We give the Lord Almighty the glory and honor and adoration for He is good, and His mercy endures forever. We thank the Lord for bringing us to the second month of the year 2024. This leap year, we are encouraged to put our trust in the Lord.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
This verse has guided countless souls through life’s uncertainties. These words, written by the wise King Solomon, offer a simple yet profound truth: true peace and direction come from surrendering our limited understanding to the infinite wisdom of God.
It is important to surrender our limited perspective to God’s infinite wisdom. We are encouraged to trust Him, even when we don’t understand the path ahead, He will guide us and make our journeys purposeful.
Imagine a traveler navigating a dense forest. The path ahead is obscured by thick foliage, and the only light comes from dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Fear and uncertainty might grip the traveler’s heart, tempting him to rely solely on his judgment, which could lead him astray. But what if a trusted guide appeared, someone who knew the forest intimately and could lead him safely to his destination? Wouldn’t the traveler feel immense relief, casting aside his anxieties and placing his trust in the guide’s expertise? (1 Peter 5:7).
This, my friends, is the essence of trusting in the Lord. We are travelers on a journey through life, often facing paths shrouded in unknowns. Our limited human understanding is like the dim light filtering through the trees. But God, through his infinite wisdom and love, is the trusted guide who knows the way perfectly.
This reminds me of a chorus we learned when we were young :
My Lord Knows The Way Through The Wilderness;
All I Have To Do Is Follow/2ce.
Strength For Today Is Mine Always, And All That I Need For Tomorrow.
My Lord Knows The Way Through The Wilderness; All I Have To Do Is Follow.
This is the kind of faith or trust that a little child has in his parents. Jesus spoke of this kind of faith, Matthew 18:3—And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Leaning not on our understanding doesn’t mean abandoning reason or intelligence. It means acknowledging that our perspective is incomplete and that God’s ways are far beyond our comprehension. It’s the humility to accept that, the best course of action is to surrender our worries and anxieties, trusting that God will lead us on the right path, even when we can’t see it.
This trust, however, is not passive:
1. It requires active submission to God’s will (James 4:7).
2. It means seeking His guidance through prayer, studying His word, and listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 25; 2 Timothy 2:15; John 16:13).
3. It means aligning our hearts and minds with His purpose, even when it challenges our plans or desires (Philippians 4:6-7).
And when we do so, when we truly trust in the Lord with all our heart, He promises to make our paths straight. This doesn’t mean a life free of challenges or obstacles. But it does mean that God will be with us every step of the way, guiding us through the darkness, providing strength in times of weakness, and ultimately leading us to the fulfillment of His purpose for our lives.
When we fail to wait on the Lord and trust in Him, we rob ourselves of stories of faith that we can share with others. We rob ourselves of being an encouragement and ministering to people who need to be challenged or encouraged.
Israel’s fear of entering the Promised Land because of the giants, cost them forty years of wandering in the wilderness and the death of hundreds of thousands of men (Numbers 13:31-33).
So, dear brothers and sisters, let us embrace the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6. Let us release our anxieties and surrender our understanding to the loving hands of our heavenly Father. Let us walk in faith, knowing that even when the path ahead seems unclear, God is leading us, and He will make our paths straight.
Remember, trusting the Lord Jesus Christ is not blind faith; it’s a conscious choice, a daily decision to lean on His wisdom and strength. As we make this choice, we open ourselves to a life filled with peace, purpose, and the unwavering assurance that we are never truly alone.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, cast your anxieties on Him, and you shall be saved and your household (Acts 16:31).
May the Lord bless you on your journey of faith through the year 2024 in Jesus’ mighty name.
Welcome to February 2024, the month that you will leap for joy in Jesus’ name.
Yours in the Lord,
Pastor Lillian Haastrup
