Devotional: October 30, 2020

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;     don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;     he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.”

         Proverbs 3: 5-6   The Message

In spite of great gains in human knowledge, there are still matters which puzzle us. Particularly when it comes to making major decisions, we often go with our best guess, or our “gut”. Sometimes we do this without really consulting the Lord, and trusting Him. There are times where we feel like there is divine guidance. Yet there are also times when we realize we should have listened a bit more, and talked a bit less.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 has provided tremendous comfort for people, ever since it was first written. It reminds us that the most important part of following God is trusting Him. God says, “Do you trust me?” He said this to Abraham, to Moses, to Elijah, and to many others in the Old Testament. Jesus said these words to his disciple Peter, when he invited him to walk upon the water.

Trusting God is the essence of faith. Yet when we really consider it, making decisions is always a matter of trust. Here, the author of Proverbs reminds us that ultimately, it is a question of who we trust, not if we will trust. Will we trust God more than we trust ourselves? Given the number of times I have been wrong about things, this should be no choice. Yet it is so easy to put myself in the driver’s seat, and to want to call all of the shots.

Proverbs 3:5 reminds us all that we can trust God to direct all of our paths, from what we are doing today, to what we are doing for the rest of our lives. Each day, we are called to give our lives over to the Lord, and to trust in him.  Let us endeavor to live as people who trust the Lord, always, completely, and forever!

These verses have been set to music countless times. Here is one version which may speak to you. It is “Trust in the Lord,” written by Amy Sandstrom-Shroyer.  Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQTPVPhbG_A

Trust in the Lord - Lyrics Hillsong Trust in the Lord was written by Amy Sandstrom-Shroyer, and the music on this video from Hillsong Kids. This video was made for worship and small group use where congregations have a CCLI licence Video Production: Richard Schwedes www.youtube.com

Prayer

God of every path,

When we face choices in our lives, remind us to trust in You. When we are tempted to believe that we know better than You, help us to realize how limited our vision is. Let us acknowledge that Your ways are better than our ways. Therefore, enable us to trust You, even when we are tempted to doubt You. We pray this prayer in the name of Your Son Jesus, who is called the way, the truth, and the life. Amen.