Press

(Actual Column Online) People often ask me, "What is Proverbs 3:5-6" because they see it tattooed on my arm. Without any thought, I usually just recite it off the top of my dome like the Pledge of Allegiance but rarely considering whether or not I am allegiant to that pledge. I think so many times we take familiar Bible verses just as words to be recited -- and not life and truth to be received. We use them when convenient and rehearsed, missing the power behind the words.I’m guilty of this myself, and I can’t even count how many times I have recited my “life verse” without contemplating the profoundly solid and practical truths in such a verse.“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3: 5-6).Let's contemplate the words “trust in the Lord.”  You see, when we trust in something, we are placing our security in that entity. For example, I absolutely trust my earthly father, which means I have total and complete confidence in his integrity, ability, and good character because I know him and have a relationship with him.I trust in him because I know he will do what's best for me. However, is that the same level of trust I am placing in my Heavenly Father? If I am being honest, I would admit that it is harder to trust God than it is man, even though man will always let us down. Only God is perfectly trustworthy and faithful. Yet if I do not take time to get to know Him, I will never come to trust Him."Trust in the Lord with all your heart” means placing our heart at the Lord’s feet. This surrender leaves no room for our own anxiety or worry, but completely entrusts our "being" to God's sovereignty.As crazy as that may sound or even as scary as it may be, the next part of this verse is necessary for the "trusting" to lead to "His holding."You see, to "lean not on your own understanding” is to lean completely into the strong arms of God's holding. It means to not rely on ourselves, essentially letting go of what we think we know and letting God take the helm of what He perfectly knows.“In all your ways acknowledge Him:" not some ways or some days, but always with all our ways. This means to admit the existence, reality, and trustworthiness of God.To acknowledge Him as Lord over our world and to give Him full access to sit on the throne of our hearts. There and only there can He begin to govern our walk. “And He will direct your paths." He will begin to establish our steps and lead us where He needs us.With all that being said and explained, I don't want to just be able to recite God's Word; I want to be incited by God's Word.I don't want to just quote it verbally; I want my life to quote the truth of God's Word visually. It begins with trust and ends with Him. Trusting Him. Period.

It is true that God doesn't trust everyone with the same "amount" of things - such as talents or various treasures (resources). However, I am convinced that He does trust us all with the same amount of time (a second, a minute, and a 24-hour day are the same in New Jersey as they are in New Guinea).When I talk about time, I’m not talking about the number of days we receive on this earth. But, I am talking about the concept of "how each of us uses our time." So I self-reflect: How am I using my time for God's glory?I think of the apostle Paul in prison. Instead of pouting, he began writing letters to the churches. What he didn’t know was that those letters would become spirit-filled lessons for the ages. Neither his environment, hardship, nor circumstances made a difference on how he used his time - he just always sought to glorify God with his time.Along with time, I also believe God entrusts each of us with a measure of trouble. That's right, trouble. What we do with said trouble determines whether or not we truly trust God. You see, it's easy to trust Him when everything is going well. But, how about when all hell breaks loose! Let's consider Job in the Bible.Job wasn’t sinless, just blameless. He walked in his integrity and that was his security. You see, he was secure - not from the devil's external attacks that he suffered - but he was secure by his own internal resilience that allowed for him to suffer successfully through the attacks. Does that make sense? Let me say it like this - our spiritual and emotional security is linked to our integrity.Yes, trouble touched him, but the trouble did not take him. Job took the trouble and turned it into triumph by his response to the trouble; not by what he knew intellectually, but how he responded to it faithfully. He may have asked "why" and struggled with uncertainty, but he never turned on God regardless of the level of adversity (In Job chapter 42 verses 7-8, the Lord testified that Job spoke of Him accurately).I say all of that to say this: when God trusts us with trouble, it's because He wants to make us profitable, more fruitful, and faithful. Don’t be fooled, however, if you have found yourself with no problems because the absence of trouble doesn’t always mean blessing. Most of the time, the absence of trouble means that you are not worthy of the testing. The devil doesn’t mess with those who are no threat. Nor does God test our present unless He’s preparing us for something greater in the future.So whether it's talents, treasures, time, or trouble, how are you using them to glorify God?