The wise preacher, Solomon, wrote, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”(Proverbs3:5-7) The Bible emphasizes trusting in God in more than a hundred verses, and the concept of trust is found in almost three hundred verses. God expects His people to trust in Him. Yet, the thought of fully trusting in God is difficult for many people, even for some who profess to be Christians, because trust asks one to rely on something that they cannot fully see, control, or verify in the same manner that they might with other things. Even the words used in the Bible carry meanings that demand much of the individual in regards to trust. The most common word for trust in the Old Testament (Hebrew: batach) means “to throw oneself down” or “to lie securely in confident reliance.” Think of it as lying down to sleep without any fear of danger – that is a good description of trust! Another word (Hebrew: aman) implies holding firmly onto something, like a child held securely in a parent’s arms. In theNew Testament, the word translated “trust” (Greek: peitho or pistis) means”to be persuaded or to have full assurance.?We can deduce that trust means placing your safety and well-being in someone else’s hands. It relies on the other person to always consider your best interests and keep their promises. Ultimately, confident trust always depends on who the other party is. That is the essential key to understanding Solomon’s words: it is about in WHO one can place their trust. Proverbs 3:5-7 encapsulate the entire Bible?s teaching on trust. Notice first that we are instructed to trust in the Lord God rather than ourselves or anything that this world has to offer. In other words, the”Who” of our trust is what matters most! We can place our full confidence in God the Father becauseHe alone is wholly trustworthy. Why? It is because His Word is reliable (Psalm 93:5; 111:7; Titus 1:9), His character is faithful and true (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 25:10; 145:13; 146:6; 2 Peter 3:9), and His plans for us are perfect and intentional (see Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 29:11; John 3:16, 14:1-4; Revelation 21:4). Secondly, sinceGod is trustworthy, He has called us, His creation, to trust Him wholeheartedly, considering every aspect of our lives and commit to Him with unwavering confidence. This was the whole point of Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. God could have easily led them directly to the promised land, but they needed to first learn to trust in Him. God taught Israel to trust Him by stripping away all human self-sufficiency: no food, water, or textile supplies available, and no weapons to protect them from attackers. Yet, He provided exactly what they needed, day by day, requiring radical reliance on His voice and timing such as, manna from heaven (Exodus 16), water from a rock (Exodus 17), strength to overcome enemies (Exodus 17), and clothes that never wore out (Deuteronomy 8). Those events are recorded so that we may see and learn that He is worthy of our trust! Lastly, we should never trust solely in ourselves, since our understanding is limited, temporary, and corrupted by sin. We could compare trusting in ourselves to being overconfident in an old, decaying, frayed and failing rope to keep us from falling into a vast, deadly chasm below – it’s dangerous and will most likely lead to one’s death. The prophet Micah clearly outlined the danger, “Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man’s enemies are the men of his own household”(Micah 7:5-6). God alone is worthy of our trust, we can place full confidence in Him! So, Trust in the Lord with all your heart!
-Troy Spradlin