Trust in the Lord
Do Not Lean on Your Own Understanding
Proverbs 3:5-7: βTrust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all things and He will set your path straight.β
Letβs break down this life-changing truth to make sure we understand it.
Trust in the Lord.
It starts with trust. Any real relationship has to start with some level of trust. Itβs the only way a friendship will endure. Itβs the only way a marriage will work out. Itβs the simple reason why an employer hires workers, or why the workers stay employed. Itβs all about trust. Trust in the Lord, however, takes on an entirely new dimension. This is our trust in an eternal, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving God. He is worthy of our trust. The trust is important, not just because of who God is, but because of the way in which we must trust him: with all your heart. It involves every fiber of your being. Thatβs the kind of trust we can have in God, a complete, unshakable, deep, abiding trust.
If you are a Christian, you trusted God for salvation. You can trust Him with the rest of your life, tooβevery detail.
Donβt Lean on Your Understanding
The verse involves a positiveβsomething you must do. But it also involves a negativeβsomething you must not do. Donβt lean on your own understanding. Basically, the verse is telling us that we ought not to be self-reliant. We cannot pursue a course of action, a financial decision, a business move, a relationship, or an educational choice, simply based on our own understanding. It must be founded in our trust in God.
Self-reliance is such a deceptive trap. We begin to pride ourselves in somethingβour savvy, our looks, our intellect, our spirituality, our family, whatever. And when we do, it takes away our trust in the Lord. It has become trust in self. The result is a dangerous compromise that will lead to destruction.
Instead, Acknowledge God. In Everything.
The antidote to this self-reliance is found in the first command of the verse. βTrust in the Lord with all your heart.β Which is developed in the next verse: βIn all your ways acknowledge him.β The word βacknowledgeβ isnβt merely a polite tip of the hat to the Man Upstairs, or a few words of grace over your meal, or even perfunctory attendance at church to let Him know weβre still cool with what Heβs doing. Itβs way more. Itβs allowing Him access, control, command, and involvement in all your ways.
Whatβs the result of this? Will God ruin your life? Will he be a Sovereign Killjoy? Will He rob you of fun? The verse ends on a promise. What is it?
He will make your paths straight.
The promise is put in the form of a metaphor. What does it mean to have straight paths? Several things. First, paths lead toward an endβa destination, a goal. Trusting God wholeheartedly in every area of life gives your life a sense of purpose and priority. Second, it indicates that there will be a clear understanding of where you are going and what you are doing. It makes daily decision-making an easier and less painful task. You realize you are trusting Him. He, in turn, is making your paths straight. The way ahead is more apparent. Third, βstraight pathsβ suggests you are on the higher path, the grace path, the path that leads to life.
Thatβs the kind of life that God promises. Itβs the kind of life that you can have. It begins with trust. It involves acknowledging God in every way. Enjoy the Journey.
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Thank you for your interest in A Place In Time Christian Ministries! Opportunities are available throughout the year for the following:
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