We can trust the Lord with all that we are, knowing that He will make our path straight.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
[6] In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Some definitions of Trust (from Dictionary.com):
- Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
- Reliance on something in the future; hope.
- To have or place reliance; depend: Trust in the Lord.
- To have or place confidence in; depend on, to beleive
- To expect with assurance; assume: I trust that you will be on time.
Trust is not a passive state of mind. It is a vigorous act of the soul by which we choose to lay hold on the promises of God and cling to them despite the adversity that at times seeks to overwhelm us. - Jerry Bridges
2. Who we Trust – We trust in the Lord (“Trust in the Lord”)
There are three foundational truths about God, that we must understand and believe to trust in God.
a. Trust in God who is all-powerful
Daniel 4:35 (ESV) all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?"
Psalm 95:3-5 (ESV)
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
[4] In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
[5] The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
[17] 'Ah, Lord God! It is you who has made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you…. [26] The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: [27] "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Isaiah 26:4 "Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, {we have} an everlasting Rock.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him. ]
Psalms 36:7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
Romans
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
"Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? [8] It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? [9] Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
“To say that God is omniscient is to say that He possesses perfect knowledge and has no need to learn. But it is more: it is to say that God never learned and cannot learn.” - A.W. Tozer
“Wisdom is the application or use of knowledge to devise the best ends, to be accomplished by the best means possible” – Bruce Ware
c. Trust in God who is all-loving
2 Chron.
Neh.
Psalm 36:7 (ESV) How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Romans
2. How we Trust - With all that you are (“with all your heart”)
The scripture in Proverbs says to trust “with all your heart”:
a. Your thoughts
b. Your emotions
c. Your desires & ambitions
The wise man is not afraid of his inability, because he knows that Christ’s grace is sufficient. However, the wise man is afraid of the delusions of human strength, because those delusions will keep him from seeking the grace of Christ. The wise man can glory in weakness because he knows of the sufficiency of Christ. The wise man is approachable, able to be corrected. The wise man is humble, waking up every morning saying, “I am a person of great need. Thank you, Lord, that you are in my life. There’s hope for me.” – Paul Tripp
a. In thought
b. In word
c. In deed
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
3. Trust and He will reward – “and He will make your paths straight”
Do you trust God for who you are and how He has made you?
Do you trust the wisdom of God in what you have and what you don’t have as well as what you can and can’t do?
Do you trust that He knew what is best for you, is able to do what is best for you and wants what is best for you?
Do you trust that God loves you and He is not withholding anything from you?
Do you seek His wisdom first from the place He has given it most fully – His word?
Do you trust the power of God? Do you really believe that He is able? Do you pray?
Do you believe that “apart from Me (Jesus) you can do nothing”? Do you really believe that you need Him for any success in life and in able to glorify Him?
