Sunrise Sermon: Trust Fund Babies

Imagine that today is your 21st birthday, and though you only asked for money from your parents to use as a down payment on a new car, you woke up to something far greater. There were literally hundreds of white boxes neatly stacked throughout your house with big, red bows atop each one. Each box had your name clearly printed on it along with a future date plainly written under your name. Each box also had a short message affixed to the top of the box beneath the bow.

As you made your way downstairs, there were even more boxes — some large and some small, neatly packed into closets, the basement, and even the garage. There was no mistaking who they belonged to. They were all labeled “To: (insert your name here) From: Me.” Your parents were still asleep, but you made so much noise opening your gifts that they were awakened. They quickly darted down the stairs and yelled “Stop!” in unison, but they were too late. The damage had already been done, and there was no way to retrieve what had already been lost.

You see, the 21 year old, in his excitement and haste, ran to the large packages first and pushed aside the small ones. As he opened a large one, the small ones disappeared. At first he didn’t notice and continued to another large box with a future date of January 1, 2047. When he opened this one, however, everything surrounding it in the basement disappeared. Even though he noticed the smaller boxes disappearing, it didn’t matter to him because he still had the contents of the larger ones. Little by little, the smaller parcels disappeared as he tore open the large ones. When he finally finished opening all of the large boxes, he was spent and also very sad. He was the proud owner of several lavish gifts but had no knowledge of how he might use them.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

The test in this scenario assessed one’s ability to be obedient and to wait. Instead of starting with today’s date, which was a tiny box, this young man ran to a future date — merely because the size of the box intrigued him. We make similar mistakes in our lives each day — conveting what isn’t meant for us and doing whatever it takes to get it. With God as the Grantor of your Trust, you as the Beneficiary, and the Holy Spirit as the Trustee, you’re unlikely to have the same fate as the 21 year old in this parable if you are obedient.

Oft times, we just don’t want to wait. We feel a sense of entitlement, or worse, we feel that we deserve what others seem to have achieved through little effort, when we have labored in vain for years. As a result, we make poor decisions and take short cuts — only to end up right where we started.

The lesson in this is that waiting is necessary. We must trust that Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, will supply all of our needs. We must trust that God knows the plans he has for our lives. We must also trust that he will command his angels to guard us. We must trust that God will never leave us nor forsake us and will stick closer than a brother. We must also trust that he is almighty, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is so generous with the blessings he shares with us, and we are meant to be good stewards of those gifts.

Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. ~Job 1:21

Note – Bible verses courtesy of Biblegateway.com, Featured images courtesy of Google Royalty-Free Images.