Morning Devo | Trust in the Lord

                 Proverbs 3:5-7New International Version (NIV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

 fear the Lord and shun evil.

When things aren't going our way, it is easy to lose focus. When the storms start raging, it's easy to think, "God has forgotten about me. God doesn't love me. His promises are not true."

When things are peachy, we say: "God is with me. I have God's favor. God is on my side!"

What if I told you that irregardless of our situations and circumstances, God is with us? He has not left you. He has not forgotten about you and He is not punishing you. How do I know? Well, the Bible reveals the qualities of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit --- and no where does it show him as such. Is he a judge? Yes. Does he bring judgment on individuals. Yes. But with much study, you will find that such things come after MANY MANY seasons of grace. And these moments of judgment are toward individuals who refuse to trust (obey) Him.

But the believer who has been pressing forward in obedience? The one who is hanging on with their mustard seed faith? The one who is struggling to obey, but their heart is in the fight for righteousness? God is right with you. 

The struggles you're facing can be attacks, can be tests, can be trials. Either way, don't lose hope. Instead, as the waves get higher, as the winds blow more fiercely against your sails, learn to TRUST. In fact, these are the moments when our trust should be in God so deeply, it defies logic.

"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."

Our understanding and wisdom can be flawed. Our understanding, our logic, our minds are limited. We are seeing through natural eyes. We are using what we know, be it past experiences or the experiences of others, to determine outcomes; but the Lord uses things that defy logic to glorify Himself in our lives. He uses foolish things in the world to shame the wise, and he uses our struggles to lift us up. 

Foolish things to shame the wise?

Struggles will lift us up?

This sounds contradictory. It's not. It's God's way to get you to trust HIM, and not your understanding. It is God's way of teaching us to depend on HIM and not our own wisdom. 

Whatever it is you are going through right now, you may need to "lean not on your own understanding." Things might not make sense. There may seem like no way out. There may seem like there is no solution; but there is. The beauty of it all, is that you don't need to figure it out. You just need to trust God. When we trust God with all of our hearts, He will make our paths straight. If you're on a winding road, lost and confused, it's probably because you are leaning on your own understanding. Do not fret, all it takes is faith and trust in God to get back on track. 

Your situation does not define you. Your identity is not found in the circumstance, it is secured in your God. Trust Him.