WHO TO TRUST?

PROVERBS 18:10-12

Nestled within the Cheyenne mountain is the world's biggest fallout shelter, a $143 million subterranean complex that serves as NORAD command post and the ABM headquarters. The facility rests beneath 1,500 feet of granite that is designed to give NORAD a bombproof, fast-reacting headquarters that could "button-up" from the rest of the world and coordinate a war for 30 days. About 750 men divided into 11 separate steel buildings would call the shots under the direction of the President. Information from the $1 billion radar systems that feed into the mountains 14 computers would provide the decisive information on how to run World War III.

Now for the rest of the people living in the United States, as of March 1977, there were 232,574 fallout shelters ready for use in a nuclear emergency, give or take a few. These shelters can provide protection for around 230 million people. These facilities consist of big downtown buildings, mines, caves and tunnels. Nearly all are stocked with food, water, medical equipment, sanitation kits and devices to measure the level of radioactivity inside and out. The problem is that if the sirens were to blast out their warning for the people to go into these structures, only 26% of the population would know where to go!

There are many problems with these things, the first being that those in charge can only effectively run a war, guide our weapons for a limited amount of time. Maybe because any longer would be of no value since the earth would be wiped out by this nuclear holocaust. Another issue is that most people don't know where they should run to in times of trouble, they don't knowwhere to go for safety. Also, when they leave these shelters, will there be anything left for them to go to or will it just be a barren waste land?

As I prayed about this study I saw a very interesting comparison between how people prepare for a nuclear attack and how they prepare to meet their Maker, where they run to in times of trouble.

Solomon, in Proverbs chapter 18, deals with this issue, this very important issue. And like a nuclear attack, this too is a matter of life or death in the eternal realm. It truly is a matter of survival. And so let's pick up our story in Proverbs chapter 18, beginning in verse 10.

PROVERBS 18:10-12

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

The rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility.

In this portion of Scripture we see 2 types of people. One who runs into the arms of the Lord for protection and one who trusts in riches to protect him. One who is of a humble spirit the other of a proud spirit. And so this morning we are going to examine these 2 types of people and see what lessons we can glean from them.

1. SAFETY IN THE LORD- PROVERBS 18:10, 12b

It truly does matter where you place your faith. If the object of your faith is not able to accomplish that which you are trusting it to do, then your faith is empty. For instance, if I made a beautiful cardboard box for my bomb shelter, you would think I was a nut and hopefully had my life insurance policy paid up, for I was going to need it! And understand this, it doesn't matter how much faith I have in that box to protect me from the blast, it is not going to be able to withstand the pressure, the heat, and I will die! That is just a foolish faith I would have.

But if the object of my faith can accomplish that which I am trusting it to do, then my faith is real and not foolish. It is as Paul tells us regarding Abraham and his faith in God to give him a son even when he and his wife were well passed the years of child bearing. In Romans chapter 4 we are told "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore 'it was accounted to him for righteousness.'" Romans 4:19-22.

Notice Abraham's faith. Even though from a human perspective this was impossible, he believed in the God of possibilities, and what God had promised him he knew He was fully able to accomplish. And when Isaac was born, Abraham's faith was increased even more as he saw his faith become a reality. It is as Corrie Ten Boom said, "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

In a world that seems to be moving too fast for us to keep up with. In a world were hurt, pain, suffering, temptation, tragedy, hopelessness, and-so-on, are a daily occurrence. It is easy to become overwhelmed and just give up. And when that happens we get depressed, discouraged and distance ourselves from people and from God. Have you ever been there, I have.

The exciting thing that Solomon is showing us is that we have a place we can run to for safety. You see, it is not some cave that is difficult to find. It is not some secret that only the learned can find out. It is not so common that it blends in with the rest of the world. It doesn't cost you anything to enter into it, all you must do is receive it by faith. You see, our only safety is in the Lord and He is our strong tower in whom we can run to for safety, comfort, protection, rest, and-so-on.

Now a tower was a place that was high on the wall in which the enemy's could not shoot, their arrows would not reach. It sat way above the battle that was below. And here Solomon is telling us that "The name of the LORD is a strong tower..." Back in those days a name was very important, it often was an indication of a persons character or some peculiar quality. And the name of the LORD speaks of all that He is. It speaks of His attributes, His mercy, His love, His grace, His power, His lovingkindness, and-so-on. In fact, in Exodus 3:14 we read "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And He said, 'Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" The phrase "I AM" speaks of God being the "becoming one," whatever we need Him to become for us. If we need salvation He becomes our salvation. If we need peace, He is our peace. If we need healing, He becomes our healer. If we need righteousness, He is our righteousness, and-so-on.

