Subscription Lists
God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
I found this verse as I prepared a Sunday school lesson for a group of middle grade children in the mid 1980’s. I paused and reread it. The words resonated in my mind. I had come through a time of deep depression. I had, at the request of my husband, taken a 30 day leave of absence from my job. At the end of the leave, I decided to resign. A few years earlier, during another time of confusion, I had heard the word ‘trust’ over and over in my mind. At the time of finding this passage, God’s message became clearer to me. From time to time I still study this verse, digging for nuggets of truth.
“Trust. . .”- rely upon, have faith it.
“. . .in the LORD. . .”-Solomon makes it clear here that we place our trust in God.
“. . . and lean not unto your own understanding . . .”- He specifically tells us NOT to rely on what we believe, know, or comprehend.
“. . . In all thy ways. . .” We are to place our faith in the Lord completely, each hour of each day of our lives. Whatever we do, we are to rely upon the Lord to direct us and guide us through to the end.
“. . . acknowledge him. . .” Solomon tells us we are to give the Lord credit, praise, or pay homage to Him. More precisely, we are not to boast about we have done but what what He has done for us or our people.
“. . . and he will direct thy paths.” In the aftermath of what has been called the ‘Great Recession’, our town has seen two churches declare bankruptcy. One of those congregations has to face losing their meeting place and the Christian school they started several years ago. The second church couldn’t sell property they no longer needed. Our church has been praying for both of these houses of God. Our local newspaper had an item in its July 10,2013 edition. The first church has purchased a school that has been closed for what seems to be a very good price. God answered the prayers of His people.
Do these words from the Old Testament still carry weight in our world today? Yes, they do. You may ask why? It just came to me that these words came from the wisest man who ever lived. God granted Solomon this wisdom and riches because He saw all Solomon asked for was the ability to understand.
How can we, as 21Century believers, follow this command? We can spend time in prayer and fasting to discern what God wants us to do. We can share God’s word with those around us. I sometimes feel convicted that I don’t share the scriptures enough. I intend to work on that. Because time is getting close, I need to be bolder than I have been.
Dear Lord God; Thank your for the many things You do for us, especially those small things we may overlook. Please give us boldness to share Your word with those we meet, even if it’s just a seed we are able to plant. We will give You the praise. In the name of Jesus, we pray. AMEN
Rate it:
Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "God's Words For US" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.