In this Proverbs 3:5-6 Devotional, we’ll explore the deep meaning behind this familiar passage and discover 4 ways to trust in the Lord, even when it doesn’t make sense. Whether you’re facing uncertainty, waiting on answers, or simply trying to walk by faith in everyday life, this encouraging Bible study will help you understand what it truly means to trust God with all your heart and how to lean on Him when life feels overwhelming.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite verses. In fact, it’s one of my two life verses. They’re the scriptures I return to over and over again to guide me when life is tough. No matter what’s going on in my life, these verses remind me that I don’t have to have it all figured out, I just need to trust the One who does. They’ve carried me through countless doubts, decisions, and detours I never saw coming. That’s why it’s so important to understand what these powerful verses really mean.
What is the Meaning of Proverbs 3:5-6?
We’ve all heard the inspirational scripture from the book of Proverbs. It tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart. But how can we do that when life doesn’t make sense?
Trusting God isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about choosing to lean on Him, even when the path ahead feels uncertain. Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us not to rely on our own understanding but to surrender our way to God and let Him direct our steps.
It’s a lot like leaning on a strong, steady tree when you’re tired. The tree doesn’t move. It holds you up when you’re weak and gives you a place to rest. That’s what it’s like to lean on the Lord, He’s steady, dependable, and unshakable. When we lean into Him with our whole heart, we’ll find strength, guidance, and peace we could never find on our own.
How to Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Let’s read this Bible verse from Proverbs 3. It gives us 4 Ways to Trust in the Lord, even when it doesn’t make sense…
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.
So, what does trusting God really look like in everyday life? How can we learn to let go of our own understanding and follow God’s ways instead?
Let’s take a closer look at this scripture and break it down into four practical ways we can trust the Lord with all our hearts.
#1 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
God wants our whole heart! Not a tiny little piece of it. So, the first step is simply to trust Him with all your heart. This kind of trust means giving Him every part of your life, even the parts that feel scary or fragile. And the more we trust Him fully, the more we begin to see His goodness and faithfulness unfold in our lives.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:3-4 NIV
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
Psalm 28:7 NIV
#2 Lean not on your own understanding
Our human understanding isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Because we see the world as it is right now. It’s a very limited perspective. But God sees things differently. He knows our past, our present, and our future. And He puts all of those together to work for our good. Once we realize we don’t know it all and our own insight fails us, that’s when God steps in.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Psalm 20:7 ESV
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:4 ESV
#3 In all your ways acknowledge Him
Blessings come from God. Period. And God is asking us to understand and acknowledge where everything we have, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual comes from. When we recognize His hand in every part of our lives, it shifts our perspective and deepens our trust in Him. Gratitude becomes our natural response as we give Him the credit He deserves.
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10 ESV
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1 ESV
#4 He shall direct your path
When we trust God fully, He leads us on a straight path, even when the way ahead feels uncertain. God’s direction might not always look the way we imagined, but it’s always purposeful and good. When we lean on Him, He not only guides our steps, He clears obstacles and smooths the path before us. This is the result of trusting in the Lord. He is with us, and when we place our trust in Him, He will lead us exactly where we need to be, according to His perfect plan.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:5 ESV
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6 NIV
Examples of Trusting God’s Wisdom
Throughout the Bible, we see powerful stories of people who chose to trust in the Lord, even when His plan didn’t make sense to them at the time. Their faith wasn’t based on what they could see or understand, it was rooted in the belief that God’s wisdom is greater than our own.
Two of the most beautiful examples are found in the lives of Mary and Joseph. They were more than the earthly parents of Jesus, they were faithful believers who followed God’s direction and walked in obedience to Him, even when the road ahead was anything but clear.
Let’s take a closer look at their stories and what we can learn from their trust.
Mary the Mother of Jesus
Imagine being fifteen and pregnant, not knowing what would happen to you. Could you turn to your parents for support or would you face your future motherhood alone? Would the kids at school still be your friends, or would they give you judgmental stares?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced a similar circumstance. As a betrothed young woman, showing up pregnant was a big no-no. She was under contract to marry Joseph, and a breach of that contract meant she would lose everything.
Instead of judgmental stares from her classmates, she would have been shamed in the public eye. At best, her husband would leave her, and she would be an outcast for the rest of her life. At worst, she would be stoned to death.
When Mary turned up pregnant, she faced a very unsure future.
And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
“For with God nothing is impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”
Even though it didn’t make any sense how she, a virgin, could conceive and give birth to a child, Mary believed what God’s messenger, Gabriel, told her with an open heart.
In the midst of her dilemma, her faith was unshakeable. She knew she could count on God to see her through because He is always reliable.
She chose to trust God’s plan for her life.
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Joseph
At the same time, Mary was facing the news of her pregnancy, her betrothed, Joseph, also had a choice to make. He could continue with his marriage to Mary, knowing she was carrying a child that was not his, or he could cancel the marriage contract and leave her in disgrace and all alone to face the crowd.
Being a godly man, Joseph chose to end the marriage quietly so Mary’s life wouldn’t be ruined. But God intervened on Mary’s behalf and sent an angel to speak to Joseph.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
It must have been confusing and frightening for Joseph to hear these words. Because let’s be honest, it’s pretty crazy to think a woman could suddenly be pregnant and still be a virgin, right?
