“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
A Story From My Life
As I walked back to the house something caught my eye: a mislaid penny. I usually find stray pennies on sidewalks and in parking lots. But in my own driveway? I reached down to pick it up. The face of the coin was shiny and imprinted with the familiar phrase: In God We Trust. I stopped and let the simplicity of those words sink in.
How often do I start and finish my day doing just that? How often do I choose to trust God in the daily circumstances of my life?
Christian writer, Sarah Young, describes trusting God as a moment-by-moment choice. In her devotional book, Jesus Calling, Young writes; “You trust Me when things go well, when you see Me working on your behalf. This type of trust flows readily within you, requiring no exertion of your will. When things go wrong, you are forced to choose between trusting Me intentionally or rebelling. Having sacrificed My very life for you, I can be trusted in every facet of your life.”
It may sound a little corny, but I brought that penny inside and placed it on my desk. It’s a physical reminder of God’s desire for me to trust in Him; even when things go wrong. A penny for my thoughts? I’m getting better at allowing the power of those words to seep into my mind and quiet my thoughts; day-by-day and moment-by-moment.
Conversation Starters
- Talk about what it means for you to trust in God.
- Sarah Young wrote how trusting God is a choice, especially when things go wrong. Name an example from your life where you made a deliberate choice to put your trust in God.
- God is trustworthy and His love is unfailing. Read Proverbs 3:5 and discuss the meaning of the words: “do not lean on your own understanding.”
An Adult Perspective
I think Sarah Young hit the nail on the head! Trusting God comes easily when my life is moving along just fine. But when I’m faced with adversity I’m tempted to do my own thing instead of deliberately relying on God. Does this sound a little bit like you, too? I’m pretty sure we’re all in this together!
Sadly, my reliance on God has often been a last recourse as I collide with a crisis. But when I have turned to Him, placed my life in His capable hands, God has never let me down! Nope, not once! In fact, placing my trust in God always brought unexpected blessings in return. As I deliberately choose trust over despair, I’m receptive to the soothing and calm assurance that dependence on Christ can bring.
In God We Trust: four simple words that hold tremendous significance. My desire is to make trusting God habitual.
(The history behind the words: “In God We Trust” has appeared intermittently on U.S. coins since 1864. Although all coins have been inscribed with those words since 1938, it wasn’t until 1956, during the height of the cold war, that Congress adopted it as the official motto of the United States.)
