“Trust would be a whole lot easier if I knew where we were going.”

Although not spoken in the context of trusting God, it certainly is appropriate!  If God always made sense to us, then we’d struggle a lot less with trusting Him.

This is the last week in our four-part series about trusting God.  Using Proverbs 3:5-6 we have been examining practical lessons in trusting God.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV

As we’ve dissected these verses we’ve learned some principles of trusting God along with some practical tips on exercising trust in God.

Our final lesson today is in the last phrase, “and he will make your paths straight”.  This phrase could also be translated as “and He will direct your paths”.  It’s important to grasp this phrase in context: it’s a conditional statement.  IF we submit to him in all ways (6a), THEN “He will make our paths straight”.

It isn’t to say the Lord is going to remove all the obstacles in our lives; it’s closer to mean our path will be laid out before us.

Trusting the Lord requires faith, specifically, faith in action.  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

This kind of realized faith produces peace in our lives.  The issue is we sometimes think the only way we can have peace is by knowing the path before we walk it.

But that’s not faith—of any kind.

The bottom line is this: we increase the strength of our ability to trust in God the same way we increase the strength of any muscle: we use it.  We can be stable, at peace, comforted, worry-free, a blessing, close to Jesus because He is able—more than able—to complete the “good work” in you.

Yes, trusting the Lord would be a whole lot easier if we saw the end of the path.  But that’s not how it works.  Next time you struggle with trusting the Lord, remember: you’re strengthening your “faith muscle”.  Pray through it.  Walk through it.  Submit to Him and walk the path He has for you, even when you can make it out completely.

Next week, we start a series in the New Testament book of 1 Timothy.  Can’t wait to journey through this letter with you.

 

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Joel just started a new podcast!   Addressing church leadership issues, Joel dissects what he’s been taught and experienced.  Subscribe below.

 

 

Interested in more like this?  Consider my book: 31 Days of Spiritual Wisdom: A Month in the Proverbs.  Moving through a selection of verses from a chapter of Proverbs for every day of the month, I walk readers through a journey of spiritual formation applicable to everyday life.  The goal? Knowing how to apply the wisdom of Scripture so we grow in our faith, become wiser, and show the world the life-changing power of Jesus.