“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC
Grace Perspective:
Trust means to have confidence in someone or something. Where we choose to place our trust is essential. This person is someone we know well, not just a casual acquaintance. Someone we know will use wisdom to help us sort through life’s difficulties. So, where do we turn? To the One who gives wisdom when we seek Him. (see James 1:5)
The word “acknowledge” used in this verse means to know by experience. How do you get to know someone? By spending time with them. As we take time with God, getting to learn more about who He is, His proven character, His love, His mercy, His steadfastness, His righteousness, His holiness, His promises, our trust deepens.
As we seek Him, He reveals the paths we need to take. Pathways may be rocky and steep or perhaps a direction we don’t want to travel, yet as we choose to keep our eyes on the One leading us, our trust in Him grows. We see the folly of self-sufficiency and know that unless we keep our eyes on Him, we will stumble, fall, and likely take a wrong turn that can lead us into a pit.
When we see our Lord as He is, awesome, powerful, loving, worthy of our praise, and learn to rely on Him and less on our flesh. Our paths may still be steep, but knowing our Savior intimately, we will see that He alone is worthy of all our trust.
A touch of grace:
Who do you trust to help make wise decisions?
Why do you trust them?
Grace Application:
Have you ever trusted your instincts only to find they were wrong? I certainly have. I have tried to do life my way numerous times, only to wind up on a path that led to a dead end. Trusting myself leads me to do things that end in pain and grief. Then, when the pain becomes unbearable, I come to my senses and turn to God.
When I realize I’ve wandered from God, I come to Him humbly acknowledging my desperate need for Him. He proves that He alone is worthy of my trust. How did He gain my confidence? By revealing Himself through Scripture. Spending time with God in the Word, studying it, and praying it, has taught my heart to trust Him.
Acknowledging that He alone is God and knows what is best has led me down new paths. These paths are not always easy; more often than not, they are rough and filled with obstacles that challenge my trust. The desire to be self-sufficient is strong, and I succumb to it too often. As I see the sin of self-reliance for what it is and humble myself before the Lord, acknowledging who He is, I remember He alone is worthy of my confidence.
Asking God to direct my heart through His Word gives me quiet confidence, not in myself but Him. His Word tells me that He will never leave me. (Hebrews 13:5) He desires truth in my innermost being. (Psalm 51:6) His love is steadfast. (Psalm 33:22) His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) He deserves my obedience. (Jeremiah 7:23, Hebrews 5:9) He is worthy of all my praise. (Hebrews 1:1-12) I could go on and on remembering His promises, but instead, I challenge you to search Scripture for yourself so that your confidence in Him will grow.
Who will you trust today?
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, my Savior, thankful that You are trustworthy. Holy Spirit, help me yield to You in every way, seeking Your guidance in my life. Forgive me when I allow fear to lead me instead of trusting You. Help me lean on You in every circumstance, knowing that You will direct my steps in the way You desire me to go. Help me to trust fully in You. Amen.
**Today, as you read this, I pray that you will know you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubt, please call out to God, so all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**