The days we live in are full of questions and uncertainty. All of us, to a certain extent, feel as if the rug has been pulled out from underneath and we are just trying to figure out where our feet are going to land. Institutions that we once placed our trust in have all but jettisoned our confidence and now we are left wondering who or what can we even trust anymore?
Yet, there is still one that we can trust in. There is still one, that we can have unshakable confidence in knowing that he will always be trustworthy.
Proverbs 3:5 says this, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” The verse presents a malady that every single one of us experiences—our natural propensity to trust in ourselves. How many times have we trusted in our understanding in any given situation and have come up wrong? Personally, too many to count. Even when we are given concrete data or factual evidence, our understanding is still very limited and finite. Due to our limitations as people, our knowledge is not exhaustive. To put it simply and as hard as it is to accept, we don’t know all things at all times.
Understanding that having a bit of self-distrust may seem like a negative to some, the Scriptures present it as something positive. Recognizing the limitations of humanity, the Bible tells us to trust the Lord. We are exhorted and encouraged to set our complete and total reliance on him knowing who he is and how we are.
Admittedly, the task of trusting God with all our whole heart is difficult not only because of our natural bent to trust ourselves, but we live in this fallen world where trust is so easily broken. Add to that, the anxieties and stresses of the unknown future and we are left not only with skepticism but downright unbelief.
Yet the more we trust God in the little things—those daily moments of faith—the easier it is to trust God in the big situations of life. Think of faith being exercised like a muscle. We don’t immediately start benching 450 pounds, it is only through a consistent exercise that those muscles build up to that point. When we trust God to help us in the small activities, like making an important phone call, and we see him come through, that faith-building moment enables us to see and believe that God will be there for us in the middle of crises.
The exhortation to trust the Lord continues in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge him…” It is not just in some areas of life that we acknowledge the Lord’s presence or even those we deem as “spiritual”. The Christian life is fully orbed in this respect: That God is to be the center of every activity. From the mundane to the extraordinary, God is to be recognized and revered.
When we acknowledge him in his rightful place in our lives, there is a direct result and it is found in the latter part of verse 6, “…and he will make straight your paths.” Those who do not place their trust in the Lord nor honor him, the Bible considers their paths “crooked” and it will only lead them to disaster (Psalm 125:5, Prov. 2:15, 19). On the other hand, those who do trust and acknowledge the Lord, God straightens and corrects their path to give them a sure road to righteousness and peace. Being on the “straight and narrow” is not just about living a moral or clean life, rather it is fully trusting in God and having him first place in our lives.
In this time of uncertainty, what are you trusting in? Or, is your trust shaken because of the circumstances? The Lord is faithful to his people and has proven himself time and time again in your life. He has demonstrated a consistent faithfulness with the gospel being its apex. So, trust in him during this unprecedented time and look to his guidance as we navigate together through this difficult season.
