“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct (make smooth or straight) thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
From The Pastor's Heart: Trusting God Totally
If there is a formula in the Word of God for a successful life, surely this must be it. Among the essential matters of a life well lived this stands out along with a very few other spiritual truths. Trusting in the LORD is something that God tells us is what he wants us to be doing. Sometimes you probably wonder just what God wants of you. Life can become confusing and you aren’t sure of the way. Here is a certain thing that will help clear things up. No matter what God brings into your life this year, he wants you to trust him. Now the trust he describes here is an entire trust. It means you are holding nothing back in reserve, but with your entire heart you are relying on him and believing him. Even when your heart aches and things are all messed up and you don’t understand what is happening, he still wants you to just trust him. He always knows what he’s doing. He is always going to love you, and his care and goodness aren’t going to change. He wants you to believe that even when outwardly you are tempted to question and doubt it. And he wants you always to trust his perfect wisdom. God is always right.
This trust with all your heart has particular application to decisions. Have you ever noticed how often you make decisions? It is a major part of life. Every day you are making decisions that have consequences for you and for those around you. Some of them are just little things, and don’t seem to make much difference. Some are very important and involve great preparation and consideration. But you are tempted to lean on your own understanding when you have some decision to make. This means that instead of praying and seeking God’s wisdom and guidance, you just decide based on your own preference, or on how you see things at the time, or what others would think of you. According to the text before us this month, that is a good way to have a rough time of it. Finding out that you’ve made the wrong decision after the fact can be pretty hard. Now what do you do? Sometimes you can’t undo the situation that has resulted. It may be something you’ll just have to live with. Other times you can get back out of it, but you have to backtrack and spend time and energy just to get back to square one. It would be much better to make decisions in a completely different way.
Instead of relying on your own understanding, your own preference and how you see things, or what other people think, start relying on God. Pray about your decisions and ask him to show you what his will is. Pray, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” “Ask and ye shall receive.” Seek his Word to direct you in decisions. Allow his truth to be the lamp to your feet to guide you in his will. Trust the Holy Spirit to direct you in his truth and to make things clear that you need to see in order to do what God wants. Seek godly counsel from spiritual people you respect. Don’t confine this to the ‘large’ decisions. Make a point to be guided in every area of your life. “In all thy ways acknowledge him…” This means that he wants you to trust him throughout your life, not merely in the major areas or things you are aware are too hard for you to figure out by yourself. Whenever you think you have things figured out, trouble is just ahead. The safest condition to stay in is in the place of totally depending on God and recognizing that he knows best.
Living this way is different. It isn’t what comes naturally to any of us. It isn’t the way the world of unbelievers is living. And many Christians don’t live this way. They live sub-normal lives because they aren’t living by this simple and powerful spiritual formula. If you will apply this practically in your life this year, I am sure that God will guide you and that your life will be on paths that are straight and smooth by God’s grace. He does have a plan for you. He wants you to trust him each step so he can show you how wonderful he is. And if you slip and go back to your natural response of doing your own thing, it still isn’t too late to tell the Lord what a mistake it was, and to confess it to him and begin again to trust him. He may not get you out of the mess you’ve made, but he sure will comfort and encourage you and will forgive you for Jesus’ sake and will guide you. Won’t you apply this to your life this year and see for yourself?
Your loving pastor in our wise Lord Jesus,
Ed Sager
"I have been really confirmed, in many particulars, that God heareth prayers; and, therefore, I used to pray for anything, of how little importance soever."
Samuel Rutherford, Letters
“The only way to have a fulfilling life is to stop relying on your own savvy and to start relying on God to provide the necessary turns of affairs.”
John Piper,” A Godward Life, Book 2”
“Of all the texts she (mother) quoted, one predominated. I think it must have been her favorite. At least it was the one she believed I needed most often, Proverbs 3:5-6. Month after month my mother counseled me to live by faith in future grace. She called me to trust the Lord and she showed me that the focus of my trust is what God promised to do for me in the future: “Son, the Lord will direct your paths; trust him, trust him.”
John Piper, “Living By Faith in Future Grace”
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