5. Trust Not: Vanity, Flesh, Nor Riches! Psalm 62:9-10

Text: “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”

Psalm 62:10.

Good morning, Spiritually strong Christian ‘waiter’!  You and I are Spiritually strong, when at all times we confess to the Lord God that we are so utterly weak in the flesh.  When we humble ourselves before the Almighty Lord God as we should, it is His strength that fully sustains our warfare for Christ in this sinful world.  Hallelujah!  In Christ, we have Victory!

“And lest I should be exalted above all measure through the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He (The Lord God) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Strong Christian ‘waiters’ are strong in the power of the Holy Ghost alone, we have no Supernatural power of our own, merely a natural fleshy power that is of no use to the Lord in seeking to do Spiritual warfare with the world, the flesh, and the Devil.  If we are not endued with power from Above, we can do nothing in Christ’s service as those who seek to ‘wait’ upon the souls of other sinners with the Gospel of God’s free and Sovereign grace.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses (‘waiters’) unto Me, both in Jerusalem, and in al Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The promises and instructions from God’s Word are just as totally relevant to true Christian believers today as they were when the Lord breathed them into the hearts/minds of His people in Old and New Testament times.  Claim God’s promises back to Him in fervent prayer.  He will hear and grant your petitions, yet at all times according to His own Sovereign will and Eternal purpose.  Wow!  What a gracious Lord God and Saviour we have in Christ Jesus!

“For all the promises of God IN HIM (Christ Jesus) are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”  (2 Corinthians 1:20)

What this verse of Holy Scripture is clearly teaching us today is that, IF we are ‘…in Him…’, in Christ Jesus, then all God’s promises in our Bibles are ‘…Yea (or Yes)’ when we ask the Lord God for them in the correct motivation – to honour Christ Jesus our Saviour and Lord, and to further His Kingdom upon earth to His Glory.  Are YOU and I asking today?

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh (asks, and continues to ask) receiveth (receives, and continues to receive); and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened… How much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him?”  (Matthew 7:7-11)

Therefore, on the subject of Christian trust, it is clear for us to see that, if we do NOT trust the Lord, we will not ask anything from Him; if we do not ask anything from Him, it proves to ourselves that we still do not trust Him and need to revisit the validity of our Eternal Salvation to check if we are truly ‘born again’, Spiritually regenerated, children of God.

Trust Not Vanity:  All that is not the Lord God, is not to be fully trusted.  All any less than trusting in the Lord God is sheer vanity – useless trusting in the undependable vanities of sinful flesh, riches, or natural oppression.  Trusting in God alone requires saving faith.

“In a word, trust in God is that high act of exercise of faith whereby the soul, looking upon God and casting itself on His goodness, power, promises, faithfulness, and providence, is lifted up above carnal fears and discouragements; above perplexing doubts and disquietments; either for the obtaining and continuance of that which is good, or for the preventing or removing of that which is evil.  (Thomas Lye, 1621-1684, in ‘The Morning Exercise at Cripplegate’)

If we, as would-be Christian ‘waiters’, are to be in any small manner successful in our service to Christ and to other souls for Christ – we have to be living in a manner that PLEASES the Lord God.  Our own children receive more from us when they are living in a manner that is pleasing unto us as parents – there is little difference when desiring to have our petitions before the Lord God Almighty, we have to be trying to live in obedience to His will, and this takes the vital exercise of true Christian FAITH.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he/she that cometh to God must believe that He is (that God actually exists!), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:1;6)

“Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before Him: God is a Refuge for us.”  (Psalm 62:8)

Trust in God: “According to our love, so is our faith and trust in God; and according to our trust, such is our freedom at the throne of grace.  Trust in Him and pour out your hearts before Him; pour them out like water, in joyful tears.  For when the stone in the heart is melted by mercy, the eyes will issue like a fountain of tears.”  (Samuel Lee 1625-1691)

Trust Not in Flesh:  I, personally, love the line in the Christian Hymn ‘Stand Up For Jesus’, which teaches us who sing it, ‘The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own…’.  There are no truer words, dear Christian friend, if, like the author, you have lived a life that has called for and saw much violence – prior to being graciously saved by King Jesus.  So often we are sorely tempted to try to promptly subdue aggressors and those seeking to torment our souls by Satanic oppressions.  Yet, as soon as we would succumb to such fleshy measures to subdue our tormentors – our Christian witness for the Master suffers ridicule.  No!  Trusting in our own flesh to work out problems with worldlings is a definite mistake.  The Sovereign Lord God Jehovah has His own way of dealing with those who oppress ‘His people’, and God is NOT MOCKED.  “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Trust Not in Riches: Verse 10. “…If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. To bow an immortal spirit to the constant contemplation of fading possessions is extreme folly.  Shall those who call the Lord their glory, glory in yellow earth?  Shall the image and superscription of Caesar deprive them of communion with Him Who is the image of the invisible God?  As we must not rest in men, so neither must we repose in money.  Gain and fame are only so much foam of the sea.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 273)

Thought:  Christian ‘waiters’ can only be strong and fruitful if we are fully trusting in the Lord God alone to empower us, direct us, protect us, and to make us prevail.