The latter part of 2019 and into 2020 brought a worldwide pandemic into our lives. 2020 was seemingly a year that many wanted to forget due to the COVID-19 virus that swept across the globe. 2021 was a year that the spread of the coronavirus continued, however, it was the introduction of new variants that made life even more challenging.
Now, we are in 2022 and the pandemic has not yet abated, rather, it has seemingly become a part of everyday life. Millions have been infected by the virus, and sadly millions have perished due to the ongoing pandemic. Government officials worldwide have attempted to stem the tide of the plague, and yet we have heard and witnessed mass accounts of confusion.
To be clear, the pandemic we find ourselves in, none of us have faced anything of this sort in our lifetime. However, what do we do when we hear conflicting messages from the media, or scientists and doctors who were once sure that they knew what was coming next only to find that there are continued unknowns?
The answer lies in Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) – “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.” Such a simple passage that was penned by King Solomon, and yet there is so much wisdom in these two verses. First, take note that we are to trust in the Lord with our whole heart. The Hebrew word for trust is “bāṭaḥ” which means to have confidence in or to be secure.
When we are urged to trust in the Lord with all of our heart, that means we are to put our confidence in the Lord and do so fully. It is a signature that our security is in God, rather than placing our confidence in others or the situations that we see around us daily. It is a well known fact that over time, citizens are placing less and less trust in their governmental institutions.
With the increase of political corruption and outright lies that are often told, politicians have become among the least trusted within societal spheres. It further underscores the importance of trusting in the Lord with everything we have, because we cannot trust in what we see or what we hear around us. That is because things are ever changing. However, with the Lord who desires to be in a relationship with us, He does not change and He can be trusted.
Secondly, take note of the next part of Proverbs 3, which says “and do not lean on your own understanding.” Sometimes, we think that we are able to solve our own problems based on human wisdom and intuition. But the Word of God makes it clear that we cannot even rely on our own understanding because it can be faulty. Have you ever made a decision that you felt was best, and yet the decision turned out to be the wrong choice to make?
We all have moments in life when we are in error and we do not make sound judgment calls. That is why we are not to rely on our own understanding, because even as smart as you and I may be, we don’t have the unlimited knowledge and wisdom that only God possesses. So, we cannot look to our own intellect or wisdom to solve Earthly problems.
Finally, notice that the last part of verse 5 says, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” This means, that in everything that we do, we are to acknowledge God or to seek Him for guidance first. By doing this, we are showing God that He is the first priority of our lives, and that we are laying down the desire to take control and trust in our own intuition. When we acknowledge God first, the promise here is that God will direct our path or make every path straightened.
In other words, the paths that we take, they will be made secure when we follow the Lord’s leading and choose to forsake our own understanding. The world around us will always contain problems and scenarios that are challenging. This is due to humanity’s imperfection and the presence of sin. However, with the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we have a better opportunity when it comes to achieving a more stable and fruitful outcome.
God desires that we come to Him for all things. He uses people and scenarios to provide answers to difficulties in life, but the only way this occurs is when we surrender our own will and we acknowledge God first. It requires that we put our trust (full confidence) in Him, which then translates into God leading us on a path that is secure and directed in righteousness.
As we continue to live in the midst of a worldwide pandemic and other situations we all face, the truth that we can all cling to is that we can trust the Lord in all things. However, for one to trust in the Lord it requires that there is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You cannot trust someone you don’t know. Do you know Jesus in the pardon of your sins? If not, today is a great day to accept Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross. His blood was shed for you and for me, and He is alive today and waiting for you to receive Him as Lord and Savior. Trust in the Lord today and begin a new life with Jesus.
The Message 