Trusting in Him

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6


Sometimes we can read a Scripture verse and like it or love it. We might highlight it or underline it, and maybe, if we really love it, we might even memorize it. And that can be a good thing. But isn’t it also true that familiarity breeds contempt? I mean we can find it quickly and recall it quickly and sound really super spiritual about it, but aren’t we also then in danger of it losing the very thing that made it so special?


There are many verses that I love, that have really impacted me, given me wisdom, or brought me comfort. The above Scripture is one of them (In fact Proverbs is probably my favorite book of the Bible). It has been coming to mind a lot lately, for multiple situations. It has been awhile though, since I’ve really taken the time and effort to meditate on it. Read it again with me. Go ahead, I’ll wait.


Trust in the LORD with all your heart. ~ Really Lord, with all my heart? All my heart? That’s a lot of trust. That is believing with everything within me, that He loves me and will take care of me no matter what. That is understanding I can come to Him with all of my thoughts, all of my emotions and all of my concerns, the good, the bad and the ugly. That is knowing He will always be available to pick me up and clean me up when I fall. That is having all confidence that His mercies are new every day, His judgments are just and that His promises really are for me.


And lean not on your own understanding. ~ But Lord, my own understanding is what I know! How can I lean on something else, understand something I don’t know? I see my situation, my circumstance, my storm; I know what common sense and my knowledge would dictate. But He is God and I am not. He is omniscient and I am not. He is omnipotent and I am not. He is omnipresent and I am not. I see with my natural eyes, He sees with spiritual eyes. He knows everything, and I know enough to know that I don’t know very much. He is everywhere, all the time, and I am only in my own little and limited world. His understanding is infinitely vast and complete, while mine is exceedingly narrow and lacking.


In all your ways acknowledge Him. ~ Do You really mean all my ways? When I’m strong and weak? When I succeed and fail? When I am confident and fearful? When I am going in the right direction and when I am lost? Yes. No matter what state I am in, He never changes. If I seek to know Him and do His will, He will always meet me. Whatever my situation I can, and should, come boldly before Him. And give glory to Him.


And He shall direct your paths. ~ But Lord, but what if I can’t see the path? He will direct my paths. I may misstep, get confused or turned around, but He will set me right. I may even fall and fail, but He is bigger than that and He can hold my hand, lift me up and give me a fresh start. A do-over. His plans for me are for good and the path He sets before me will lead me to those plans. While on the path, I may run into a highwayman, a thief who would come only to kill and to steal and to destroy. But I need not fear this enemy because he is a defeated foe.


When we are walking through the good times and the bad our trust in the Lord should not waiver, because He is faithful and trustworthy. We don’t know what we don’t know, so it is imperative that we don’t lean on what we do. By seeking Him and His will for our lives at all times, we have the opportunity to live the life we were created for. He doesn’t just set us on a path and leave us, but rather He is with us throughout, leading and guiding us like a Good Shepherd. Thank you, Lord!