Trust-rely on with confidence of the outcome

5 Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart,

   and do not lean on your own understanding.

 6In ALL your ways acknowledge him,

   and he WILL make straight your paths.

 7 Be not wise in your own eyes;

    fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

(emphasis added)

~~Proverbs 3:5-7

I have been thinking about this verse a lot lately. I have also been trying to memorize it...I have never been one for memorizing by heart but that needs to change. I need to work harder at memorization that is something that you can pray about for sure!

Onto the verse...vs. 5 trust in the LORD with ALL your heart

This does not say think about trusting or pretend to trust we need to look at the words that have been written not what we want to see written. TRUST that is a hard word to understand sometimes. At times we think we are trusting someone or something however we might be trusting our own abilities

trust

this is from dictionary.com

noun

1.reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.

2.confident expectation of something; hope.

3.confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.

4.a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.

5.the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

Wow when you look at these definitions it becomes more real. Am I confident that the LORD has my path in His hands? Do I rely on His integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc? Am I confident in the certainty of future payment or blessings? Is He the person on whom I rely? WOW, that leaves me in awe. This is what He expects from us that we TRUST Him with all of our heart. That we rely on Him, that we are confident in His power, that we are certain of His blessings and His rewards! This really puts this into perspective for me and I hope it does for you also.

Now onto the second half of that with ALL your heart...this does not say most of your heart or some of your heart it says ALL. Therefore we cannot have part of our heart in one place (with our spouse, a child, parents, ourselves, the government...etc) and then the other part with the LORD. He wants ALL of our heart and He tells us that He is a jealous God. "You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God" ~Exodus 20:5

 Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two things at once...  "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" ~Matthew 6:24-25

The LORD knew that we would be anxious about our lives therefore He made it clear that we are not to worry about what comes next in life or about money. When we love money we cannot love God, He made us and knows that our hearts are only able to love one at a time. He told us that if we love one we will hate the other. So I ask you...are you putting anything above God right now? Do you love God more than anything else here on earth? Are you willing to give up everything you have in this life for God?

He tells us that is what He wants...and He will do what it takes to make sure we put 100% of our focus on Him. He is a jealous God but He also wants what is best for us, He WILL do whatever IS best for us according to His will.

6In ALL your ways acknowledge him,

   and he WILL make straight your paths.

We are to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways. This does not say in some of your ways, in most of your ways, or in part of your ways....it says ALL your ways! It also does not say in only good times either. We are to acknowledge Him in the good times, the bad times and the ok days also. He has a plan for our lives all we need to do is let Him work the plan for our good. We are not called to try and control the plan or make the path turn left when we really want what is down that road. He is capable of knowing what IS best for us and get this one...He wants what IS best for you too.

This verse goes on...it says He WILL make straight your paths. Does that mean that when something bad happens in your life and you know that you are in the will of the LORD that your path is still straight...YES!!!  

I could go the path of doubting God and His goodness right now...but I CHOOSE to see God for who He really IS my father who wants the best for me in all situations. This is where the rest of the verse comes in...

7 Be not wise in your own eyes;

    fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

So I have a choice to turn me eyes to my own wisdom or that of God's. I have a choice to turn to evil or away from it. He tells me that He WILL make my path straight...I have to choose to seek His wisdom over my own. I have to choose to turn my back on evil and where does evil start? In our mind, with that little choice...my wisdom or HIS? Turn away from evil or believe the lies satan put in my head? I choose HIS wisdom and to seek His will for my life...I choose HIS path not the one that satan has made to look like the "easy" way. I choose to trust (rely on with confidence of the outcome) in God and turn away from evil.