"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" Proverbs 3:5
It’s easy to have faith in God when everything is going well. It’s not always so easy when things feel as though they’re falling apart. Why is it that when we need God’s wisdom the most, we instead try to figure it out on our own? I can recall many times when something scary happened and my brain automatically tried to figure it out. My mind automatically analyzes and processes, much like a computer, trying to compute the ‘right’ answer. What should my next move be? What do I do now? How should I react to this situation? Sometimes I even skip a few steps and seek “wise counsel.” There’s nothing wrong with any of these – but our very first thought… our first inclination ought be to go to our knees and seek the Lord’s wisdom. Seeking wise counsel in others is okay too – but it shouldn’t be our first line of defense. I am an intellectual being – I am analytical… it’s how God made me. It’s not wrong that I’m wired this way, but what is wrong is when I work my brain to try to “figure it all out,” instead of trusting Him first and foremost. Proverb’s 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." I love this verse. I rely on this verse, especially when no matter how hard I try, I absolutely cannot figure it out on my own! What does “acknowledge Him in all your ways” mean? When I consider the word acknowledge, it’s like giving God a nod, “I see you..” which doesn’t seem like much. “The word translated “acknowledge” in most bible
translations is yada, which generally means, “to know or recognize.” This word is actually very powerful and means to know His ways inside and out and to recognize that He is the ultimate arbiter of our lives.” Other translations of Proverbs 3:5-6 say “in all your ways, submit to Him…” which is indicative of how we are to approach everything in life – the big and small, the good and bad… in everything we are to submit to Him. I am learning every day to make it my goal to really know God intimately and to submit to Him in every way. This is helping me stop trying to figure it all out on my own! We must all strive to really know God… and to trust Him in everything, even when it might not make sense to us. God’s plan is not our plan. His ways are not our ways. We must have faith in Him, in His plan, timing, and reasons, even when we don’t understand them.