“Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart, rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. Don’t think for a moment that you know it all.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)

Reading this scripture, it almost seems pretty cut and dry, plain and clear in the guidance and direction of the intent of this scripture. While the implication of this verse may seem obvious, the application of this verse can prove to be challenging. It’s one thing to know the Word, and it’s something completely different to apply the Word.

As we go through the seasons of life, some may be more difficult to get through than others, but the level of difficulty doesn’t make that particular season disappear. What makes getting through difficult seasons possible is our decision to trust in the Lord, regardless what the season looks like. When we choose to not just read this scripture, or any scripture for that matter, with the mindset that it exists, and actually allow that scripture to become real in our lives, that’s when we experience the true power of the Word of God in our lives. Living by the Word is what brings change.

There is a simplicity to the Word, so there is no need to add our “own opinions” to complicate the Word. This verse simply says if we trust in the Lord completely and put our own opinions on the shelf, with all of our heart, rely on Him (God) to guide us then He will lead us in every decision that we make. When we choose to go back to the basic fundamentals of the truth of the Word and become intimate in our relationship with the Lord, He will lead us wherever we go. Daily we get to have an open book test to life when we choose to open the Word and TRUST the answers that are right before our eyes when we read it. In doing this we don’t even have to fall prey to being a “know it all”, because the answers have already been given to us.

Regardless of how long this current season lasts, it is paramount that we choose to make the Word of God FIRST and FINAL authority, in EVERY area of our life. This will help us to not fall into the traps set by the enemy, that cause us to become disengaged, discouraged, disappointed or disinterested in the things of God.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
My husband and I have three children. For a majority of their lives they’ve played team sports. Their primary sport of choice is basketball. My husband is often their coach and has been since they started playing at four and five-years-old. As a coach, my husband was very adamant about the children he was coaching knowing the fundamentals of the game, even at their youngest age. This didn’t change year after year; the fundamentals were always a priority and drilled at every single practice. He would always say, “It’s the basic fundamentals that will win the game.” I recall thinking to myself, “Does it really matter if these four and five-year-olds understand the fundamentals of the sport? Would they remember or even understand how to apply them during a game?” To my surprise they really understood and with guidance, they actually applied them during the games.

As the years went on, we noticed how our son would begin to play if his team began to lose. He would begin to play as though he was the only one on the team and it appeared as though he forgot the basic fundamentals of the game. Similarly, as Christians, sometimes we tend to do this. We begin to look at the circumstances and it’s as though we have forgotten about the fundamentals of the Word. The mistakes our son would begin to make when he would attempt to take the game into his own hands seemed to be little. These little mistakes had the ability to cause his team to lose possession, have an unnecessary turnover or miss an easy rebound. These little mistakes, added up, could possibly cause the team to lose the game. Despite his value to the team on the court, these actions were his quickest ticket to being benched.

Likewise, when we lose sight of the fundamentals of the Word, we get off course, even if it’s just a little, can prove to be detrimental to our lives. Now more than ever, in this season, we must master the fundamentals of the Word. We must stay focused. It’s easy to grow weary and begin to try and force an outcome to go the way we want it to; however, we need to stay committed to the fundamentals of the Word. We must continue to keep our eyes on Jesus because He has ALREADY guaranteed the outcome, WE WIN! Don’t lose hope, don’t take matters into your own hands and don’t forget the fundamentals of the Word.

It’s time to RE-engage and RE-encourage yourself in the truth of the Word. Choose to open the Word today and RE-focus on the TRUTH of the Word. Let’s replace our exposure to the world with an indulgence of the Word. (Nicole Farmer)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Today, I choose to TRUST in the Lord COMPLETELY and not rely on my own opinions. With all of my heart I will rely on Him to guide me and lead me in every decision that I make. I will become intimate with Him in everything that I do, and I will not think for a moment that I know it all.”

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 34-36; Psalms 150
• New Testament: Luke 12:49-59; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-18