BIG – BIG TRUST by AChuckAllen
This is a practical read for every Follower of Jesus. It was also written as a part of the “1st30”, a daily devotion and podcast designed for college freshmen.
It’s simple. It’s short, and it’s incredibly powerful. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible–with good reason.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
It’s a life-altering truth that is more than worthy of our attention. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Trust in the Lord.
It all starts with trust. Any real relationship has to start with some level of trust. It’s the only way a true friendship remains. It’s the only way a marriage works. It’s the simple reason why an employer hires employees, or why the employees stay employed. It’s all about trust. Trust in the Lord, however, takes on an entirely new dimension. This is our trust in a divine, eternal, all-powerful, all-loving God. He is worthy of our trust. The trust is important, not just because of who God is, but because of the way in which we must trust him: with all your heart. That involves every fiber of your being. That’s the kind of trust we can have in God–a complete, unshakable, deep, abiding trust. If you have trusted God for salvation. You can trust Him with the rest of your life, too–every single detail.
Don’t Lean on Your Understanding
The verse involves a positive – something you do. But it also involves a negative – something you must not do. Don’t lean on your own understanding. The verse is telling us that we ought not to be self-reliant. Our choices must be founded in our trust in the Divine. Self-reliance is a deceptive trap. We begin to pride ourselves in something – our friends, our looks, our intellect, our religion, our family, whatever. And when we do, it takes away our trust in the Lord. It has become trust in self.
Instead, Acknowledge God. In Everything.
The fix to this self-reliance is found in the first command of the verse. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Which is purposed in the next verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him.” The word “acknowledge” isn’t a polite tip of the hat to the “Man Upstairs,” or a few words of grace over your meal or even attendance at church to let Him know we’re still cool with what He’s doing. It’s far more. It’s allowing Him control, command, and involvement in all your life – in all your ways. What’s the result? The verse ends with a promise. He will make your paths straight. Paths lead toward a destination, a goal. So, trusting God in every area of your life gives you a sense of purpose. It indicates that there will be a clear understanding of where you are going and what you are doing. You realize you are trusting Him. He is making your paths straight. “Straight paths” include purity. A life that has less sinful compromise and more Christ-like attitudes, actions, and behaviors. That’s the kind of life that God promises. It’s the kind of life that you can have. It begins with trust. It involves acknowledging God in every way.
Live in Big Trust Today,
AChuck