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.”
This is a meditation on a well-loved verse. We are to trust with all our heart – first of all trust is a mental decision, a choice of attitude. The heart is the seat of emotions – feelings will follow the decision of the mind to trust in the Lord in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. We are to gather up the emotions that have brought us low and have caused us to make this conscious decision to trust the Lord. These emotions may be disappointment, despair, frustration, feeling let-down, fear – it is good to recognise how we are feeling and bring them all to the Lord and say, “I will trust you”. Then we continue to declare our trust while we wait for Him to lead us, to open a way.
“Lean not on your own understanding” – the situation might look hopeless to us and we may have no idea how to move forward – we are to give up speculating and trying to work things out. This will be a waste of energy and effort.
Learning to trust in the Lord, takes learning and experience. We shouldn’t wait for difficulties to come, then try and trust God. We have to learn to trust Him with our daily trials and problems – this builds the habit of expecting Him to lead us in the small things, then we can trust more easily in the bigger things.
Prayer: Please help me today and every day to learn to trust you, Lord, in the problems I face today. Amen