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The Wisdom of God · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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I mentioned them in prayer there, how precious these words are.
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I just want to for a few moments just think on them.
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We've all been in situations, I'm sure, where all of a sudden our plans have been changed very quickly.
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Things happen and you're feeling nice and relaxed and prepared one minute,
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and suddenly something changes those plans and you're set into a panic.
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You can be all set to go away on holiday.
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You've got the car packed, you go out of the car, turn the key and nothing happens.
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There's a panic. What are you going to do?
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Or you're all set to go on a text come through from Calmark, ferries cancelled.
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Again, how often does that occur and our plans are changed?
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Again, we see so many people have had COVID recently.
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A COVID test changes your plans there and then.
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There are so many things that just come our way.
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Our best laid plans don't always work out.
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But are our plans the priority?
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Or whose plans are important?
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Surely it's not our own plans that so often take priority.
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But we lean towards that, don't we?
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And yet as we read in these words in verse 5 and 6 of Proverbs chapter 3,
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they're a great reminder to us of where our plans and our focus is always to be.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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Do not lean on your own understanding.
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In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.
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We need to be open to a change of plans.
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Things can change very quickly.
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And we saw that in our reading in Acts chapter 16 where we saw Paul and Timothy on their journey there.
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Their plans were being changed.
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Where they thought they were going, suddenly they weren't.
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The spirit of God stopped them in their tracks, changed their direction.
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And then in a vision God spoke to Paul about a call to Macedonia.
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Now Paul could easily have said, that's not the plans we have in mind.
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That's not where we're going.
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That's not what we're doing.
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What was important was that's what God wanted them to do.
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That's where God wanted them.
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Where he wanted them to go.
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And so we want to see for ourselves the importance of these words in verse 5 and 6.
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We're just going to go through them individually.
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Three different parts.
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Split them into three different parts.
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And see the wisdom of God in always listening to him.
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Somebody once said,
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Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.
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Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk.
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And when we think of that with ourselves and God,
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how often do we want to be the ones doing the talking to God?
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Telling him, this is our plans.
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This is what we're going to do.
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But wisdom is listening.
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And listening requires patience.
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So we look at these words.
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And we begin first of all with these words.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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This is where it begins.
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Trust in the Lord.
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Not in ourselves.
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Trust in the Lord.
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The creator of heaven and earth.
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The sustainer of our lives.
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The God who created all that we see around us.
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The God who made us in his own image.
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And the God who puts faith in our hearts by his grace.
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And yet we still think that we know better than him.
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No.
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He says,
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
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Samuel Rutherford once said,
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Duties are ours.
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Events are God's.
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When our faith goes to meddle with events
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and to hold account upon God's providence
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and begins to say,
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How will you do this or that?
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We lose ground.
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We have nothing to do there.
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We leave him to steer his own helm.
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There is nothing left for us
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but to see how we may be approved of him.
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How often are we guilty of that?
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Saying to God,
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How will you do this or that for us?
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Instead of just looking to God
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to steer his own helm.
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To steer the direction of our lives
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individually and collectively.
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That is trust.
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Trusting God to direct everything for us.
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His providence and his will are in his hands.
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But instead we so often seek our own will.
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When we think of relationships,
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whatever relationships they are,
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without trust,
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our relationship is doomed.
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If there is no trust in our relationship,
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where is it going to go?
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There is always going to be doubt,
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anxiety, fear, worries.
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And yet we are told here,
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Trust in the Lord.
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Because we can.
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We can depend on him,
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the one who won't leave us.
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Trust in God as we go about his business,
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as we go about all that we do
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in his name.
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And trust is very similar to faith.
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You could almost tie the two together.
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Trust in the Lord is the same thing.
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Have faith in the Lord.
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When you think of that great passage
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in Hebrews 11
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and all these people we read of there
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who by faith,
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by trust in God,
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lived their lives,
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went forward in life
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in circumstances
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where it seemed senseless.
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They could have easily said to God,
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what are you doing?
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By faith Noah built an ark
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in the middle of nowhere
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with no sign of rain or water.
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But he did it by trust,
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by faith that God knew what he was doing.
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And so many others,
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that you read in that passage
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and throughout scripture,
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they didn't know.
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They didn't know what was ahead
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or what they were doing sometimes.
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But they trusted God.
