Trust In God

Saturday, I was playing with my daughter. She was laughing and smiling, having a good ole time! As we were playing, I was thinking about life from her perspective. She eats, sleeps, plays, explores and learns new things like a sponge. It’s amazing what she picks up! In all her days, she doesn’t have a single worry about where her next meal comes from or what it will be, she just knows that when she gets hungry, she’ll get to eat until she’s full. And when she’s tired, she’ll have a warm, safe place to sleep. And the rest of the day, she’ll have a place to play and her mom and dad will be there to comfort her and play with her when she needs it. Yes, she is blessed as all children should be, unfortunately there are many that aren’t as blessed.


Somewhere as we grow up though, we tend to wander from this state. We go through school, maybe college, get married and transition into a new season of life full of hopes, dreams and responsibilities. Seemingly, somewhere we lose sight of that childlike faith and peace. That sense that all of our needs will be supplied, that everything works out ok in the end. It may not be as we are going through it, but in time, all things work out for our good.


God tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. We often don’t know the end from the beginning. In fact, we truly only know what has happened. At times, God may give us glimpses of the future, but even those aren’t enough to know all that is to come. It’s never like His full, all knowing, all seeing perspective.


So the question is, not really knowing anything that will happen next, do we really trust Him over our thoughts, opinions and experiences? Do we acknowledge Him in all that we do and praise Him regardless of the circumstances? Can we wipe the slate of our minds clear and accept His Word as our compass and trust that the direction it’s pointing will yield the great life God intended us to live? None of these are easy questions nor do I live them they way I believe He desires for me to. I fall short and ask for his mercy knowing that life is a journey not a destination. But hopefully the depths of these questions illustrate the depth of trust that God desires of us.


Reading more of Proverbs 3 from The Message Bible broadens the illustration of what is being asked of us.

Don't Assume You Know It All (The Message – Proverbs 3:1-12)

1-2 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take to heart my commands. They'll help you live a long, long time, a long life lived full and well.

3-4 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart. Earn a reputation for living well in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.