Trust in the LORD with All Thine Heartby Jeff Robb

Reflection

The opening chapters of Proverbs are written like a father talking to his son. My son, forget not my law. My son, attend to my words. They are warm, practical, and urgent. And right in the middle of chapter three come some of the best known words in the whole book.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart. Not part of thine heart. All of it. It's easy to trust God with the parts of life we can't control anyway, and keep the rest for ourselves. This verse asks for everything.

And lean not unto thine own understanding. To lean on something is to put your weight on it. Our own understanding isn't useless. God gave us minds, and Proverbs is full of practical wisdom. But our understanding is limited. We see a small piece of the picture. We can't lean our whole weight on it.

In all thy ways acknowledge him. All thy ways. Not just Sunday. Work, money, family, decisions large and small. To acknowledge Him is to bring Him into it. To ask Him about it. To remember that He is Lord over that part of life too.

And then the promise. He shall direct thy paths. The picture is of a path made straight, with the obstacles moved out of the way. It doesn't promise we'll see the whole road ahead. It promises that God will guide us along it.

Verse seven adds a warning. Be not wise in thine own eyes. The opposite of trusting God isn't always open rebellion. Sometimes it's simply being sure we know best. Making our plans first and asking God to bless them afterward.

It's Monday, the start of a new week. Many of us have decisions waiting. Some are small. Some feel big and uncertain. This passage gives a simple way forward. Bring each one to Him. Ask for His wisdom. Hold your own plans with an open hand. And trust Him to direct your path, even when you can't see around the next bend.

Cross-references

Psalm 37:5; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Isaiah 55:8-9