Trust is NOT a Theological Conclusion

S - Proverbs 3:3-10 (NIV): "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."

O - Trust, i.e. fierce personal loyalty, to/in Jesus is an uncomplicated commitment.  How can I know when my trust is only intellectual/theoretical?  When my theology says one thing and my life another.  The assessment for this can be found in the two responses these verses tell us to NOT DO.  Do not:

1. lean on your own understanding.

2. be wise in your own eyes.

Both of these are very easy to do all the while thinking one is trusting.  Trust does not come from our theological conclusions, knowledge of scriptural principles or understanding circumstances. Trust comes from a person to person response, a living out loud of the reality of his greatness and our littleness, of his awesome brilliance and our numbness, of his power and our weakness, of his relentless love, defiant mercy and powerful grace.  Trusting presence/person over resource, intellect, skill or history and staying childlike in our view of ourselves by doing what is right in the Lord's eyes and not our own eyes is key (Matthew 11:25-27, 18:1-4).  The result is described in the verses above … and this all for the sake of love - the Lord's love for us and our getting to love him back.

A - So how straight was Joseph's path?  Well, according to human understanding it just kept drifting farther and farther from his dreams … from bad to worse to absolutely terrible.  But then in one day he goes from Pharaoh's prison to Pharaoh's throne. How wise did Solomon end up?  Not very even though he is considered the wisest and even penned the verses cited.  In the end he was wise in his own eyes and so very foolish in the Lord's.  So, I choose the Lord's straight path and his humble wisdom unto his purpose in me and through me like it happens in heaven.  Trusting the Lord is all about his person not my current take on his plan or any claim I may lay to a promise.  It is deeply personal and fierce. Trust: fierce personal loyalty.

P - Dear Papa,

Thank you for serving your little children, for giving us instructions and then helping us to fulfill them; for inviting us to work with you in that which you could do faster and better without us/me.  I want to/need to lean on you according to presence and engage Jesus' words about life on earth so that I may, because of grace, be wise in YOUR eyes.  Daddy, I love you back.  Father, I am so grateful to be your child.  Dad, transform my life unto all you have purposed and desired.  I really do love you back.

Steve