme problem of higher criticism. He’s the miracle of the
age. He’s everything
good that you can call Him.
You Can Trust
Him!!
He can satisfy all your needs. He supplies strength for the
weak. He’s available
for the tempted and the tried.
He sympathizes and He sees. He guards and He
guides. He heals the
sick, He cleansed the leper.
He forgives sinners.
He discharges debtors.
He delivers the captives. You Can Trust
Him!!
He defends the people. He blesses the young. He regards the aged. He rewards the
diligent. He beautifies
the meek. He is the key
to knowledge. He’s the
wellspring of wisdom.
He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the path of peace. He’s the roadway of
righteousness. He’s the
highway of holiness.
He’s the gateway to glory. You Can Trust
Him!!
He’s the master of the mighty. He’s the capturer of
conquerors. He’s the
head of heroes. He’s
the leader of legislators.
He’s the overseer of the overcomers. He’s the governor of
governors. He’s the
prince of princes. He’s
the King of Kings. He’s
the Lord of Lords. You Can Trust
Him!!
His promise is sure. His life is matchless. His goodness is
limitless. His mercy is
everlasting. His love
never changes. His word
is enough. His grace is
sufficient. His reign
is righteousness. His
yoke is easy. His
burden is light. I WISH
I COULD DESCRIBE HIM TO YOU!!
He’s indescribable, because He is incomprehensible. He’s irresistible, because
He’s invincible. You
can’t get Him off your hands.
You can’t get Him off your mind. You can’t outlive Him. You can’t live without
Him. Pilate could not
find any fault in Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him,
and the grave couldn’t hold Him. He has no predecessor. He’ll leave no
successor. You can’t
impeach Him and He’s not going to resign. You Can Trust
Him!!
He’s alpha and omega, beginning and the
end. First and
last. He’s the giver of
life. He’s the joy out
of every sorrow. He’s
the light of every darkness.
He’s the peace that passes all understanding. He’s the giver of every
perfect gift. There’s
no god before Him.
There will be none after Him. He is the first, the
last. There is no other
god. You Can Trust
Him!!
