How To Trust in the Lord and Avoid Trouble
“No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble” Proverbs 12:21.
This verse tells us that nothing bad happens to the righteous. But the paradox is this: Being righteous, doing the right thing, doing things God’s way often looks like it will in fact result in harm and/or loss.
Obedience Looks Like a Threat to Our Well-Being
Obedience looks like a threat to our well-being. And, in fact, unless God intervenes, and causes the situation to work for our good, it will be.
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Giving 10% of our income to the church or giving to the less fortunate when we can barely make ends meet ourselves looks like a threat to our well-being. And unless God comes along and helps us, it will be.
Not insisting on justice for ourselves when we are treated unfairly certainly looks like we are putting ourselves at risk. If someone has stolen something from you, to not demand it back and seek compensation sure seems like a loss.
But Jesus tells us explicitly that if someone takes something from us, we should not demand it back (Luke 6: 30). We simply must trust that the Lord will take care of us.
How to Trust in the Lord in Spite of the Threat
And as long as we express trust by doing what’s right in spite of the threat, He will intervene and deliver us from the threat of harm. And work the situation in our favor.
On the other hand, the second part of our verse in proverbs tell us “the wicked are filled with trouble“. This is also a paradox, because the reason wicked people sin is to avoid trouble and get what they want. But the opposite occurs instead.
That’s because they walk by sight and not faith. And don’t take into account the unseen realm which is at least as real as the one we can see.
For example, let’s say because of a financial shortfall, I choose not to acknowledge the Lord by giving my tithe. My natural logical mind tells me this is what makes sense.
The problem is that because I’m not trusting the Lord, He’s not obligated to intervene in my behalf by keeping my car from breaking down. Or by keeping me healthy so I don’t have to go to the doctor. Or by causing me to find things on sale when I go shopping.
These kinds of unexpected expenses or blessing can easily surpass 10% of my income in a given week or month. The one who doesn’t trust the Lord with his finances has his fill of these kinds of troubles.
But what about the person who stole from us? What happens if we demand it back (assuming we know who did it), and he doesn’t give it back. If it’s a significant loss, the natural response might be to take him to court.
The Intangible Price of Not Trusting
But in the first place, the stress and strife of this situation will undermine our health. It may not be immediate, but stress reduces immune system function. And that could easily be a greater loss financially, and otherwise, than the money we lost.
Secondly, if we end up having to sue, we may have to pay more in lawyers fees and time missed from work than the amount we stand to get back.
Losing our peace and living with strife and the resulting stress is a heavy price to pay to get back what we lost.
And if we don’t have peace, we have no enjoyment of life. This means we’re not free to enjoy what they have left and has not been stolen.
Whereas, if we decided to do things God’s way and just let it go, we won’t be able to enjoy what was taken, that’s true. But we’re still free to enjoy everything else we still have.
The irony is the righteous LOOK like they’re putting themselves in harms way. But God protects them. On the other hand, the wicked LOOK like they’re protected. But their harvest is coming.
How To Trust in the Lord and Experience No Ill
Everything we do is a seed whether for good or evil. In order to get the blessing of no ill that this verse promises, we have to trust. And trust implies doing what looks harmful. It looks threatening which is why we have to trust.
The safest, most protected person in the world is the one that look like she’s exposing herself to harm by doing what’s right.
And the most vulnerable person in the world is the one that seems to be protecting herself with her sin.
Given that this is the case, why are there so many wicked and so few righteous people? Because righteousness requires that one walks by faith, not by sight. It requires trust.
Wickedness on the other hand, comes easily and naturally to us carnal beings. The wicked walk by sight and not by faith. This is easy and natural because it doesn’t require trust.
Now just to clarify, the no ill promised in this verse doesn’t mean no problems or trials or storms. In fact, the righteous go through the same trials as the wicked. The difference is not in what we go through, but in the outcome.
To read another post related to How to Trust in the Lord and Avoid Trouble, see Why God Disciplines His Children.