The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom - 1: Trust Series

5, October 2003

Dakota Community Church

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom

Week one: Trust

Proverbs 1:1-4

1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young

We are given the chance to sit at the feet of Solomon and drink in the timeless secrets of life.

Pastor Bruce Belair challenged me in a Shiloh Youth service almost twenty years ago to make the chapter of the day from Proverbs a part of my daily devotions and I am still doing it.

The pastor walks up to the young man, puts his arm around him and says, “Son, I’m going to teach you how to steal, drink, lie, and swear.

“What?” replies the shocked youth?

“I’m going to teach you to steal time out of every day to read a chapter in the book of Proverbs, to drink in the Wisdom of Solomon, to lie on your bed and meditate on the truth you discover there and to swear by the grace of God to put it into action.”

Proverbs 9:1-6

1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.

2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.

4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.

5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.

- We are not told what the seven pillars are.

- I believe they are themes of truth that will lead to life.

The first “pillar” upon which I believe wisdom is built is TRUST.

Trust – according to your dictionary.com is:

1. Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.

Basically, trust is: confidence that what we believe about a person or thing is true.

We are shocked when some one or something violates our trust.

It would be nearly impossible to get through a day without exercising trust.

- We trust the mechanic has properly fixed our breaks.

- We trust the best before date on the milk jug.

- We trust the teenager making our burger at McDonalds washed his hands after his last bathroom break.

Illustration:

1. In San Diego They have built an experimental highway: It is a system of computerized cars and specialized magnetic message devices installed in the road, the theory is that the computers and the message devices would drive the car for you, program the destination and let the computer do the rest, this would seem to be slower right, wrong the system is set to drive the car at speeds of 75 mph or more, there is only one problem

2. It’s a matter of trust: Buick engineers have the system in place on a test area and state that the technology is sound and it will work, however, they can not get anyone to drive in the special cars, no one will trust the system to work at such high speeds, the problem is literally a matter of trust.

If you want to live a life that reflects a foundation of wisdom, you will have to learn how and who to trust!

1. It is pure wisdom to trust the Lord.

Proverbs 3: 5-8

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Is this a contradiction? In order to be wise we must not trust our understanding?

We need to discover the wisdom of trusting God even when the natural evidence seems to indicate that He is wrong.

Proverbs 16:20

20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.

Proverbs 29:25

25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Is there anybody else up there?

1. A man visited the Grand Canyon and while he was looking over the side he slipped, as he fell he caught a scrub bush and held on for dear life,

2. Dialogue

Man - “Is there anybody up there?”

Voice speaks: “Yes, there is”

Man - “Can you help me? Can you help me?”