“Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
This is a powerful verse. We are to trust God fully – with all our heart! Remember when Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was? He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). The Greek word for “all” in this passage means completely. Not half-heartedly, but with all your heart. Just as we are to love God with all out heart, we are to trust God completely. Whatever is going on in our lives, He encourages us to put it all in His hands. How do we do this? By seeking Him for wisdom – not leaning on our own understanding. James points out that we often do not act in wise ways because we do not ask God for wisdom (see James 1:5). There are a few reasons we “lean on our own understanding.” Pride is most likely the number one reason. We put too much stock in our own wisdom. Do we really believe that we would have a better way to do things that the Almighty Creator of the Universe?
Some of us think we should not bother God with the smaller things in our lives. But just as a parent loves to guide her child, the Lord wants us to come to Him and He will respond by generously pouring out wisdom to guide us in all our decisions. “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11).
The Lord never fails us. His ways are always the best. They may not seem to make sense at first, but in time we will see the wisdom in the paths He lays before us. Stability comes in our lives when we cling to the truth of who God is and reject the lie that God is not trustworthy. The Lord delights when we seek Him and then are obedient to do His will. In fact, “He rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6b).
-Sue Corl