TRUST GOD
Proverbs 3:5-6
James H. McConkey said: "God has a plan for every life in Christ Jesus. What a wondrous truth this is; And yet how reasonable a one. Shall the architect draw the plans for his stately palace? Shall the artist sketch the outlines of his masterpiece? Shall the shipbuilder lay down the lines for his colossal ship? And yet shall God have no plan for the soul which He brings into being and puts "in Christ Jesus"? Surely He has. Yea, for every cloud that floats across the summer sky: for every blade of grass that points its tiny spear Heavenward, God has a purpose and a plan. How much more then, for you who are His own in Christ Jesus, does God have a perfect life plan."
As Christians, we know that God has a plan for us, but there may be times when we struggle to understand exactly what that plan is. We ask the questions: Where would God have me to go? What does God want me to do? How long should I stay in my current situation? Is God leading me in a different direction?
Many people make certain decisions and they claim that it was God who led them in that direction. Tragically, many times God’s people do what they want and try to convince themselves that it was God who led them to do it.
It is encouraging to know that God does indeed lead His children and reveal His will for their lives. The Bible provides numerous examples of God's divine guidance in the lives of His people. Our selected text gives us great assurance concerning the fact that if we will trust God He will lead us to exactly where He would have us to go.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
I am certain that the majority of people assembled in this place possess a genuine desire to know God’s will for their lives. Some may even be ready and willing to follow His direction. However, you are currently facing a major dilemma, you are not exactly sure what His will for your life is. If so, this proverb provides you with important instructions concerning how to know and do the will of God.
Many people are of the opinion that God’s will is something that is impossible to know; nothing could be farther from the truth. It is absolutely possible for you to know God’s will for your life. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:17 “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is”. We can know God's will and we can trust Him to lead us and to accomplish His will in our lives.
The Book of Proverbs contains much wisdom that aids us in living a life that pleases God. The Proverbs are found in a section of the Bible known at "Wisdom Literature." The other books in this section are: Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and The Song Of Solomon. These books of wisdom instruct us in the ways of the Lord and teach us much about serving and worshipping Him.
One of the greatest pearls of wisdom in the Proverbs (and in all the Bible for that matter) is found in our selected text. These verses provide us with much encouragement and instruction. As we examine these verses we will see how that we can and should “Trust God”.
- Verse 5 shows us that we can:
TRUST GOD COMPLETELY
When you belong to the Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipresent (everywhere at all times), and Omnipotent (all powerful) God of the universe, you most certainly can trust Him completely. Verse 5 contains a command for the people of God. Notice:
THE COMMAND
v5a Trust in the LORD
Faith is a belief that trusts. Someone said, “Belief is taking the map; trust is taking the journey”. King David said, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).
The Christian life starts with trusting God. When we surrender to Jesus, we trust Him to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. After we are converted we are expected to live the remainder of our lives trusting in God. It should be the desire of every Christian to live a victorious and fruitful Christian life. This is made possible because Christ lives within us and when we trust in Him completely we can live a successful Christian life. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.
- We are commanded to trust the Lord, and this verse shows to what extent we are to trust Him. Notice:
A. THE CAPACITY - "with all your heart"
Our trust in God is not to be half-hearted. We must trust Him with ALL our heart. This means that we don’t just trust Him to save us, we trust Him to sustain us! This means that we are to trust Him in the good times and in the bad times. As God’s children we are able to trust our Heavenly Father even in those times when things seem impossible.
In essence this Proverb is telling us to trust God in every area of our life. We are to trust God on the mountain and in the valley. We are to trust God in every circumstance and at all times. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart!
D.L Moody once said, "Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in money, and you may have it taken from you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity."
- Verse 5 shows us that we can trust God completely and it also shows us that we can (and should):
TRUST GOD CONFIDENTLY
v5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
If we "lean on our own understanding", chances are good that we will find ourselves in the midst of great trouble. On the other hand, if we trust in the Lord He will guide us into the paths of righteousness. Therefore verse 5 provides us with a warning that we must heed and that is to not “lean on our own understanding”.
Sometimes we foolishly attempt to tell God what we are going to do. Too often we fail to look to God for guidance. We simply make the decision that we want to make and leave God out of the equation all together. This is not wise; in fact, it is foolish and sinful.
When it comes to making decisions we must always seek God. This not only applies to those "big" decisions in life, it applies to every decision. James says in his Epistle, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God" (James 1:5). We need the Lord’s wisdom while studying His Word. We need the Lord's wisdom in Christian service. We need the Lord’s wisdom in financial decisions. We need the Lord’s wisdom in matters concerning our families. We need the Lord's wisdom in every decision we make!
Listen to the wise words of this Proverb and do not depend on human wisdom. Pray for and seek the wisdom which comes from above. Look to God and trust His Holy Spirit to guide you into the way that you should go.
God's guidance is divine guidance which means that it is infallible. When God is guiding you, you do not have to fear any error or mistake. His guidance is totally trustworthy! You may think that you know what is best, but the Proverb makes it clear: "lean not on your own understanding".
- We are to trust God completely, we are to trust Him confidently, and finally I would like to see that we are to:
TRUST GOD CONSISTENTLY
v6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
This word "acknowledge" means to observe or recognize. It literally means to "know”. It is also important to note the word "all" in this sentence. This shows us that in every area of life, we are to manifest the fact that Christ dwells in our hearts and is living through us.
When we “acknowledge Him” we give evidence of His presence in our lives. This means that God's guidance will be seen in our actions. Everywhere we go, in everything we do, every thought that crosses our mind, in every word that we say, in every breath that we take, in “all our ways” we are to “acknowledge Him”. Does this describe how you live your life? Is God pleased with the places you go? Is God pleased with the things that you do? When we "acknowledge Him in all our ways", God will be pleased with the places we go. He will be pleased with the things that we do, and He will be honored by the things that we refuse to do! When we “Acknowledge Him in all our ways” others will see Him in us!
These verses come with a promise: (IF WE) Trust in the LORD with all (OUR) heart; and lean not unto (OUR) own understanding. (AND) In all (OUR) ways acknowledge him, (THEN) ……he will direct our paths. However there are consequences for not following this verse: (IF WE DO NOT) Trust in the LORD with all (OUR) heart; and (IF WE) lean unto (OUR) own understanding. (AND) In all (OUR) ways (FAIL TO) acknowledge him, (THEN) ……he (CAN NOT) direct our paths.
In his commentary on these verses, William MacDonald says: “Every area of our lives must be turned over to (God’s) control. We must have no will of our own, only a single pure desire to know His will and to do it. If these conditions are met, the promise is that God shall direct our paths. He may do it through the Bible, through the advice of godly Christians, through the marvelous converging of circumstances, through the inward peace of the Spirit, or through a combination of these. But if we wait, He will make the guidance so clear that to refuse would be positive disobedience.” (source: William MacDonald; Believer’s Bible Commentary)
If you desire to be in the center of God’s will, if you truly want to live a life that pleases Him, and if you want to have a positive impact on the Kingdom of God you must trust Him.
TRUST GOD COMPLETELY - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart"
TRUST GOD CONFIDENTLY - "lean not unto your own understanding"
TRUST GOD CONSISTENTLY - "in all your ways acknowledge Him"
I pray that you will listen and learn from the great wisdom that is recorded in this proverb and "Trust God".
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