Do You Trust Him? :: Deeper Devotion

All December devotions are reruns, having been originally written and published last year. This is in preparation of Deeper Devotion’s new launch, scheduled for January 1, 2005.

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By Glenn Ansley

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

It was 4:00 in the morning by the time Kristie and I finally got up from that old wooden bench overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Everything around us seemed to be covered in the morning dew. We had been sitting in the same place since 11:00 the night before. This always made it difficult for us to determine what day we first started dating. Was it September the 21 or the 22? Either way, it was the last thing on our minds as we walked the mile back to our college campus. We couldn’t believe what had just happened. There was suddenly a new and exciting outlook on life that morning, everything was fresh and promising… almost the same as the dew that mysteriously appeared on everything around us.

Our five hour conversation entailed so much more than a simple, “I like you, do you like me?” Kristie and I had been in love with each other for about a year, we just didn’t understand it yet. In fact, we had spent the last nine months not talking to each other. Call it bad communication, a misunderstanding, or nothing more than rotten luck. Whatever the case, it was nine months of confusion and denial; nine months of trying hard to lean on our own understanding rather than trusting in the Lord.

Why do we find it so difficult to give up our own understanding of hard to deal with situations? Kristie was majoring in biology with plans to graduate and go on to medical school. I was a ministry major hoping to graduate and begin my seminary education. We were clueless as to how these two lives could ever come together. It was a situation we couldn’t comprehend and our fears led to separation rather than God. Nine months later, through only the work of the Lord, we were pursuing the same conversation. This time the Lord’s will was on the table rather than our own doubts and concerns. The most difficult question to answer that night wasn’t, “Do we like each other?” but rather, “Do we trust God?”

Do you trust God? No doubt, you have situations in your life right now that demand a blind faith in the Lord. I challenge you to read the third chapter of Proverbs in anticipation of hearing from God. Proverbs 3:19 says that the Lord, “by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drip with dew.” Take heart in knowing that with this same wisdom and knowledge, He leads us through life. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Kristie and I hadn’t been so quick to make decisions on our own understanding the first time around. I challenge you to not wait nine months before you decide to trust in God with all of your heart. Proverbs 3 also promises us that with the pursuit of God’s wisdom and direction, also comes peace and long life. Verses 24-26 proclaim, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.”

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