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They had faith in God.
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And that's what we are being told here,
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to trust in the Lord
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with all our heart,
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with all that we are.
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The wisdom of God's word.
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There was a well-off lady
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who was interested
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in the things of God.
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And she was searching her Bible
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for answers.
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She wasn't trusting
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in the Lord at this point,
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but she was showing an interest.
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And so she wrote a letter
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to her minister.
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And she wrote this letter saying,
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Will you put down in black and white
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what I am to believe?
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I have been told
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of so many different texts,
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she said,
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and there are so many
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that I'm confused.
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Please tell me one text
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and I will try and believe it.
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Well, the minister's reply was this.
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It's not one text
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more than another
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or any number of texts
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that saves.
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It's by trusting
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in a person,
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by trusting
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in the Lord Jesus Christ
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that we are saved.
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And we see
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the word of God before us.
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I'm sure
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this kind of text
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is a kind of text
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you see on
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so many walls and homes.
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Proverbs 3,
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verse 5 and 6.
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But we don't just trust
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in these words.
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We trust in the Lord
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of these words.
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Trust in the Lord
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with all your heart.
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And that's what we see
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Paul doing
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so often
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on his missionary journeys
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and in his life.
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Trusting in the Lord
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when change seems
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to come along.
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We don't see him asking,
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why?
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Why don't we do it this way?
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Why don't we do it another way?
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He goes
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where he's directed.
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And as a people
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that is what we are
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to be open to as well.
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Individually
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and collectively
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in our lives.
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To trust in the Lord
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with all
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our hearts.
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Trust him
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when dark doubts
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assail thee.
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Trust him
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when thy strength
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is small.
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Trust him
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when to simply
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trust him
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seems the hardest
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thing of all.
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Trust him
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he is ever faithful.
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Trust him
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for his will
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is best.
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Trust him
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for the heart
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of Jesus
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is the only
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place
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of rest.
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Trust
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in the Lord
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with all
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your heart.
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that's the first
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thing
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that we see
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here.
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The second
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thing is
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lean not
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on your
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own
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understanding.
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Lean not
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on your
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own
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understanding.
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And again
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the idea
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here is
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of being
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self
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reliant.
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I
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and I'm sure
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all of us
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would love
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to be able
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to say
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we're right
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all the time.
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I would love
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to be able
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to say
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to everyone
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look
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I've got
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the answer
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I know
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best
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but the
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reality is
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I don't
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you don't
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but collectively
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we can find
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the right
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answer
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with God.
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Lean not
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on your
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own
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understanding.
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We all
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have
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opinions.
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We all
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have opinions
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about
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anything
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and everything
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in this
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world.
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We all
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have
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something
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to say
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but they
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are just
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that
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our own
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opinions.
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And when we
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think of the
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situation that
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we're in
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just now
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a time
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of vacancy
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it's a
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time when
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we'll hear
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many different
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opinions.
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Who has
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the right
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answer?
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Can we look
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to one
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person
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here and
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say
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they've
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got the
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right
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answer?
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Well we
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don't want
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to lean
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on our
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own
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understanding.
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We don't
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want to
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lean on
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our own
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wisdom,
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our own
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opinions.
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We want
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to lean
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on the
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Lord.
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That's
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what the
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writer here
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is saying
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Solomon in
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his wisdom
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is saying.
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Lean not
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on your
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own
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understanding.
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The world
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has changed
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a lot since
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the days of
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Solomon or
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indeed the
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days of
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Paul.
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But what
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hasn't
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changed is
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that we
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need to
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hear what
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God is
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saying to
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us.
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Yet we
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hear so
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often things
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have changed.
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We've moved
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on.
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We've moved
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on from the
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dark ages of
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the Bible.
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We've got all
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this wisdom
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in our world
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now.
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We've got all
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this wisdom
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all around
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us.
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We don't
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need the
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wisdom of
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God.
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But in the
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many things
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that have
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changed,
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some things
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remain the
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same.
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people of
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fears and
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anxieties,
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a people who
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face joy and
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sorrows,
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a people who
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struggle with
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all kinds of
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sin,
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the needs
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that we
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have,
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the responsibilities
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that they
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bring upon
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us.
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All of
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these things
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remain the
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same.
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They haven't
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changed.
