What a bold statement. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” There is so much direction that can come from just this one part of the scripture. How often do we lean on our own understanding? Take a moment and really think about that. Our understanding is not God’s knowledge. It is influenced by the world. This one line should make us all stop when we are trying to make sense of any situation in our lives. Trusting in God is our highest priority. We cannot trust Him through our own understanding. Our understanding does not give us anything worthy of or wanting in life. Our minds will search relentlessly for a logical explanation. God’s way is not logical. He is beyond logic, because He is all powerful and created all we see and do not see. However, the more we surrender our understanding to just trusting in Him the better we can get at training our minds to submit. “When the road runs dead, You can see a way I don't. And it makes no sense, But You say that's what faith is for.” (Hillsong United, Know You Will)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Proverbs 3:5-12 NIV
Seeing with our own eyes always helps us believe more and better in what is happening around us. However, after what we just learned about trusting in God over our own understanding, seeing is not believing. True belief comes in what we cannot see. We are blessed when we believe even though we cannot see the solution, the end, the outcome, etc. yet trust that all will be well. God knows what we could never know. He wants more for us than we want for ourselves. He dreamed the whole world up. Why wouldn’t we want to trust Him? If He could create all we see, He can give us all we cannot see. The world’s treasures are deceptively alluring. They cannot give us peace, comfort or any of the lasting things we really want each day. God is who can give lasting and enduring peace, comfort, hope, love, and the list goes on. Putting our trust in Him is an investment into every breath we take in this life. The same cannot be said of the ways of the world.
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:29 NIV
A Story of Belief and Blessings:
I thought I never wanted children of my own. I come from a blended family. I am the only child between my parents. My mother is married to her second husband and my father is married to his third wife. Between them I have 7 brothers and sisters. Needless to say I was convinced marriage and children were not something I wanted.
God had different plans. Even though I believed logically that I didn’t want to get married or have my own family, when I was 17 I wrote a letter to my husband. My heart knew what my mind would not allow me to consider.
At 22 I met my soulmate. He is my best friend. We got married just about 2 years after we met. We have almost 4 kids now. I’m pregnant with our fourth child. I love him more today than yesterday. Our love continues to grow. Our children are my biggest teachers. I am so grateful I trusted in God for what I could not see, but He so clearly did.
- Anonymous
Strengthen the Christian Planner Family by sharing your experiences. We'd love to hear a story about God's work in your life. Use the form linked below to submit your story.
Considerations for your planner:
- Write down what you are trying to understand today through your lens of life. Now ask God to help you give up your understanding and trust in Him.
- Write down something you have believed for before and did not see until it came to fruition. Use this time to remember that God has delivered before and that He will continue to, so you can trust in Him.
