Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him

And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I think when I memorized this verse, shortly after becoming a follower of Christ, I had a vision of the Lord and I, hand-in-hand, venturing higher and higher on some ascending and scenic trail. In that higher altitude I would be at peace with the world, with no more cares than a lily. I had also memorized Matt 6:28: “Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin.” This verse, coupled with Joshua 1:8, left me with the further impression that if I would continue to hide His word in my heart, that this path would proceed on a more or less direct course to prosperity and success. I liked this plan! If I would do this, then the Lord would do that. I loved the idea of traveling hand in hand with Peace and Success as my escorts. I was more than ready to jettison Loneliness and Failure—the perceived outfitters of my previous life, who I believed had led me into a box canyon of misery. Yes, leaning on this understanding of the Christian life was going to make my journey an enjoyable and, I believed, a pretty manageable affair.

We have grandchildren now, and they remind me how cute and clueless toddlers are. I am pretty sure the Lord was smiling down at me as I began toddling—imagining that this Christian life was going to be something I could actually manage by way of my understanding.

I was amazed at how quickly the trail started to twist and to turn! But it was okay. I was determined to not get lost by following any dead-end trails of sin or bad doctrine. I was loaded up with memorized scriptures and just knew they would light the way to my high places. However, as I started traveling with a wife and kids, facing some vocational, financial, and relational challenges, my vision went fuzzy. The terrain, the scenery, and even my companions changed on me. On this lap around the mountain, Peace and Success passed the baton to Sorrow and Suffering. What’s the deal! This is not at all working out according to my understanding! I could see with my own eyes that we were going in the opposite direction! The amen” of my perpetually praying heart was replaced with an “OMG!”

The do not trust in your own understanding-part of our passage probably made its first major contribution to my life as the Lord was removing—excuse me—tearing the myth from my heart that I could manage anything with understanding, however biblically accurate it might be. Learning to place my trust in the Lord when things inside me and around me felt out of control seemed to be the only path remaining for me. Honestly, it still is.

It would be enjoyable and, I think, valuable for us to reflect on our stories and tell each other about those times where we learned (or were failing to learn) to trust in Christ and acknowledge Him. I will recommend, once again, a favorite book of mine, Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. As well as any story, I believe this allegory gives a representative account of our journey to the higher places in God. It has been particularly helpful in those seasons when the trail vanished or seemed impossibly steep or to be leading in the wrong direction.

The myth has now been replaced (at least to some degree) with an experience-based revelation that His life within me is a mystery far greater than my finite mind can lay hold of or, in any way, control. Literally, Christ is my life and His ongoing revelation of this reality has required that I experience life’s ups and downs and twists and turns with Him. I believe these more rugged stretches of the trail have served to reveal the mysterious essence of life in Christ. Without them, I feel sure I would have been left to my delusions.

If I have learned anything, it is that the abundant life is all about living life with Him, no matter what we encounter on the trail. It is really only through my rest in His love that I can entrust my heart to Him at all. Christ alone (not my understanding of Him or the Bible) is my sufficiency. Our lives are like a lantern. Our spirit’s flame glows or dims depending on how we respond to trail conditions. We must walk carefully, for we are being observed: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Confession. I have not always appreciated God’s company along the trail. Overtime, my “OMG!” evolved into an elder-brother kind of bitterness—something that can nearly obliterate the view of the trail and even make a mockery of the high places. It definitely obscured my vision of God as my Father.

For the record, I am so glad I memorized those scriptures and I am so grateful for His Word! I am also more grateful than ever before for His Spirit who has breathed life into my stockpile of Bible knowledge and connected at least a few of the dots.

Father, thank you for being our good and capable Shepherd. May we see and acknowledge Your lovingkindness in the midst of our current circumstances. May we continue to learn how to prefer Your leadership over our own understanding. Amen.

 

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap