What it Really Means to Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart
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. Proverbs 3:5-6
I personally love these verses because of the comfort and peace they bring when I say them aloud to myself. The Word of God always carries peace with it. But what does it mean to trust in the Lord with all your heart?
Trusting in the Lord with all your heart means placing complete trust in God’s plan and will for your life, even when it may not make sense or align with your own knowledge.
It means relying on Him for guidance and direction, believing what He says in His word, and having a deep understanding of His character. To trust in the Lord is to trust in His Word.
When we trust in the Lord with all our heart, we are able to let go of the fears, worries, and doubts that come against us, because we personally know the One who loves us.
It is through this trust in the Lord that we are able to experience true peace and find the strength to face whatever challenges come our way.
Here are 5 things to remember when it comes to trusting the Lord.
Understanding God’s Character
One of the key components of trusting in the Lord with all your heart is having a deep understanding of His character.
I grew up around religious people that proclaimed God was good, but their lives preached something very different. They said their God was good, but they were sick and poor and angry and worried. What in the world?
The truth is, they didn’t really know God’s character; or at least not all aspects of God’s character. They didn’t understand how good God actually is and everything He has provided for us. Bad doctrine had robbed them of experiencing who God really is and what He has done for us.
God is pure goodness. He’ll never make you sick. He’ll never bring destruction into your life. He’s always for you, always faithful, and always ready to bless you.
Understanding that God is love (1 John 4:8) means that He cares for us deeply and wants the best for us. It also means that He has completely forgiven us in every way that we’ve fallen short.
Understanding that God is faithful means that He will always be there for us and that He will always, always keep His promises.
When we have a deep understanding of God’s character, it becomes easier for us to trust in His plan for our lives. You can’t trust someone that you don’t know intimately.
God Has a Purpose for You
We can trust that God has a purpose for our lives, even when we don’t understand the season we are in.
We can also trust that if we love God and are called according to His purpose; He will work everything out for our good, even when things seem difficult.
Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”
Trusting in the Lord with all your heart also means relying on Him for guidance and direction. Instead of relying on our own understanding, we turn to Him and seek His wisdom through the leading of the Holy Spirit. We know that all His plans for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11).
By following the guidance that the Lord provides, we are able to navigate life’s journey with a sense of peace and purpose, knowing that He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3:6).
As we stay connected to Him, His purpose for our lives begins to unfold and our trust in His ways will increase dramatically.
Believe the Lord’s Word
People that say they trust the Lord but don’t believe His Word do not really trust Him. Jesus said it was those who continued in His word who would become His disciples.
It’s impossible to trust the Lord without knowing what He says. Believing what His word says and following His teachings is critical to being able to trust Him.
Jesus said the ones who love Him are the ones who will obey Him (John 14:23). When you fall in love with Jesus, it’s easy to obey what He says.
When we trust in the Lord, we are willing to take action and make changes in our life according to His will, which may not always be comfortable, convenient or easy.
Obedience is an important part of trusting in the Lord because it shows that we are putting our faith into action. James 2:17 tells us that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Gratefulness
Another important aspect of trusting in the Lord with all your heart is by practicing gratitude.
Thankfulness is the language of faith. We are constantly thanking the Lord because we trust Him.
When we trust in the Lord, we are able to see the blessings in our life and be thankful for them, regardless of our circumstances. We learn to trust that He is good, even when things seem difficult.
This attitude of gratitude helps us to develop a heart of contentment, which is a crucial part of trusting in the Lord.
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
God is Always With You
Trusting in the Lord also means learning to trust that God is always with us, even in the darkest of times.
The Bible says in Isaiah 41:10, “”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
This verse reminds us that no matter what we are facing, God is always with us and He will help us through it, giving us the victory as we put our trust in Him.
Knowing that God is always with us gives us the strength and the courage to face any situation that comes our way.
This kind of trust in the Lord can give us peace in the midst of chaos and the ability to face difficult situations with hope and resilience.
Trusting the Lord is a Journey
When it comes to trusting in the Lord with all your heart, it is important to remember that it is a journey. Trusting in the Lord is not a one-time event, it is an ongoing process.
Everyone is faced with moments of doubt and uncertainty at times, but it is through those moments that we learn to rely on Him even more.
Just as David in the Old Testament was able to kill Goliath because He had first trusted God with the lion and the bear, so we will be able to conquer life’s challenges as we grow in our trust and dependance on God. One mountain at a time.
The longer you know someone intimately, the more you trust them. As your relationship with the Lord grows and develops over time, you learn to trust Him more and more. You become personally acquainted with Him and His unfailing love for you. Then, it’s almost impossible not to trust Him with all your heart!