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So as you
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look at the
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Bible and
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you see God
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speaking to
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people 3,000
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years ago
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through Solomon
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or 2,000
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years ago
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through Paul,
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the people are
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still the same
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as ourselves.
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They're no
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different.
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We have
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the same
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issues.
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And in
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chapter 2,
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verse 1 of
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Proverbs,
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you see what
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is key to
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it all is
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about trusting
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in the
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word of
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God.
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My son,
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if you
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receive my
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words and
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treasure up
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my commandments
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with you,
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it begins
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there, this
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wisdom that
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is being
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imparted from
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God, the
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value of
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wisdom, and
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that we see
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built on us,
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you go on
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through the
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book of
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Proverbs.
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And these
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words, lean
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not on your
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own understanding.
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The word
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literally means
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to rest upon
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something, but
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you wait down
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on something,
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to make you
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think that this
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is going to
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hold me, this
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is going to
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keep me up.
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Well, our
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own understanding,
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our own
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wisdom, is
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not.
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but by the
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grace of
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God that he
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shows towards
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us, the
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one whose
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ways are
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above our
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ways and
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his thoughts
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are above
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our thoughts,
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he imparts
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wisdom to
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us.
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As the
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writer James
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says in the
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New Testament,
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if anybody
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lacks wisdom,
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let him ask
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God.
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And that
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ties in with
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just what we
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have here.
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Lean not
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on your own
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understanding.
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understanding.
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God is
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there.
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God is
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there to
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be lent
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upon.
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Our own
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understanding,
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our own
14:11
wisdom, will
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so often let
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us down.
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And you
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just have to
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look at
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Paul.
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When you
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read Paul's
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testimony in
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Acts chapter
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9, and
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throughout the
14:22
book of Acts,
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you see people
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talking about
14:24
Paul and the
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wisdom that
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he was perceived
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to have.
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But it was
14:29
worthless.
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He counted it
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as dung, he
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says in the
14:34
book of
14:34
Philippians.
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His own
14:36
understanding,
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leaning on his
14:38
own understanding,
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led him down a
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path of
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destruction and
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chaos.
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He was there
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destroying the
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church, destroying
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the Christians, out
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to pursue them and
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persecute them.
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But then the
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Lord intervened.
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And when you
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see what was
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happening then in
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Paul as he was
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converted, and
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as we read in
15:03
Acts chapter 16
15:04
in verse 5,
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this man who
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had persecuted
15:08
the Christians,
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it says in
15:10
Acts 16 verse 5,
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the churches
15:12
were strengthened
15:13
in the faith
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and grew daily
15:16
in numbers.
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Because no
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longer was he
15:19
leaning on his
15:20
own understanding,
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his own wisdom.
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He was leaning
15:23
upon the
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Lord.
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And it's
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always tempting
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of us to
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think we have
15:30
understanding,
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we have
15:32
wisdom.
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But let's not
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think so highly
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of ourselves.
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We must
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decrease,
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and he must
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increase.
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We must look
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to the Lord,
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lean on him
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and his ways,
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and wait
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upon him
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with patience
15:52
and with
15:53
prayer.
15:53
prayer.
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And thirdly,
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you see here
15:58
in verse 6,
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in all your
16:00
ways,
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acknowledge him
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and he
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will make
16:03
straight
16:04
your paths.
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There is
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this assurance,
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there is this
16:09
promise that
16:10
comes from
16:11
God.
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He will
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make straight
16:13
your paths.
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In all
16:17
your ways,
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acknowledge him.
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How do you
16:20
acknowledge God?
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How do you
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acknowledge God?
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Is it just
16:24
paying a token
16:25
gesture to him?
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Is it just by
16:28
turning up in
16:29
church?
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Is that
16:30
acknowledging God?
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It's more
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than that.
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It comes back
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to that wisdom
16:37
of listening,
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of not seeking
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to speak
16:41
first and have
16:42
the answers to
16:43
all of what
16:44
we see as the
16:45
important issues
16:46
in our church.
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It's about
16:47
listening.
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By acknowledging
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him, we
16:50
listen to
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his word.
16:52
We seek
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the guidance
16:54
of his
16:55
Holy Spirit.
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We wait
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upon him.
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Paul found
17:02
himself in
17:03
that situation
17:03
in Acts
17:04
chapter 16,
17:06
waiting
17:06
upon the
17:07
Lord.
