Mensa Otabil - Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart (10/02/2025)
Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6: «Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.» This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It tells us how we must relate to God and depend on Him. The scripture instructs us to trust in the Lord with all our heart—not part of our heart, but all of our heart. To trust means to rely on, to depend on, and to have confidence in. When we trust God, it means that we fully rely on Him. It’s like leaning against a wall without reservations that it might break or fall.
There are many things in life that we physically rely on and depend on. That’s how God wants us to trust Him. It’s possible to know God and not trust Him, just like we sometimes know people and don’t trust them. The adversary, the enemy of trusting God, is leaning on your own understanding. Instead of leaning on the Lord, we lean on what we have come to accept as truth. Our understanding may make sense to us, but our confidence must always be in the Lord and in His promises.
God wants us to trust Him, and it says, «In all your ways acknowledge Him.» To acknowledge God goes beyond being aware of Him; it involves having an intimate relationship with Him. God must be close to us, permeating every aspect of our lives. I like how the passage puts it: «In all your ways.» Many times, we allow God into our lives when we are in church, when we lift our hands to worship Him, when we sing, and when we pray. In those ways, we acknowledge Him. However, when it comes to our money matters, our marriages, our relationships, our sexual lives, and other areas, we may neglect to acknowledge Him.
Somehow, we want Him for what we can get from Him, but we don’t want him for who He is. «In all your ways acknowledge Him,» which means you bring Him on board in your decision-making process. You factor Him into all the choices that you make; you make God a part of all that you do. He promises that if we do that, He will direct our path. I think one of the most essential things everyone needs in life is a sense of direction and guidance. I need it; you need it. You want to be sure that the path you are on is right, and that the decisions you are making are sound.
God will direct your path when you involve Him in every area of your life. Do not have areas in your life where God is shut out, while allowing Him in others. You need money? «God, I trust You.» You need healing? «God, I trust You.» You need protection? «God, I trust You.» But then, when it comes to making a business decision, you think, «Oh God, You don’t have to come in here.» «In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.» When He directs your path, He not only leads you; the context of the passage also means that He removes obstacles out of the way, so that you can walk in the path that has been set for you.
May the Lord guide you in all your ways, and may you find peace and rest for your soul as you trust Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Let’s share a word of prayer together. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, in You I am completely safe. Help me to trust You unconditionally with all of my heart. In Jesus' name, amen.» Trust the Lord; look up to Him, depend on Him, and He will not let you down. He is a dependable God.
I am Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom. Peace and life to you.