Can I trust Daisy 100% to fully take care of me all the time? No, I can’t. She could slide, trip, spook, scare or even fall on me. I’ve had my share of horse injuries from my younger days. I know it’s possible. I can’t fully trust her, even though she's a very good mare.
I’ve been thinking about a verse in the Bible that is popular, yet hard to live by. It’s found in 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 verse really gives us a model for living!
There are three commands in this verse are: Trust in the LORD. Lean not on your own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge him.
Trust in the LORD: It is our nature as humans to put our trust in something or someone. We may even put trust in our self. You see, we WANT to trust in other people. We want to believe the best in other people. Yet, the reality is that people will fall short. They can’t always come through for us. The word ‘trust’ in this verse actually means ‘to lie helpless, facedown.” It’s leaning on God and realizing our great need.
If we trust in God, it needs to be full trust. What often happens is that we trust God halfway and then put the other half of our trust in someone else or ourselves. What part of your heart is trusting something or someone other than God? Maybe you have an important decision coming up. Wouldn’t it be cool if you trusted God 100%? You prayed, waited, and really expected Him to guide you! He will do it!
Lean not on your own understanding: When you trust God with ALL your heart, it means you’ve really decided to put away your tendency to trust in your own understanding. Aren’t we all tempted to trust in our own self?
It reminds me of when I broke my ankle and had to use crutches for a period of time. Leaning has the sense of putting my whole weight on those crutches, which I did a lot! It’s so easy to lean on anything or anybody but God! We try our darndest to make things work the way we want with our amazing skills. But, we still blow it at times. It is on God, not ourselves, that we are to depend upon! Self-sufficiency only goes so far in this world.
In all my ways acknowledge Him: If I trust God with all my heart, I’m going to acknowledge Him in all that I do. I’m going to invite Him into my everyday life. My work. My relationships. My decisions. My hopes and dreams. And the beautiful thing? He will direct my paths. He will give me peace, leading me by His Holy Spirit, throughout my day.
May God help Proverbs 3:5-6 be your heart’s desire, not just today, but every day.
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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