Key scripture – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

This Proverb is a conditional promise that says if we do our part, then God will do His part. Let’s break it down and see what God is telling us to do.

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

When we start doubting then we are not trusting in The Lord. Doubt is the soil that fear grows in. Doubt is the cause of our emotional peaks and valleys. Doubt happens when we take our eyes off of the Lord. When our eyes are on the Lord, we are filled with faith. But when we start focusing on the wind and the waves, and the ups and downs, then doubt is creeping in and taking over.

A perfect example of this is in Matthew 14 when the disciples were out in a boat on the sea of Galilee and a big storm came up and the boat was being beaten by the wind and the waves, and Jesus was not with them. In the wee hours Jesus came out to them walking on the water and the disciples were terrified. “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:27-33).

If you feel like you’re going down right now it is because, like Peter, you have taken your eyes off the Lord. Instead you’re looking at the wind and the waves and listening to the howling. Instead of looking at the storm, get your eyes back on the Lord.

The Christian life is a life of faith and you’ve got to trust God by holding on to the promises of God and believing them. You need to say to yourself over and over, I believe God’s promises are true. God said it so I believe it, and that settles it. I know God’ promises are going to happen, I don’t know when it’s going to happen, I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but it will happen.

2. Do not rely on your own understanding.

How do you know if you are leaning on your own understanding? How do you know if your confidence is in yourself, not God?

Are you saying to yourself “Hey things may be bad but I can fix it. I can take care of it. I have been through this before. I know how to handle it. Nobody messes with me, nobody runs over me. I know how to get what I have to have and what I need. I am going to get on this and take care of it.” That is relying on your own understanding and totally leaving God out.

3. In all your ways acknowledge Him.

How do we acknowledge God? In every choice and every decision we need to acknowledge God. This is all about God. It is about His Honor and His Reputation. We need to say in every situation, “I want to honor God in my life. I want to handle this in a way that pleases him.” You may be able to get yourself out of your problem, but you should not want to just get out of it, you should want to honor God.

Don’t you believe that God sees your situation? Don’t you believe He knows what’s going on? If you believe that, then trust in the Lord with all your heart.

For example, if you have lost your job or your money is tight, instead of continuing to tithe and help others you think, “I’m not going to tithe any more or help people instead I am going to hoard my money.” That is a bad idea. Instead of reacting that way, we need to continue to trust God. We should continue to tithe because we believe that 90% with God is better than 100% on our own, and when we leave God out, we are on our own.

We need to decide right now that we are going to put God first in our life. We are going to honor him and trust him to keep his promises. God knows how much You have and what You need. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matthew 6:31-32).

What if your problem is not money but family or some other relationship and you have been betrayed and hurt bad or you have a child that has gone astray and is not walking with God. Don’t you think God knows what is going on? Don’t you think He knows what people have done to you?

In those situations, we need to say, “No matter what is going on, I am going to do what’s right. I’m going to trust God to honor my obedience. I’m not going to get petty, I’m not going to get mean, I’m not going to gossip and slander the other person I’m going to bless them, not curse them. I am not going to try to get even”. “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.” (Luke 6:27-29 NIV)

We are not going to take vengeance on that person. We can give the matter over to God. We can wait upon him to work. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:“ If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21, NIV).

If we doubt God’s word that is not going anywhere good, but if we trust in The Lord with all our heart, and we don’t lean on our own understanding, and in all our ways acknowledge Him, then He will direct our paths.

If we do our part God will do his part. So you ask, what will God do if I do my part?

God will make straight your paths. He will make your life smooth. As we look down the road into our future, we see some bumps, boulders and pot holes in the road, which are things like, “I don’t see how I’m going to get my kids through college. I don’t know how I’m going to save for retirement. How will my marriage change and get better. When will my child or relatives be saved?” These kind of things are on our minds. But we do not need to worry, because God will make our paths smooth. He will pave the way for us. He will provide us with the smoothest and straightest way. He will smooth out the bumps, fill the pot holes, and remove the boulders from our path. How do we know that will happen, because God promised it and when He makes a promise He means it. His Word is always true!

When God paves the way for you, there are no gravel roads, no speed bumps, no potholes, no boulders in the road, it is a clean straight road. God will level the ground in front of you and He will take you on the safest, fastest, smoothest road to the best possible destination. How is that for a promise!

You ask, how can He do that? He is God and nothing is impossible for him or to hard for him. He can handle anything in your path. Everything that we’re dealing with, it is like nothing to him. The biblical term for this is, God is Sovereign. Which means, He is in control.

This is The Sovereignty of God. No matter what happens or comes our way we have a God who is in complete control. God never ever promises and under delivers because he is Sovereign. He can do anything.

He is saying to you and me, this is not a problem. He can use the sin of other people to accomplish the purposes he has for our lives. He is sovereignly working behind the scenes in each one of our lives. “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

Pray this – Our Previous Heavenly Father, I am so sorry for all of the times I have let doubt take over my mind. You have made promises that are true and I believe each and every one of them. Your promises have never ever failed and You are not going to start now. I believe You and trust You. “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17, NIV). Father, when the wind and waves are trying to beat me down I know You are holding me with Your Righteous Right Hand. No matter what is going on I know my future is safe with You as You guide me along the best path that You have planned for me. “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:7-8 NLT). I will trust in you with all my heart, I will not lean on my own understanding, in all my ways I will acknowledge You, and You will make straight my paths. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

 Laura Ingle