Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5

 

Trust is a tricky thing.  It is hard to earn, and even harder to regain if it is lost of damaged.  These words come from Proverbs, a book written by King Solomon, considered to be the wisest man of that era.  Solomon’s wisdom was a gift from God, and in his wisdom he wrote down these sayings as instruction for future generations.

 

Trust in the Lord but lean not on yourself.  Sounds straight forward, but it’s easy to trust God except when it’s not.  It’s easy to trust God when you know you are going to get what you want, when it seems likely you are going to like the outcome, it’s easy to trust God when God seems to be on your side.  The proverb suggests that the wise person not only trusts in God but submits to Him in everything.

 

What would it be like to submit your family, work, money, finances, marriage, church, and friends to God?  It’s a scary concept to give all that to God.  I mean what if God doesn’t do things the way I would?  What if I don’t like the outcome?  These words were written from a man with perspective, someone who had tried to take matters into his own hands, who sought material wealth, mistresses, and anything else he thought would make him happy.  It is from that experience he writes these words, trust in God with all your heart and lean not on yourself.  Perhaps there is some wisdom to be found in these words.

 

Pastor Bill

 

 

Discussion

  1. What is hard to submit to God to in your life?
  2. What might it look like to submit to God in all of your life, and lean not on your own understanding?
  3. Take some time to pray to God about this, lifting up those places and areas that are hard to lean on God in.