Lord, amid the changes and challenges in my life, help me to put total trust in You. Help me to identify which things prevent me from taking that leap of faith. Going into full time ministry, without any assurance of financial support or sources of income will be indeed challenging. Help me to trust You, O Lord, that You will take care of things, that You will provide for the needs of the ministry and of the staff. LORD, remind me always that I should not rely on my own understanding and on my own resources or on what I see, but put my trust in You, with all my heart. And lean on You and depend on You. Dear Father, please give me the wisdom and strength I need to trust You with my life and my ministry.
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Text: Proverbs 3:5-8 New International Version
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
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6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
[From ODB] As I prepared to ride a zip line from the highest point of a rainforest on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, fear welled up inside me. Seconds before I jumped from the platform, thoughts of everything that could go wrong filled my mind. But with all the courage I could muster (and few options for turning back), I released. Dropping from the pinnacle of the forest, I whizzed through the lush green trees, wind flowing through my hair and my worries slowly fading. As I moved through the air allowing gravity to carry me, my view of the next platform became clearer and, with a gentle stop, I knew I’d arrived safely.
My time on the zip line pictured for me the times God has us undertake new, challenging endeavors. Scripture teaches us to put our trust in God and “lean not on [our] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) when we feel doubt and uncertainty. When our minds are filled with fear and doubt, our paths can be unclear and distorted. But once we’ve made the decision to step out in faith by submitting our way to God, “he will make [our] paths straight” (v. 6). We become more confident taking leaps of faith by learning who God is through spending time in prayer and the Scriptures.
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We can find freedom and tranquility even in life’s challenges as we hang on to God and allow Him to guide us through the changes in our lives. by By Kimya Loder
[From Commentary] Humanity has an autonomy problem. From the beginning, the first man and woman chose to decide for themselves what was good and what was bad and denied their Creator His place as their God (Genesis 3:6–7).
Proverbs, like the rest of the Wisdom Literature in the Bible, offers a way back—a description of what life can look like when lived the way God intended. Proverbs 3:5–8 encapsulates that mission perfectly: if we trust ourselves and set our own paths in life, we’ll retread Adam and Eve’s road toward death. But if we instead trust our Creator, lean on Him and His guidance, and submit to Him, we’ll find life and peace. Verses 5–6 describe the road back toward life in Eden: trust God with everything and let Him direct our paths. by Jed Ostoich
[From me] Lord, amid the changes and challenges in my life, help me to put total trust in You. Help me to identify which things prevent me from taking that leap of faith. Going into full time ministry, without any assurance of financial support or sources of income will be indeed challenging. Help me to trust You, O Lord, that You will take care of things, that You will provide for the needs of the ministry and of the staff. LORD, remind me always that I should not rely on my own understanding and on my own resources or on what I see, but put my trust in You. And lean on You and depend on You. Dear Father, please give me the wisdom and strength I need to trust You with my life and my ministry.
Posted July 19, 2023
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