Trust is believing with confidence in the certainty of another. As our relationship with God stands or falls on trust, a clear understanding of trust that can be actioned is critical. Solomon wrote possibly the Bible’s best memorized text on trust in Proverbs 3:5-7. Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
The precision of Solomon’s exhortation leaves no room for misunderstanding. The focus and destination of our trust is to be Yahweh, the LORD, creator of every human (Jer 1:5). Every person, without exception, is commanded to place their trust in the one true God. There can be no divided loyalties with our trust, it all belongs to the LORD. Which reminds us that trust is volitional, it doesn’t happen by accident or when our feelings are accommodating. Trust in God is the action of our will energised by faith.
The LORD doesn’t seek our trust in competition with others. No, there can be no others sharing our heart’s deepest desire or dependency, they belong to the LORD only. This is why Solomon explains that as we direct trust to the LORD we should take care not to compromise it by depending on our own understanding. This can be a challenge, as we humans often try to assist God, thinking we possess knowledge or wisdom that He doesn’t.
The scope of our trust in God is to be life wide. In every sphere of life, both internal heart matters and external activities, God is to be acknowledged. It’s so easy to get caught in the busyness of life and neglect to observe God’s presence. Likewise, it’s easy to think that the Lord would not be interested in certain aspects of our lives and our fleshly reasoning becomes our dominant thoughts. The fact is, God is interested in every detail of our lives. He is present in every moment of our lives. And He remains patiently loving throughout the entirety of our lives.
The standard of our trust is to be holiness, which is often unconsciously forgotten. It’s easy to get carried along by the flow of work, family, and church life. Somehow along the way we become influenced by worldly compromise and the evils of the world don’t seem to bother us as they once did. If left unchecked, that influence pervades more of our hearts until our personal values lean towards the world’s values. Whereas trust in the LORD grows from a reverent fear of God that recognises sin and turns away from it. This is a discipline of trust which strengthens over time as it is exercised more and more.
The blessings of trust in the LORD should captivate our attention as we realise His affections and the eternal security that exist in Christ. Trust is not a one-time thing. No, it’s an ongoing conscious walk of confident faith with the Almighty. As we watch and pray, we see the LORD invisibly directing us and actively maneuvering within our lives. Through trust, unforeseen and unpleasant events of life can take on a fresh perspective as we witness God’s providential care and provision through those times.
David was right when he instructed, commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act (Psalm 37:5). The fact is, God always acts. And those who trust will recognise His active engagement with their lives and give Him the thanks and praise for it.
To be continued…