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And he
17:09
found the
17:10
Lord directing
17:11
his path.
17:13
In Acts
17:13
16,
17:14
verse 10,
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when Paul
17:15
had seen
17:16
the vision,
17:18
immediately
17:18
we sought
17:20
to go
17:20
into
17:21
Macedonia,
17:22
concluding
17:23
that God
17:24
had called
17:24
us to
17:25
preach the
17:26
gospel to
17:27
them.
17:29
You see,
17:29
it wasn't
17:30
their idea.
17:33
It wasn't
17:33
this is our
17:34
understanding
17:35
of the
17:35
situation.
17:36
They concluded
17:37
that God
17:38
had called
17:39
them to
17:40
preach the
17:40
gospel to
17:41
them in
17:42
Macedonia.
17:43
the Lord
17:44
directed
17:45
their paths.
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And our
17:48
earnest prayer
17:49
at all
17:50
times would
17:51
be that the
17:51
Lord would
17:52
show us
17:53
his ways,
17:54
to show
17:55
us where
17:56
to go,
17:57
to show
17:57
us what
17:58
to do,
17:59
to tell
17:59
us what
18:00
to say.
18:04
In all
18:04
your ways
18:05
acknowledge
18:05
him and
18:06
he will
18:07
make straight
18:08
your paths.
18:08
This was
18:09
prayed
18:09
earlier.
18:11
When we
18:11
think even
18:12
of speaking
18:12
to people,
18:13
inviting
18:14
them to
18:14
church,
18:16
these words
18:17
tie in.
18:19
Trust in
18:20
the Lord
18:20
with all
18:21
your heart.
18:22
Trust in
18:22
the Lord
18:23
that he
18:23
will prepare
18:24
that person
18:25
you're wanting
18:26
to speak
18:27
to,
18:27
to invite
18:27
along.
18:28
That there
18:29
will be
18:29
an opening,
18:30
a door
18:30
opening for
18:31
you,
18:32
even before
18:32
you arrive.
18:35
Trust in
18:35
the Lord.
18:37
Don't lean
18:37
on your own
18:38
understanding.
18:40
Don't start
18:40
saying to
18:41
yourself,
18:42
they're never
18:42
going to
18:43
listen to
18:43
me.
18:44
They're going
18:45
to laugh
18:45
in my
18:45
face.
18:46
They're going
18:46
to turn
18:47
me away.
18:47
They're going
18:48
to rip
18:48
up the
18:48
invitation.
18:49
Don't lean
18:50
on your
18:50
own
18:51
understanding
18:52
of the
18:52
situation.
18:54
In all
18:55
your ways
18:56
acknowledge
18:56
him and
18:58
he will
18:59
direct
18:59
your paths.
19:02
There will
19:02
be times
19:03
when we
19:04
feel discouraged.
19:05
There will
19:06
be times
19:06
when we
19:07
meet a
19:07
closed
19:08
door.
19:11
Paul
19:11
made
19:12
these
19:12
things.
19:13
The
19:13
disciples
19:13
made
19:14
these
19:14
things.
19:15
But it
19:16
didn't
19:16
turn them
19:17
away.
19:17
It
19:17
didn't
19:17
turn
19:18
them
19:18
off
19:19
going
19:19
out
19:19
with
19:19
the
19:19
gospel.
19:20
They
19:20
continued
19:21
to
19:21
press
19:21
on.
19:23
And so
19:23
should
19:24
we.
19:25
To
19:25
press
19:26
on
19:26
because
19:26
we
19:26
have
19:27
the
19:27
glorious
19:28
gospel
19:28
of
19:29
Christ.
19:30
And when
19:31
we think
19:32
of the
19:32
amazing
19:33
ways
19:33
that the
19:34
Lord
19:34
directs
19:35
our
19:36
paths.
19:36
He's
19:37
done it
19:37
in the
19:37
past
19:38
to all
19:38
of you
19:38
I'm
19:39
sure.
19:40
Directed
19:40
your
19:41
paths
19:41
towards
19:42
the
19:42
Lord.
19:43
When
19:43
you
19:43
were
19:43
going
19:43
in
19:44
completely
19:44
the
19:45
opposite
19:45
direction.
