“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

I bombed the interview.

The slow walk down the hallway, the handshake with the human resources coordinator, and the short jaunt to my car brought a rush of feelings pulling me one way and then another. Disappointment, relief, resignation, insecurity, hope, uncertainty.

After several months of praying, considering, and, yes, worrying about a job change, this seemingly wonderful opportunity — amongst others — closed in my face.

It left me feeling vulnerable; maybe I didn’t have it figured out at all.

What do we do when we’ve done our best and it still doesn’t go the way we expect? Or when we’re faced with a life-altering illness, a cross-country move, or a heart-wrenching separation or divorce?

What do we do when we’re waiting on God and taking steps of faith, only to come up short, feeling bewildered and disoriented?

There’s a gentle prompting in Proverbs 3:5-6; it’s asking us to trust in the Lord — to put our confidence in Him and not in ourselves. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Trusting can feel scary, like bungee jumping from a bridge and hoping the cable will hold. It means letting go of control, willingly placing our well-being in the hands of another. How do we know that God can be trusted? We look to His Word, His character, and His faithfulness in our lives.

During these situations, trust is built by looking for the small, personal moments of God’s goodness and care toward us. Reading something that makes us feel seen; receiving good news, however small; recognizing the growth that is coming out of the struggle and pain; and even observing the daily rhythms of sunrise and sunset are reminders of God’s faithfulness.

Noticing these small things keeps us thankful, keeps us looking up, and keeps us dependent on God, knowing all good things come from Him (James 1:17).

Proverbs 3:5 encourages us not to lean on our own understanding. Another possible translation of “lean on” is “support oneself.” So this verse tells us to make a conscious decision to allow ourselves to be supported not by our own wisdom and experience but by God, the One who never leaves or forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

While I was walking through my job change, a friend who was going through a similar situation offered some encouragement. She shared with me that she may not know what she’s supposed to do, but she knows the One who does know.

This came as a relief. Understanding is not a prerequisite of trust. When we decide not to rely on our understanding of the situation and instead trust God, peace is the result. Acknowledging Him and asking Him to be in the situation allows us to take what we’ve been carrying — what we’ve been worried or anxious about in our own understanding — surrender it, and exchange it for His peace (1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:6-7).

Within a few weeks, someone unexpectedly reached out to me about a job opportunity that fit exactly what I’d been praying about. It wasn’t even on my radar, and now I’m doing what I love.

As we trust God when it doesn’t make sense, He does good beyond what we can imagine.

Dear God, thank You for Your promises, for Your gentle care, and for reminders every day that You can be trusted and that You’ll never leave me. Help me to release the support of my own wisdom and understanding so I can fully trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Today’s devotion writer, Kristen Miller, is a content writer for Christian Healthcare Ministries. To find out more information about CHM, visit their website or connect with them on Facebook or Instagram @iheartCHM.

To go deeper in your faith, check out CHM's “FruitFULL” devotion series on the fruit of the Spirit.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (NLT).

Grab a friend or two, and share with them something you’re struggling to trust God with. How can you trust Him with it today? Let us know in the comments!

© 2023 by Kristen Miller. All rights reserved.

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