You see, our safety is found in God Himself. It is amazing how many places people run to when they are in trouble, when the Lord is standing alone, as a strong tower, and compelling people to come to Him for safety. Think of it like this, man is drowning in a sea of sin with no hope of survival on his own. It doesn't matter how good a swimmer he is, how long he can tread water, he will finally succumb to its grip and drown in his sin. But God is standing there ready to rescue all who come to Him, to pull them out of that mire and place their feet upon the solid ROCK!

Remember when Peter was addressing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious leaders, he told them "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12. I don't care how sincere you are in your beliefs, if you think you can obtain salvation outside of Christ, you are dead wrong. There is no other name that we can call upon to be saved except Jesus Christ. Sin has separated us from God, Jesus has brought or restored that relationship with God as He has become the mediator, the bridge-builder between God and man. Thus, as we accept Him as Lord and Savior of our life, His righteousness is imputed to us, our sins are forgiven, they have been paid in full by Christ on the cross of Calvary, and thus, we can have fellowship with God.

That truly is the fist step, believing on Christ for your salvation, but it does not end there. I don't know about you, but for me, this has been one of the most difficult years I have had since I become a Christian. In fact, without Christ I would be in deep trouble right now. At times it seems like the pressure is so intense that I am going to explode, but at some point, hopefully before I explode, I come back to the fact that the Lord is my strong tower, my place of safety, my comfort.

It doesn't necessarily mean things got easier or the trials and tribulations went away, it just means that He will carry me through those times, He will lead me, and if I rest in Him, cast my cares upon Him, I can enjoy that peace that surpasses all understanding, all human understanding, for it is a peace that comes from God.

Listen to what David said in Psalm 56:3-4. We read "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" Have you ever been afraid? Of course you have, just as I have. The key is who you put your trust in when you are afraid. When my wife was a little girl she was separated from her mom after a church service, and in her anxiousness, she saw someone that looked like her mom, dressed like her mom, and ran up to her placing her hand in this woman's hand, for she was afraid to be alone. And as she grabbed this woman's hand, the comfort she thought she would find became very empty, in fact it only brought more fear, for this was not her mother. That fear was resolved a few moments later, as she cried out for her mom, and she heard her voice and came to her side. It was then that the fear she had was resolved for she had now placed her hand in the person who loved her, and in that was peace.

That is so true with us today. That fear, that anxiety will not be resolved until we place our trust in the Lord, the only one who can truly help us. I can't help you, I can only point you to Jesus, the one that can help. David put his trust in the Lord and His Word, and then that fear that began to grow was resolved as he placed his life into the hands of God. Truly that is all that I am doing as I teach you the Word of God, pointing you back to Jesus through His Word.

Now some of you might be thinking that David had it pretty easy, he was a king, what problems could he have compared to what I am going through? Don't be foolish. Paul told us in Romans 15:4 "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." So what comfort can we find in David? What hope can we find as we look at his life? Understand this, Psalm 56 was born out of a terrifying and deadly situation. David was on the run from king Saul and found himself totally exposed to another enemy, the Philistines. He fled there to hid from Saul and they recognized David as their enemy. Talk about being in the midst of a trial with the enemy all around you, and David was fearful UNTIL he placed his trust, his life in the Lord. And we must do the same. Thus, towards the end of this Psalm David was able to say "When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Psalm 56:9-11.

Another important issue is our attitude before God. You can't and you won't come before Him in a haughty or prideful spirit, you will not see your need for Him. You must come to Him in humility, with a humble spirit. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:3. We read "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." That is a brokeness of heart realizing that without Christ we are lost in our sins.

It is when we humbly come before God that He will lift us up, that He will become our strong tower, a place of safety from the enemy. Let me share with you the mistake that I have made, one of many in my life, and had to learn the hard way. You can get so busy doing the work of God that you leave God out of the work. Now that may seem hard to do, but let me tell you from experience, it is very easy to do.

I spend a lot of time preparing for Thursday and Sunday studies because I want to be prepared and impart to you those things that will help you in your walk with the Lord, as they have helped me. I am also busy with other administrative things besides the other things I do outside of the church. I am busy just as you are busy. And if you look at what I am doing, it all looks good, it is important, except I forgot one thing, THE LORD! My quiet time with the Lord was suffering and when that suffers it seems like the problems of life get overwhelming or out of control. At least they did for me. What happened?

Instead of spending time with the Lord, my strong tower, I was trying to do it on my own. And you know what I find out? I CAN'T! And you know what? NEITHER CAN YOU! If you are feeling overwhelmed, don't end this day without taking some quiet time with the Lord, allowing Him to speak to you, comfort you, encourage you, direct you, and-so-on. Maybe go for a walk alone with the Lord. Or turn off the phone and find a quiet place, and spend some time with Him. Make this a pattern for your life. Yes the work is important, but not as important as our relationship is with the Lord.