19:46
Showing
19:47
you
19:47
his
19:47
wonderful
19:48
ways
19:49
that
19:49
he
19:49
works
19:49
to
19:50
bring
19:51
you
19:51
back
19:51
to
19:51
himself.
19:53
When
19:53
you
19:54
trust
19:54
in
19:55
the
19:55
Lord
19:55
with
19:56
all
19:56
your
19:56
heart.
19:56
When
19:56
you
19:57
lean
19:57
on
19:57
his
19:57
understanding.
19:59
When
19:59
you
19:59
acknowledge
19:59
him
20:00
he
20:01
directs
20:02
your
20:02
paths.
20:03
And
20:03
God
20:03
uses
20:04
remarkable
20:05
ways
20:06
to
20:06
remind
20:06
us
20:07
that
20:08
he
20:08
loves
20:08
us.
20:10
An
20:10
amazing
20:10
story
20:11
a man
20:11
on
20:11
the
20:11
west
20:12
side
20:12
once
20:12
told
20:13
me
20:13
of
20:14
his
20:14
days
20:14
in
20:14
the
20:14
Navy
20:15
during
20:15
the
20:15
Second
20:16
World
20:16
War.
20:17
He
20:18
was
20:18
on
20:18
a
20:18
destroyer
20:19
called
20:19
HMS
20:20
Lapwing.
20:21
And
20:21
he'd
20:22
been
20:22
on
20:22
it
20:22
for
20:22
a
20:23
while.
20:24
He
20:24
was
20:24
part
20:24
of
20:24
the
20:24
crew
20:25
but
20:25
he
20:25
was
20:25
granted
20:26
leave
20:26
to
20:27
go
20:27
home
20:27
in
20:28
March
20:28
1945
20:29
as
20:31
he
20:31
was
20:31
told
20:31
his
20:32
mother
20:32
was
20:32
gravely
20:33
ill.
20:34
And
20:34
so
20:34
he
20:34
left
20:35
that
20:35
destroyer
20:36
and
20:36
he
20:36
made
20:36
his
20:36
journey
20:37
back
20:38
home
20:38
to
20:39
the
20:39
west
20:39
side.
20:41
And
20:41
what
20:41
did
20:41
he
20:41
find
20:41
when
20:42
he
20:42
got
20:42
home?
20:43
His
20:44
mother
20:44
was
20:44
not
20:44
ill
20:45
at
20:45
all.
20:46
She
20:46
was
20:46
up
20:47
and
20:47
about
20:47
quite
20:48
healthy
20:49
quite
20:49
strong.
20:50
And
20:50
he
20:51
couldn't
20:51
understand
20:52
what
20:53
had
20:53
happened.
20:53
How
20:53
this
20:53
message
20:54
had
20:54
been
20:55
communicated
20:55
that
20:56
she
20:56
was
20:56
gravely
20:57
and he
20:57
was
20:57
to
20:57
go
20:58
home
20:58
only
20:59
to
20:59
find
20:59
this
20:59
was
21:00
the
21:00
situation.
21:02
After
21:02
a few
21:02
days
21:03
at
21:03
home
21:03
he
21:03
left
21:04
to
21:04
go
21:04
back
21:05
to
21:05
rejoin
21:05
his
21:06
ship
21:06
once
21:06
it
21:06
would
21:06
come
21:07
back
21:07
into
21:07
port.
21:09
The
21:09
thing
21:10
was
21:10
the
21:10
ship
21:11
never
21:11
returned
21:12
to
21:12
port.
21:13
Since
21:14
the
21:14
time
21:14
that
21:15
he
21:15
left
21:15
it
21:15
it
21:16
had
21:16
been
21:16
torpedoed
21:17
on
21:18
a
21:18
Russian
21:18
convoy
21:19
run.
21:19
it
21:20
had
21:20
sank
21:21
and
21:22
158
21:23
men
21:23
were
21:23
lost.
21:24
Only
21:25
61
21:25
survived.
21:28
He
21:28
wasn't
21:29
a
21:29
professing
21:30
Christian
21:30
at
21:30
the
21:30
time
21:31
but
21:32
it
21:32
spoke
21:33
to
21:33
him
21:33
of
21:34
the
21:35
Lord's
21:35
protection
21:36
over
21:36
him
21:36
and
21:38
it
21:38
spoke
21:38
to
21:38
him
21:39
in
21:39
a
21:39
powerful
21:39
way
21:40
that
21:40
he
21:40
came
21:41
to
21:41
give
21:41
his
21:41
life
21:42
to
21:42
Christ.
