Walking the High Wire

April15, 2023

Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

Trust is valuable. It’s intertwined with integrity, keeping your word, and honesty. Trust is not instant; it is built over time. Trust is built on a tentative leaning on someone, that works out.

I believe someone who does not keep their word is not honest. Sometimes there is an explanation, and if a person explains to me promptly why they did not keep their word, I can still consider them honest. Otherwise I will doubt anything else they said or will say to me. On the other hand, there are times when I cannot be told or wouldn’t understand.

I can’t trust a dishonest person.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having high moral principles. I can trust an honest person, but not if he does not have high moral principles. We’ve got to have the same definition of honesty. Haven’t I heard there is honor among thieves?

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great wealth, good favor more than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1

Can I trust God?

Trust is built over time. It took me time to see that God keeps his word. For example, I had to try out tithing for decades to see that, yes, God blesses immensely if I trust him with a tenth of my income. For another example, I had to experience not following the tenth of the Ten Commandments to know that being jealous of what someone else has only leads to a dead end.

It all works. I can trust God because he keeps his word, he has integrity, and he is honest. Every time I have leaned on God, it has worked out. Over decades I’ve learned that any time I think God has let me down, it’s because he knew I needed to head in a better direction. I can trust his love for me.