Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
We have a new year coming tomorrow, and New Year’s Resolutions are common for many people. And this passage gives some timely advice for the follower of Jesus who is looking to faithfully follow him in the new year. This passage can be broken up into three resolutions with a single result.
The Resolutions
First, “trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Trust him, not your family, your bank account, your job, or any other thing. Trust God with all that you are, and all that you have. Yes, trust can be hard. It involves turning everything over to him. But it is what we are called to do.
Secondly, “lean not on your own understanding.” This may be the hardest thing for me. While I acknowledge that my understanding is flawed; whether of the Bible, God, humanity, creation, etc., I still have a tendency to make it a foundation stone. I ‘lean’ on it for support. It impacts all I do. Instead, I need to lean on the truth of God’s word and the guidance of his Spirit.
And lastly, “in all your ways submit to him.” How might I go about submitting to the Lord? A good start is to obey the instructions in his word. Know the Bible and do what it says. Submission is hard, especially in a culture that values individuality. But it is essential to being a successful Christ follower.
The Result
And if I will do those three things, I can count on him to “make my paths straight.” He will direct me and help me to be successful. Not measured by human standards but by the standards of the kingdom. To have a successful new year as a believer, trust in the Lord, don’t depend on your own understanding, and submit to him in everything. Together they will make up a winning formula for the new year.
