Trust With All Your Heart (Prov. 3:5)

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

I cannot tell you how many times I have quoted this verse to myself.  I usually did it when I was at the crossroads of some major decision in my life.

As I look at the verse, I ponder what is meant by and why the Lord put the words “with all thine heart” in the passage.  I had always thought that trusting God was a pass-fail matter.  You either are trusting him or you are not.  I thought, “If I am trusting, how can I trust him more?”  It doesn’t say, “Trust him with part of your heart” or even “most of your heart.”  As I read this passage, I paused and pondered for quite some time about “all thine heart”.  I came up empty and decided to continue with my devotions.

As I then read the remainder of the verse, I discovered what it meant.  The key words are “Lean not unto thine own understanding”.  There are two ingredients that affect my faith: knowledge and understanding.  Most people are willing to trust God based on their knowledge of the scriptures, their past experiences with God or based on others’ testimonies or experiences, but this will only be with half of the heart.  What we, as saved sinners, are good at doing is trusting the Lord to work out our trial and then we begin to ponder and plan how it can be done.  We want to figure out a plan and then—because we have faith—believe that he will bless and deliver.  Trusting with all your heart is believing that God can and then leaving it to him to resolve the problem.

The remaining responsibility that we have is to acknowledge him.  If he needs us to do anything, he will direct our paths.  When we cease to look to him for direction and lean on our understanding, we do evil.  Proverbs 6:7 states, “Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil.”  This is why the Lord tells us to wait on him.  Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”  From this verse we see that waiting is a heart issue, because he needs to overcome a weak heart in order to do so. Those who do not wait on the Lord are not trusting with all of their heart.  So, as you face the trials of your life, trust in him, acknowledge his lead and wait for his directive.