Trust is a straight path

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

This very famous passage of Scriptures is famous for a reason: it captures the essence of faith.

To trust whole-heartedly in Yahweh is to know and accept his Word, his torah, as being authoritative. It is to accept his rule over all of his creation, and to seek to represent his interests in our lives. Trust in Yahweh is not just an abstract belief, but a real understanding that produces right action. When our hearts are aligned with his purpose, our actions will follow.

To not rely on our own insight, we must defer to his explanations of those things which we cannot know. Our past, our future, the unknown, are all in his hands. His torah teaches us about how to live, and many times, if not most times, sets the standard for conflict with the current culture. We must look for his direction when we don’t know the way.

To acknowledge him in all our ways, we must recognize him in our daily activities and routines. We must always keep an eternal perspective through the struggles and trials of the present. Everything we do and say should be based on who he is, and what he has revealed about his creation.

His promise to those who trust in him is that by whole-heartedly trusting him, he will make their paths straight. A straight path has purpose and direction, and does not meander off of a specific course. It does not wind over hills that are hard to climb, and where dangers lurk around corners, but it is open and true to the horizon. A straight path is the shortest route to the destination.

This is trusting in Yahweh, the one true God of all.

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