“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 thy paths.” –Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Early in my Christian walk I memorized these verses and adopted them, along with other specific verses, to be my “life verses”—that is, verses I would repeat often, meditate upon and seek to live the truths conveyed.
The wise spiritual leader who taught me about the value of life-verses and what they can mean in a Christian’s life and walk has been long gone from this earthly scene. But his influence lives on in the way I conduct my life and how I depend on the well-paced trust he taught me to put in the Lord. Webster defines “trust” as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or trust of someone or something.” For the Christian, that trust is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ, first for salvation, or the restoration of our relationship with God which sin marred and took away. But in addition to trust for salvation, saving of the soul for eternity, the well-placed trust knows that the Lord can be relied upon with confidence to provide guidance and stability for life itself. Trust produces a relationship that does not have to question the reliability of the one trusted. The writer of Proverbs confidently lauded that well-placed trust. The Lord who had captured the believer’s heart, would at all times direct the paths of the believer.
In addition to the above familiar verses which most of us have memorized, the wise author of this Proverb gave other directives that benefit the one trusting. I invite you to read prayerfully all of Proverbs 3 now. The believer seeks always to keep the commandments of the Lord (Proverbs 3:1). Mercy and truth should be as much with the believer as if bound about his neck as an amulet, ever-present with the person (v. 3). Fear or awe and reverence for the Lord become a way of life, signs of a healthy, productive lifestyle (v. 7-8). And correction from the Lord should be expected, even as a loving father disciplines his children (v.12).
A major benefit of this well-placed trust is happiness (v. 13 and 16). Freedom from fear follows those who trust in the Lord (verses 24-26). As one who has lived beyond the “three-score and ten years” promised in Psalm 90:10, I can attest to the joy and fullness of a well-placed trust in the Lord. Have I always lived up to the ideal expressed in Proverbs 3:5-6, knowing that it is God’s best way for me? Honest confession brings me to say no; there have been times when I have leaned on my own understanding instead of the precepts and prodding of the Lord. But the opportunities He affords His trusting child are multiple and steadfast. He forgives, continues to love, and restores. And always, always, His promises are faithful.
Early in my Christian walk I memorized these verses and adopted them, along with other specific verses, to be my “life verses”—that is, verses I would repeat often, meditate upon and seek to live the truths conveyed.
The wise spiritual leader who taught me about the value of life-verses and what they can mean in a Christian’s life and walk has been long gone from this earthly scene. But his influence lives on in the way I conduct my life and how I depend on the well-paced trust he taught me to put in the Lord. Webster defines “trust” as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or trust of someone or something.” For the Christian, that trust is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ, first for salvation, or the restoration of our relationship with God which sin marred and took away. But in addition to trust for salvation, saving of the soul for eternity, the well-placed trust knows that the Lord can be relied upon with confidence to provide guidance and stability for life itself. Trust produces a relationship that does not have to question the reliability of the one trusted. The writer of Proverbs confidently lauded that well-placed trust. The Lord who had captured the believer’s heart, would at all times direct the paths of the believer.
In addition to the above familiar verses which most of us have memorized, the wise author of this Proverb gave other directives that benefit the one trusting. I invite you to read prayerfully all of Proverbs 3 now. The believer seeks always to keep the commandments of the Lord (Proverbs 3:1). Mercy and truth should be as much with the believer as if bound about his neck as an amulet, ever-present with the person (v. 3). Fear or awe and reverence for the Lord become a way of life, signs of a healthy, productive lifestyle (v. 7-8). And correction from the Lord should be expected, even as a loving father disciplines his children (v.12).
A major benefit of this well-placed trust is happiness (v. 13 and 16). Freedom from fear follows those who trust in the Lord (verses 24-26). As one who has lived beyond the “three-score and ten years” promised in Psalm 90:10, I can attest to the joy and fullness of a well-placed trust in the Lord. Have I always lived up to the ideal expressed in Proverbs 3:5-6, knowing that it is God’s best way for me? Honest confession brings me to say no; there have been times when I have leaned on my own understanding instead of the precepts and prodding of the Lord. But the opportunities He affords His trusting child are multiple and steadfast. He forgives, continues to love, and restores. And always, always, His promises are faithful.
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