Trust the Lord

February 2
Trust the Lord by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths,” Proverbs 3:5–6.

Proverbs 3:5–6 offers us direction and guidance as we stand at the threshold of each new beginning of our lives. Whether we are embarking upon a new career or a new relationship or simply a new day, we are in need of the direction only the Lord can give to us.

Mankind desperately needs God’s direction for life, for apart from Him, when we don’t have His mind in a matter we subject ourselves to the threat of abysmal failure in whatever we try to accomplish on our own, to achieve apart from Him.

How do we receive His guidance: How can we know His will? Although there is latitude for Him to speak by various and sundry methods to His children, there are some basic tenets we can apply in our pursuit of His guidance for our lives.

We know that by trusting in the Lord with all of our hearts and not leaning on our own understanding we can attain a lofty level of faith that will supply much direction as we follow our daily walk with Him. The Holy One doesn’t ask us to stop using our reason, our common sense, our desires regarding the pursuits before us, but He does want us to avoid relying on our own self-confidence.

The world affirms to us that we are to cultivate that trait. From our earliest childhood, we are admonished to assume responsibility for ourselves, and indeed we should, but if we rely upon ourselves apart from the spiritual admonition to rely on the Lord as we are directed in Proverbs 3:5, 6, we rob ourselves of the blessing, of the joy of following fast after Jesus.

Often what the world affirms, the Lord abhors, including our own self-reliance. It is not that the hand that fashioned us wants us to be little children all our lives who cannot function independently, but God wants us to rely on Him and Him alone for the ultimate decision as to what avenue we shall pursue.

As you choose your goals and the avenues you will use to pursue them, trust God to guide you. Don’t use your own reasoning to back up your plans; ask God to guide you, then listen for His answer.



Dr. Kennedy has written: Proverbs 3:5, 6 promises us that if we acknowledge God, He’ll direct our paths. So how do we acknowledge God? We acknowledge our Lord by seeing Him in every aspect of our lives, by having a vision of Him and His providential workings in and through us. We acknowledge Him by seeking Him first in all we do and by obeying His commandments.

What has God done in your life recently? And how can you remain obedient to His call on your life?

As you acknowledge God’s rightful place in your life, He’ll direct you along the pathways of your life. He does this in three main ways.

First, God directs through His Word. As long as believers follow Scripture, they can be certain they’re traveling the right path.

Second, God directs His people through circumstances in their lives. Sometimes He guides them by opening doors, sometimes by closing them. Sometimes He makes their paths smooth; sometimes He allows them to stumble and fall flat on their faces. Sometimes He removes obstacles; sometimes He throws them in their way.

Third, God guides people of faith through His Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit’s “still small voice” pulls them back from a venture they’ve planned, and only much later they discover that He has spared them from disaster!

Although it may not always be easy to see God’s hand immediately, He does guide when believers trust Him. Often His guidance is seen most clearly in retrospect. But those who come to Him can rely on His promise to provide direction if they trust Him in every aspect of their lives—in their home lives, at work, at school, as they drive their cars, as they eat their meals, as they conduct business.

As you ponder your goals, invite God to guide you. As you acknowledge Him, He’ll direct you down the right path for your life.

As Edward Hooper stated so well, may we who profess faith say today, “Jesus, Savior, pilot me, over life’s tempestuous sea.”