In II Samuel chapter 22, David gives us a Psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord for delivering him from the hand of Saul and from the hand of his enemies. Now before we look at a few verses of this Psalm, let me as ask you this. Were all of David's enemies defeated? Did David not battle any more enemies after this point? Of course he did. Of course there were enemies. Then what is David saying? Basically, he gave his life into the hands of God, trusting in the Lord completely, and in his mind the enemy was already defeated by God, and he rested in that fact!

Lets just look at a few verses here in II Samuel chapter 22, beginning in verse 2. We read...

And he said: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. 'When the waves of death surrounded me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support...For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places...The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation! It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. He is the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore." II Samuel 22:2-19, 32-34, 47-51.

2. DESTRUCTION IN RICHES- PROVERBS 18:11, 12a

Notice the vast contrast in these two people. Those who trust in the Lord do not trust in themselves. Those that don't trust in the Lord trust in their own riches, they trust in their own strength to deliver them from trouble. They build this high wall of protection out of frail flesh and in the end it is destroyed and consumed. You see, it is as Solomon said in Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."

And yet, they are very haughty, prideful, even though judgment, their destruction is coming quickly. Think about this for a minute. Just before God brought judgment upon the world by a flood, we are told "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away..." Matthew 24:38-39. Before God brought judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah they continued in their wickedness, their obscene lifestyle, living in a haughty spirit, up until the very moment that judgment was poured out. Many today are doing the very same thing. Running around like they are in control and they don't even recognize that judgment is at the door.

The other issue is this. If you really think money, possessions, positions will protect you, then you truly are a fool. It is as Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

When the money is gone, when the possessions are gone, when the positions are gone, when your health is gone, what are you left with? Absolutely nothing outside of Christ. You are bankrupt! When the money is gone, when the positions are gone, when the possessions are gone, when your health is gone, what are you left with in Christ? EVERYTHING!

You see, this world is quickly passing away, and the lusts that are found in it, and yet those in Christ will live forever. This world is not our home, our citizenship is in heaven and the kingdom we are building is the kingdom of God. Don't build up for yourself and earthly kingdom, and earthly treasure that will not last a lifetime. Build peoples lives, spread the good news of Christ, rest in the Lord.

It seems today that people are running to and fro to seek help, to seek counsel for the troubles they are in. The problem is they run to people who are fools. Now I don't want to offend anyone, and I know that is a harsh statement, and probably not politically correct, but when have you known me to be politically correct? In Proverbs 18:2 we read "A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart." You see, they speak out of the imagination of their own heart and that makes them a fool. God wants us to speak according to His Word, and that makes us wise. Again in Proverbs we read "The thoughts of the righteous are right, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. The words of the wicked are, 'Lie in wait for blood,' But the mouth of the upright will deliver them." Proverbs 12:5-6.

Our thoughts aren't right because what we say is right but because they are in line with the Word of God. On the other hand, outside of God's Word is deceitful counsel that does not rescue anyone but in the end it will destroy them. It is only the counsel of God that can truly deliver people from the bondage that they are in, the trouble they are in. So why give people empty words when you can give them the Words of God that are life changing!

Think of it like this. If the enemy has surrounded you, pressing in upon you on every side, where are you going to run to for safety, for protection? Are you going to go to a fortress made of weak, destructible flesh, the strength of man? Or are you going to run to our strong tower, the Lord, a place of safety and comfort that can't be destroyed, and is not weak?

It sounds so easy now, of course you are going to run to the Lord. But when the battle rages on, for some reason, we trust in the arm of flesh more often then we do in the arm of God, and the results are devastating. Run to the Lord for safety, as David said in Psalm 31:1-5. We read "In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name's sake, Lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." God is our Rock, our foundation and He is our fortress, a sound structure for protection that can redeem us out of the various situations of life.

As one dear old lady entered the sanctuary, one of the ushers asked her, "How far down do you want to sit?" She answered him, "All the way, I'm very tired this morning!" Maybe some of you feel that way, you are very tired, very frustrated, and God is working in you, allowing you to see the hopelessness of trusting in self or trusting in the strength of man. But until you rest in Him, you won't know the peace you are missing, that peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Do you know what the middle verse of the Bible is? It is found in Psalm 118:8 and it says "It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man." May we learn that lesson, for that is how God wants us to live, to put our trust in Him, rest in Him, and allow Him to strengthen us. As Solomon said:

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."