Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
Proverbs is a book of wisdom. It’s been touted through the ages as containing the guidelines that lead to great life change and success. But it doesn’t exactly work that way. No principle is more significant than the foundation it is built upon. Solomon, author and notably the wisest man who ever lived, says from the very beginning of the book that trust in the Lord is the foundation of everything that leads to a growing and powerful relationship with Him. It is that trust that is the catalyst for life change.
Trust in the Lord is necessary for fulfilling any of the wise ways of life taught in Proverbs and everywhere else throughout the Word of God. But this trust is not simple belief or just an intellectual assent that you believe in God and that He is good. “Trust in the Lord” means a settled confidence in His care and His faithfulness to His character and His Word.
“With all your heart” indicates trust that goes beyond intellectual assent to a deep reliance on the Lord. It means you acquaint yourself with Him in every way you can. You become familiar with Him through prayer and His Word. You learn His promises. Knowing Him better is the priority of your life.
“Lean not on your own understanding” is key to trusting God. Your “own understanding” refers to your own perception of the right course of action, what you want/think you should do. It reminds me of a guy in counseling some years back who told me wryly, “I’ve made so many mistakes. And my worst mistakes all seemed like a great idea to me at the time.” That’s the way it is for all of us. Wise people will not set their own agendas. They will recognize what matches God’s character and word.
You might be more familiar with the phrase “in all your ways acknowledge him.” That can be misunderstood as a simple nod to Him; an “I see you,” but it’s far more. “In all your ways submit to him” means I trust God so much that I willingly submit to His will and ways even when I don’t understand. What’s the result? “He will make your paths straight.” We will enjoy the life of the wise. We won’t flounder when life throws a curve because we are founded on trust.
- Trust is at the center of a great relationship with God and a wise, fulfilling life.