Trust in YHWH 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. (Pro 3:5-6)Not uncommon. I've even seen it on inspirational wall hangings and such. "Trust in the Lord." Yeah. Good. But ... there's so much more to it, isn't there?
Trust. Trust in the Lord. Trust with all your heart. That's actually a big commitment. There are lots of things we can trust in. People, things, ourselves. No, no. With all your heart, trust in the Lord. Doesn't leave room for all those other things. And that's just the start. "Do not lean on your own understanding." Now, come on. What else do we have to lean on? And why not? Well ... we've got a sin problem, and that makes things ... fuzzy. It makes us "futile" in our thinking (Rom 1:21). It gives us a "debased mind" (Rom 1:28). We have deceitful hearts (Jer 17:9) It requires an ongoing renewing of the mind (Rom 12:2). And, yet ... where do we go first? "Well, is God reliable? I don't know. Let's think about it." We evaluate God. How arrogant! "Yes, He's trustworthy here, but ... not so much over there." "Do not lean on your own understanding." Then, "In all your ways acknowledge Him" Not some ... all. And what is this "acknowledge Him" thing? Literally, it means to know Him. Like the psalmist says: "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psa 46:10). Know Him. Commit your works to Him (Psa 37:5; Prov 16:3). In New Testament terms, "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31).
It's a much bigger text than "Trust in the Lord." And the outcome is "He will make your paths straight." So here we are, muddling about, trying to figure this stuff out, and there He is saying, "Trust Me ... in everything." We can't seem to figure it out, but we're still pretty sure we can rely on our own understanding.