21:44
His
21:44
mother
21:44
lived
21:45
for a
21:45
number
21:45
of
21:45
years
21:46
after
21:46
the
21:46
war
21:46
and
21:46
he
21:47
himself
21:47
lived
21:48
until
21:48
he
21:48
was
21:48
over
21:49
a
21:49
hundred
21:49
and
21:50
he
21:50
served
21:51
the
21:51
Lord
21:51
in
21:52
a
21:52
strong
21:53
faith
21:53
all
21:54
his
21:54
days.
21:56
The
21:56
Lord
21:56
used
21:57
a
21:58
remarkable
21:58
situation
21:59
a
21:59
tragic
22:00
situation
22:00
to
22:01
remind
22:02
him
22:02
of
22:02
his
22:03
protection
22:03
over
22:04
him
22:05
and
22:06
he
22:06
came
22:07
to
22:07
trust
22:08
in
22:08
the
22:08
Lord
22:08
with
22:09
all
22:10
his
22:10
heart
22:10
and
22:11
God
22:11
uses
22:12
different
22:12
ways
22:13
and
22:13
different
22:13
means
22:14
to
22:14
bring
22:14
us
22:14
to
22:15
put
22:15
our
22:15
trust
22:16
in
22:16
the
22:16
Lord
22:17
and
22:18
to
22:18
strengthen
22:18
our
22:19
trust
22:20
in
22:20
the
22:20
Lord.
22:21
It's
22:21
not
22:21
just
22:21
about
22:21
a
22:22
moment
22:22
of
22:23
trust
22:23
it's
22:24
a
22:24
lifetime
22:25
of
22:26
trust
22:26
an
22:27
ongoing
22:28
trust
22:29
day
22:30
by
22:30
day
22:31
living
22:31
for
22:32
the
22:32
Lord
22:33
today
22:34
tomorrow
22:35
the day
22:36
after
22:37
all our
22:37
days
22:38
these
22:38
words
22:39
speak
22:40
to
22:40
us
22:40
Proverbs
22:42
is a
22:43
book
22:43
of
22:43
wisdom
22:44
and
22:46
there's
22:46
none
22:46
of
22:46
us
22:46
who
22:47
have
22:47
all
22:47
the
22:47
answers
22:48
there's
22:49
none
22:50
of
22:50
us
22:50
who
22:50
know
22:50
the
22:51
best
22:51
way
22:51
to
22:51
go
22:52
forward
22:52
but
22:54
the
22:54
Lord
22:54
does
22:55
and
22:56
that's
22:56
what
22:56
we're
22:57
being
22:57
encouraged
22:57
to
22:58
do
22:58
in
22:58
these
22:58
words
22:59
and
22:59
when
22:59
we
23:00
see
23:00
the
23:00
likes
23:00
of
23:00
Paul
23:01
in
23:02
that
23:02
call
23:02
to
23:02
Macedonia
23:03
to
23:03
preach
23:04
the
23:04
gospel
23:04
there
23:05
this
23:06
is
23:07
where
23:07
it
23:07
comes
23:07
from
23:08
trust
23:09
in
23:09
the
23:10
Lord
23:10
with
23:10
all
23:11
your
23:11
heart
23:11
do
23:12
not
23:12
lean
23:12
on
23:13
your
23:13
own
23:13
understanding
23:14
in
23:15
all
23:15
your
23:15
ways
23:16
acknowledge
23:16
him
23:17
and
23:17
he
23:18
will
23:19
make
23:19
straight
23:20
your
23:20
paths
23:21
well
23:22
may
23:22
the
23:23
Lord
23:23
the
23:24
same
23:24
Lord
23:24
of
23:25
Proverbs
23:26
be
23:27
our
23:27
Lord
23:28
to
23:28
lead
23:29
us
23:29
and
23:29
to
23:29
guide
23:30
us
23:30
in
23:31
his
23:31
paths
23:32
we're
23:33
going
23:33
to
23:33
conclude
23:34
by
23:35
singing
23:35
to
23:37
God's
23:37
praise
23:37
in
23:38
Psalm
23:38
143
23:39
to