But Joseph believed what the angel said and took Mary as his wife. In doing so, He chose to trust God and to continue on the path God put him on.
Trusting God When It Doesn’t Make Sense
Mary and Joseph both trusted God, even when it didn’t make sense. They believed that He was faithful and that His plan would be fulfilled in their lives. They didn’t have all the answers, but they chose to follow Him anyway. Because of their faith, God chose them to play a vital role in bringing the promised Messiah—our precious Savior, Jesus Christ—into the world. And we are all blessed by their decision to trust God.
How does the New Testament story of Mary and Joseph affect our lives?
When we think of these heroes of the faith, we tend to put them on a pedestal. We picture two amazing people, chosen by God to bring about His plan. The perfect couple, unafraid and trusting their Heavenly Father with every part of their lives. We see them as they appear in the nativity on our table, angelic and holding the baby Jesus in their arms. Halos surround their heads as they gaze into the eyes of the child who would one day die on a cross for our sins. It’s a beautiful picture of grace under fire.
But the truth is, they were real people with real fears and questions. They didn’t have halos, and they didn’t always understand what God was doing. But they trusted Him anyway.
That’s where their story connects with ours.
We don’t have to be perfect to be part of God’s plan. We don’t need all the answers to follow His lead. Because of our faith in His Son, God has chosen us, too. Just like Mary and Joseph, we each have a role to play in His amazing story. And when we choose to trust Him, especially when we don’t understand it all, we become part of something far greater than we could ever imagine.
One Day It Will All Make Sense
Maybe you don’t have it all together, I know I don’t. Maybe you don’t understand everything God has in store for you. Or maybe there’s something He’s asked you to do that seems impossible.
You want to follow God, but His plan just doesn’t make sense.
It’s okay if you don’t understand the big picture plan God has for you right now. Step out in faith the way Mary and Joseph did. Choose to trust your Loving Father to lead you on the path.
Take the first step. He will give the next step, then the next one, and then the next. Eventually, you’ll get to the place He wants you to be. And one day it will all make sense.
I pray you’ll take that first step of faith and let the Lord lead you, even when His plan feels unclear. Don’t rely on your own wisdom… trust in His. One step at a time, He’ll guide you, and in time, you’ll see that His way was always the best way.
God’s Hand Guides Us
Sometimes, it’s only when we look back that we recognize God’s hand guiding us through the hard seasons. His steady presence is a reminder of the unchanging truth of God… He is always faithful, always loving, and always with us. In our own lives, trusting Him isn’t always easy, but it leads to lasting peace. When we choose to place our complete trust in His plan, we begin to see how He works everything out for good. His hand becomes a constant source of comfort, reminding us that we’re never alone.
Trust in the Lord and Stay on the Right Path
The Christian life is full of ups and downs. And no matter how hard we try to understand what God is doing, there will be times when life simply doesn’t make sense. But as we’ve seen in this Proverbs 3:5-6 Devotional, God never asks us to rely on our human wisdom, He calls us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts.
When we put our faith in Him instead of ourselves, He promises to lead us on the right path, even through the tough times. God’s Word is filled with hope and truth that will steady your heart and remind you of His faithfulness. So, hold tight to God’s promises, lean into His strength, and let this passage guide you when the road ahead feels uncertain. He’s with you and will lead you exactly where you need to be.
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“All it takes is trusting God even when it doesn’t make sense.”
That’s the crux of my problem, I simply can’t do it. After a lifetime of illness, unbearable emotional pain and unfulfilled promises I am all out of trust. To me trusting Him is like trusting a father who expresses his love by hitting you with one hand and occasionally comforts you with the other.
Despite that I can’t walk away from Him either because I have noone else to turn to. But my relationship with Him gives me nothing, it hasn’t for years.
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for sharing your story with me. I’m so sorry to learn you’re going through so much pain.
God always has a reason for what He allows in our lives. Sometimes we get to know the reason why, and sometimes we don’t. I know that’s hard to understand. And there have been many times in my life that I don’t understand the pain I had to go through. But I want to encourage you and anyone else who may read this who is facing hardship. God sees the complete picture of your life and He alone knows the outcome of your experiences. Putting your trust in Him during these times may be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But God draws us to Himself in the hard times and He is faithful to walk beside us through it all. There’s a scripture I’d like to share with you…
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
Nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2
This Bible verse has helped me through some of the toughest times. And I hope it will do the same for you. I’m praying for you, that you’ll know God is with you through the fire!
Here’s another resource: 12 Uplifting Bible Verse for Faith in Hard Times
Blessings to you!
I felt distant from the Lord and I turned to alcohol and drugs to get me over the pain. I’m currently going through a phase of applying to varsity but my marks are not good enough. And I am on a bursary from a very poor area. After reading this I realised that the Lord almighty didn’t bring me all this way to just let everything go. I would like prayers for anyone who is reading this. God bless you all.❤
Praying for you Lungelo. Hang in there, because God is with you and He loves you! Blessings to you!
I’ve often consider’s Mary’s plight, it had to be so hard in some ways and such a blessing in others.
Yes, I completely agree, Rebecca. It must have been hard and a blessins all at the same time. Many blessings to you!