Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

                                                                                                                   Proverbs 3:5-6 

Today: Read Proverbs 3

Perhaps this is the most well known of all of the Proverbs. Its truths bring with it peace and security for our souls as we trust in its wisdom. The writer provides for us three instructions as well as one tremendous promise from God. Let’s take a look!

Instruction #1: Trust In The Lord

One of my favorite passages on trusting God is found in Jeremiah. It reads as follows:

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.

                                                                                                   Jeremiah 17:7-8 

When we fully trust God, we are declared in scripture as being “blessed.” This blessing brings with it joy and happiness, fulfillment and purpose in life, and well as protection and provision. It truly is the greatest existence we can have and it comes from God as a matter of our trust in Him, which is the essence of faith. Not only do the “blessed” trust in God, their trust is God. What a truly remarkable statement! We trust in Him but in reality He is our trust. So when the writer of Proverbs begins the passage with “Trust in the Lord with all your heart”, he is truly giving us the foundation for life.

Using the word picture of a healthy tree, the Jeremiah passage goes on to describe exactly what this blessed life looks like. This healthy, effective, and vibrant life is like a tree planted by the stream, extending its roots into the nourishing water. This person is not intimidated by the “heat” of life, emanating from the pressures of the world nor does it fear. This person is spiritually healthy and alive (green leaves) and does not get anxious as the rest of the world, knowing who holds the future. This person is fruitful and effective and they prosper in whatever they do (Psalm 1:1-3). And all of this detailed description is a direct result of one thing: this person trusts in the Lord. This is what it means to live a life of faith in Jesus! But there is a second instruction we are to heed.

Instruction #2: Lean Not On Your Understanding

I’m not a pilot but I’ve heard from enough of them to know that there are times when flying visually is simply not an option. It is in these situations that a pilot must rely on the air traffic controller in the tower and on his/her instrumentation. Using radar, the controller is monitoring the flight from a completely different vantage point than that of the pilot while the instrumentation is constantly monitoring the plane and providing the pilot with valuable information. What may seem right to the pilot in regards to the position of the plane has to be discarded. It is the voice of the controller and the instrumentation that safely guides the pilot in to his/her intended destination. There are times in our spiritual life in which we must also discard our own assessment of a situation and completely rely on the One who sees our circumstances from the vantage point of eternity. It is scripture that continues to provide us with valuable information, keeping us level and giving us guidance for our journey. But unlike the controller, who is capable of making mistakes, and instrumentation that can malfunction, God will do neither. His way is true and reliable and we can rest assured that He will get us safely to our intended destination as we trust in His guidance.

Instruction #3: Acknowledge God In All Of Your Ways

Finally, we are to acknowledge God in everything we do. One way we do that is by declaring the name of Jesus. After our salvation, we enter into baptism as a way of outwardly demonstrating the inward change that has already taken place. But our confession of Christ should not remain there rather it should move out into every area of our lives. Here are three remarkable truths that surround this idea of “confessing” Jesus.

First, this confession brings with it salvation. It is with our hearts that we trust in Him but it is with our mouths that we demonstrate that trust. It is the confession of Jesus with our mouths that brings with it our salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

Secondly, confessing the name of Jesus demonstrates our relationship with God. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides with that person and that person abides with God” (1 John 4:15).

Lastly, confessing Jesus guarantees that He will confess us before God the Father (Matthew 10:32). Jesus tells us that, “Whoever confesses Him before mankind, He will confess before the Father.” The negative is also true. “Whoever does not confess the name of Jesus, He will not confess before the Father” (compare with John 3:18).

So acknowledging God in all of our ways is to confess the name of Jesus and to give Him thanks (and the credit) for everything that we have and are able to do.

The Promise: He Will Make Your Paths Straight

Some translations render this as, “He will direct your paths.” Either way, the promise is that as we trust in Him, forsake our own limited understanding, and acknowledge Him, He will give us guidance. It is not appropriate for a believer to remain in a constant state of confusion as to the will of God for his/her life. Our very trust in Jesus ushers us into the category of the blessed. Resting in the provision of God brings a life of purpose, direction, and peace. Here’s to hoping that you are counted among those who trust in the Lord and consider themselves blessed!