"Trust in the Lord with your whole heart, and lean not on your own understanding."
Proverbs 3:5
This verse, though it seems like a simple wise quip, is actually the very basis of the entire Biblical narrative beginning back in Genesis. The very temptation of Eve and Adam was that they did not need to trust in what God said - and that their understanding was surely equivalent to God's, if not better:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
-Genesis 3:1;5
So while this Proverb is often a soothing piece of advice for those who are in a situation that seems confusing or challenging, it's much more than a simple reassurance for those times when you "just don't get it." This verse is perhaps one of the most radical in scripture. It is the foundation of our entire Christian faith: for we must trust God in all His aspects - His Word and all its promises and instruction; His Son and our very salvation through Him.
And those times when we don't get it? Ruth Myers suggests that those are times to praise Him, for "these things keep reminding me to depend on You with all my heart. (31 Days of Praise, pg94)" She lists a number of attributes our Father has that are footholds, so to speak, upon which to anchor our trust:
-Love
- Forgiveness
- Power
- Sufficiency
- His ability to overrule
- His transforming presence within us.
We can be thankful that we have a God who is infinitely more wise than us...what a relief that we don't need to lean upon our own understanding!
Learn more about the 31 Days of Praise!
Resources:
- Ruth Myers, "31 Days of Praise: Enjoying God Anew", Multnomah Books, 1994