How to Trust in the LORD (Proverbs 3:5-6)
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Proverbs 3:5-6
‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.’
I love these verses. They have been ingrained into my head since I was a child through the form of song: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart’. (keep singing I know someone wanted to)..
Now these verses give us a beautiful picture of what it means to trust in the Lord, which is great, because frankly, "trust in the Lord" is one of those phrases we Christians throw around all the time. It’s a top-tier Christian buzzword, isn’t it? Top 2 and it’s not two. It’s like our spiritual reflex to anything we face, ya know? “With my finances, I just need to trust the Lord.” Or, “I’m struggling to trust God with this relationship.”
But be honest if someone were to stop you and ask, “What does it actually mean to trust in the Lord?” “What does that look like?”—would you have a clear answer?
Thankfully if not, Proverbs 3:5-6 doesn’t leave us guessing. These verses show us exactly what ‘trust in the Lord’ looks like in action. It’s threefold:
First, trusting in the Lord is entire: ‘with all your heart’. True trust demands all of you. This isn’t a half-hearted, one-foot-in, one-foot-out kind of trust. It’s complete. Ten toes down, both feet in.
Second, this trust is exclusive: "Lean not on your own understanding." Trusting God means letting go of the steering wheel. It’s not “I trust God AND my plan.” That’s not real trust. It’s “I trust God INSTEAD of my plan.” True trust says God IS the plan. That’s exclusivity. It recognizes that our understanding is limited, like a thimble of knowledge compared to the vast ocean of God’s wisdom. Relying on ourselves instead of Him isn’t just unwise—really it’s foolish.
Thirdly and finally, this trust is exhaustive: “in all your ways, acknowledge Him.” True trust in the Lord means seeking Him in every step, every action, and every moment. One translation puts it beautifully: “In all your ways, desire His presence.” To trust God like this is to hunger for His guidance, to invite Him into every corner of your life. It’s like consulting a GPS not just at major crossroads for big decisions but for every single turn, big or small, trusting the Lord to guide and light the way.
And here’s the beautiful promise: when we trust the Lord with all our heart, when we refuse to lean on our own understanding, and when we acknowledge Him in all we do—it is then (end of verse 6) “He will make straight your paths.”
This doesn’t mean the road will always feel smooth. In fact, sometimes God’s straight paths feel crooked to us. They look like detours, delays, or disappointments. But when we step back and zoom out, we can see how God has been aligning everything perfectly all along.
It’s honestly a lot like looking at a painting. Up close, the brushstrokes might seem random, even messy. But when you zoom out, the masterpiece comes into focus.
And yes, it can be frustrating when all you see is one small, messy corner of the canvas. But true trust rests in knowing that God holds the brush. He sees the whole picture, and He’s crafting a masterpiece—not just for your life, but for His glory.
So as we reflect on this passage, I want to ask you:
Where in your life are you struggling to trust God entirely, exclusively, or exhaustively?
What would it look like to surrender those to Him today?
And what small step could you take to deepen your trust in the Lord?
Let’s bring these reflections to God in prayer.
