People search for peace, love, and joy in a lot of places. They trust their own intellect, their heart, their past decisions, their instincts, the opinions of others, the advice of Chat-GPT or other AI, or some other influencers. They get crushed when their favorite team loses. They are paralyzed with fear over world conflicts. They hope their political leaders will solve all of our problems. Life seems to be full of chaos; it seems to be spiraling out of control.
There is a different way to live.
Trust in the Lord.
Trust in the Lord today. Trust in the Lord tomorrow. Trust in the Lord for your future. Trust in the Lord for your eternity. Trust in the Lord moment by moment.
Proverbs 3:5-8 says it this way:
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.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart (verse 5). Your heart on its own can lead you astray. How many times have you “followed your heart” and it led you somewhere you didn’t want to go? If you put your whole heart into trusting a sports team or a material object or an experience or even a person, you will be crushed if they let you down. Rather, put your whole heart into trusting the Lord because He will never fail you.
Trust in the Lord with all your mind (verse 5). What is your mind focused on daily — your calendar, your job responsibilities, your relationships? What do you think about most often? Our minds are limited and our thinking has limits. But God is omniscient. He is all-knowing. Focus your mind on Him. Learn to think like Him. Read His Word. Memorize it.
Trust in the Lord with all your ways (verse 6). The ways of the Lord are always right. In any situation, His way may not be the easy way, but His way is always the right way. His ways are true, loving and kind. His ways lead to life, while the ways of the enemy lead to death and destruction. Follow the ways of Christ.
Trust in the Lord for your future (verse 6). The Lord knows your future. The Lord will direct your paths. We think we would like to know what the future holds because we think we would be better prepared. But the truth is that if we knew all of the life events we would have to face in 3 years or 5 years, it would scare us to death. Rather, let us trust the Lord daily and let Him guide us each day, preparing us for now and for the future.
Trust in the Lord with humility (verse 7). Could you imagine a person learning to trust in the Lord and then bragging that they are the “best Christian ever”? That is not the way of Christ. Should you be confident? Yes. Should you be cocky? No. It has been said, “You better learn to be humble or life will humble you.” Humbly follow Christ, keeping your attitude in proper perspective.
Trust in the Lord to turn away from evil (verse 7). In the Lord’s Prayer we are taught to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” When we trust in the Lord, we are asking for His help to avoid tempting situations and to pursue a life of holiness in every way. The world, the flesh, and the devil are fighting against you. Trust in the Lord to turn away from evil.
Trust in the Lord to know His strength in your life (verse 8). The Lord gives you health and strength. We do our part — eat healthy, get enough sleep, regular exercise — but it is the Lord who is our strength. When we are sick, we are grateful for doctors and nurses, hospitals, and all in the medical community who use their training and skill to help us recover. But truly the Lord is our Healer. We trust in Him. And even when are frail, He gives us the strength for each day. And one day we will step into eternity and we will know perfect peace, love and strength forever!
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.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
Trust in the Lord.