The Bible provides life encouragement. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorites. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
But we slip quickly into trusting the doctor, our pastor, and social and news media because they’re more visible and audible than God seems.
There’s no part of American life where trust is more often shifted away from God than health and medicine. Solomon said, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct
your paths." Acknowledging God's sovereignty and in. nite
knowledge in healing allows us to enjoy medical advances without trusting too deeply in human learning. Unfortunately, even believers often neglect to acknowledge God in our health until faced with a crisis that medicine can’t solve. Recognizing the greatness of God highlights the limitations of the most highly educated physician. Jeremiah said, “I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23). God desires to direct us through chosen obedience to guidance in His Word (Psalm 119:105).
For many Americans, social programs are life. The past several generations are deeply indoctrinated in believing that we’re entitled to leisurely retirement by 65; and that government programs will care for us until we die. This mindset has given families permission to abdicate eldercare responsibility; and driven America deep into debt as teens and 20-30 year-olds, well able to work, are already dependent upon a bankrupt system for unpaid college loans, and provision for illegitimate children born from disobedient sexual choices.
Isaiah spoke God’s word to Israel in crisis, “Why spend money on what is not food, and wages on what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me; eat what is good, and you’ll enjoy the choicest of foods. Pay attention! Come to Me! Listen, so that you will live.” Isaiah 55:2-3 (HCSB): Do you gain information about personal and national futures from secular news media, social media and the internet? We are immersed in an information explosion, but every electronic device we own comes equipped with an “off” button. If we don’t exercise authority over it, we subject ourselves to a constant barrage of what James calls earthly, natural, demonic wisdom (James 3:15). When you’ve been exposed to discouraging or fearful news, do you take time to sit quietly and hear from the Lord about the things you’ve heard or seen?
Or do accept it at face value, allowing anxiety and frustration to swell into panic attacks and dread?
From whom do you receive most of your spiritual food? If your physical diet matched your spiritual diet, would you be overweight from empty spiritual “sugar calories”? Would you be underweight from eating only one good meal each Sunday morning? Or strong and muscular from a well-balanced daily diet and consistent faith exercise? No matter how godly and spiritually healthy our pastor, we are individually responsible for choosing a well-disciplined life, and the right spiritual and physical diet needed to maintain health and strength. Our pastors can point us in the right direction. They are not re-
sponsible to bottle feed their . ock. Biblical Guidance Ministry through In. nite Grace Ministries teaches how to grow deep in our trust of God in uncertain times, as we learn of God’s amazing love and tender compassion. Your tax-deductible gift makes YOU a partner, providing life changing training for those in crisis; underwriting ministry cost for those in . nancial crisis. For your conve-
nience, monthly auto-debit is available. Call 580-774-2884 for more information or send donations to In. nite Grace Min-
istries, PO Box 466, Weatherford, OK 73096. Send questions and comments to: Dr. Dixie Yoder [email protected] www.drdixie.org 580-774-2884
