all (adjective) – the whole amount, quantity or extent of; completely take up with, given to or absorbed by.

One of my favorite scriptures that I lean on during times of uncertainty is Proverbs 3:5-6. There are times where I find the words more comforting than as a command to apply. While it sounds good in theory, there are times I fail to follow these words of wisdom: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

As I consider the word all. I reflect on whether I have given my whole heart to trusting God. Am I really trusting Him with all my heart? Or just a portion that remains hopeful despite my current situation? Or am I just trusting God with the things that I think He cares about? 

When things don’t look the way I think they should or things aren’t moving at the rate of speed I desire and doubt creeps in, it is obvious that I am not trusting God with all my heart. During my private time with God, I am convinced that His promises are sure. Even as I meditate during praise and worship during church service, my heart seems so full of assurance. Yet there are times, way more often than I care to admit, I walk away with a little doubt in my heart. I think of ways I can help God out, as if He is not capable, creating my own master plan to make everything work according to my plan. 

What prevents us from trusting the Lord all of our hearts?

A wounded heart…

“Guard your heart above all else for it is the source of life.” Proverbs 4:23 

A wounded heart is a result of an unguarded heart.  If we are not careful, we can let the seeds of human failures, bitterness over unanswered prayers, frustration from trying to do things on our own and even the issues of life fill our hearts leaving little room for trust. 

A deceived heart…

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

Sometimes we are deceived into believing we are not worthy to be loved by God and are therefore not eligible for His promises.  We believe we must work to earn God’s love and His blessings. We are further deceived when we believe that we are self-sufficient and deny the All-Sufficient One’s ability to work on our behalf. 

An impure heart…. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,” Psalm 51:10 

Our hearts can be tainted by unforgiveness, unbelief and unconfessed sin. The grudges and guilt prevent us from drawing near to God, making it impossible to trust God. James encourages us to purify our hearts so that we can draw near to God (James 4:8). 

An unsurrendered heart…

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:10 

It is impossible to trust God if your heart is not surrendered to Jesus. When we have surrendered our hearts to Jesus, trusting Him with our lives, He will begin to work in our hearts. 

Jesus gives us the cure for our hearts through the greatest command, “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). When we allow our hearts to be filled with the love of God that flows from a surrendered, pure, and open heart as we draw near to Him, He will teach us how to trust Him as we are reminded of His promises and how He has demonstrated His love (past and present) in our lives so that we can trust Him with our future. He is concerned about everything about us. There is nothing about us that He is unaware of or is off limits.  He wants all of us and wants us to trust Him with it all.  It’s either all or nothing.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to an all-knowing God. He who believes in God is not careful for the morrow, but labors joyfully and with a great heart. He must work and watch yet never be anxious or careful, but commit all to Him, and live in serene tranquility with a quiet heart, as one who sleeps safely and quietly.”

-Martin Luther