Trust in the Lord: How to Surrender Control and Walk in God’s Direction.

Hey, beautiful friends, I’m so thankful you’re here because I believe God has a fresh word for you today — a word that brings peace to a restless heart and clarity to a confused mind.

Have you ever found yourself trying to figure something out about— your family, finances, future — only to feel more confused? We’ve all been there. We plan, we analyze, and we try to make sense of what’s ahead. But God intends for us to trust Him in following His Way, His wisdom, and His direction. Here are ways we can take Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) and actually walk confidently in Christ Jesus to show us the right path for our lives:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

This short passage holds a lifetime of wisdom — and when we live it out, it changes everything.

Digging Deeper: The Hebrew Meaning

Let’s start by unpacking a few key Hebrew words that bring this verse to life.

The word “trust” comes from the Hebrew batach (בָּטַח) — it means to feel safe, secure, and confident. It’s not a passive trust; it’s an active decision to lean the full weight of your life on God’s strength, believing He will hold you up. Trust is confidently believing in God's unfailing character. It's living with knowing He is who He says He is and He will do what He says He will do.

Trust brings God honor and glory, He delights in us trusting in Him and acknowledging that he is our refuge. "Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you shall honor and glorify Me.” Psalm 50:12.

When we truly batach in the Lord, we're saying, “God, I’m placing all my confidence in You — not halfway, but wholeheartedly.”

Next, the word “understanding” is binah (בִּינָה) — meaning discernment, insight, or human reasoning. In this context of the verse, it's the human reasoning. It's the limited perspective of trying to figure things out on our own. Our minds will try to be the driver of what seems practical and logical, often relying on feelings (which should never dominate decisions.)

Scripture says, "Trust in The Lord with all your heart," not mind, and for good reason! The heart is where our human spirit communes with the Holy Spirit. As we yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit with our human spirit, we can rest in knowing the right way to go. We will have peace. If there's confusion involved it is because we are mingling our mind (human reasoning) with our spirit, in what The Holy Spirit wants us to do. Our minds can think this is not logical but our spirt that bears witness with the Holy Spirit is giving a green light. Always go with peace, Paul wrote in Colossians 3:15, "Let Peace rule in your hearts," this is what has the final say. Go with peace, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:16, "We have the mind of Christ," this is the mind we were given by God on the day of our salvation, when we gave our old lives to Jesus, He made us new in Him. Having the mind of Christ is our inheritance, but it's our responsibility to submit it to Christ, and His perspective by being renewed by His Word everyday. And when our minds are transformed and renewed with His truth, it is agreeing with The Holy Spirit's purpose and plans for us.

The Holy Spirit is Truth, John 16:13 says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future."

The Holy Spirit is also our helper-John 14:26 says, "But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you." Stay tuned for more on our minds in the next She Speaks Life, Fuel Your Life episode.

And lastly, "acknowledge or submit” comes from yada (יָדַע) — meaning to know intimately. It’s the same word used to describe deep personal knowledge — not just knowing about God, but walking closely with Him.

When you put that all together, Proverbs 3:5–6 could read like this:

“Place your full confidence in the Lord; stop relying on your own way of doing things. In every step, walk in intimate relationship with Him, and He will direct your path straight and true.”

Isn’t that powerful?

Seeing God’s Character

In Proverbs 3:5–6, we see that:✨ God is faithful. He never asks for our trust without first proving Himself trustworthy. This is why when we read our Bible we get built up in trusting and having faith in Him. The Lord says in Jeremiah 1:12 "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it." God has already provided plenty of proof in His Word!✨ God is wise. His understanding reaches beyond what our human minds can grasp. As believers in Christ, we can obtain the wisdom of God. Where is His wisdom? His Word is His wisdom! We aren't going to see specifically in the Bible what home to buy, or who we should marry, but through reading God's Word the Holy Spirit reveals to us specific answers. ✨ God is personal. He doesn’t just make “the” paths straight — He makes "your" path straight. He’s guiding you, not just humanity in general.

That’s the heartbeat of this verse — it’s not just an instruction; it’s an invitation to deeper relationship with the God who knows every detail of your story.

(This truth is beautifully explored in the “Contentment” section of the Serenity Journal — a space to pause, personalize scripture, and learn to rest in God’s direction. Purchase yours here on my shop page!)

Personalizing the Verse

When we personalize Scripture, it becomes alive in us. Try speaking this verse with your name in it:

“Jayme, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.”

Now say it with your name.

“[Your Name], trust in the Lord with all your heart...”

This isn’t just a command — it’s God’s personal whisper to you.

Trusting God in Every Season

Trusting God means surrendering our way in doing things and believing that His wisdom is better than any other wisdom.

Think about Abraham — he left everything familiar because God said, Go. Or Daniel — who trusted God in the lions’ den. Or Mary — who said yes to God’s plan even when it didn’t make sense.

Each of them shows us that trust isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about resting in the One who does.

When you trust God completely, you stop fighting for control and start walking in peace.

Declarations of Trust

Speak these out loud today:🌿 I will trust in the Lord with all my heart.🌿 I will not lean on my own thinking.🌿 I will acknowledge Him in every part of my life. 🌿God is making my path straight, even when I can’t see the way.

Application: How to Walk in Trust

1. Pause before you plan. When faced with a decision, pray first. Ask, “Lord, what would You have me do?” Listen for the Holy Spirit, it will commune with your spirit (heart) and you'll receive peace. Even if your mind throws a fit, let the peace of God rule in your heart and go with The Holy Spirit's prompting.

2. Surrender control. Write down the things you’re trying to manage on your own — and release them to God in prayer.

3. Listen and obey. When you sense God’s leading, act on it — even if it doesn’t make perfect sense.

4. Remind yourself of His faithfulness. Keep a list of past prayers He’s answered — it will fuel your trust for future ones.

Reflection Questions

1. What area of your life are you tempted to lean on your own understanding?

2. How has God proven His faithfulness in the past?

3. What would trusting Him more completely look like today?

Friend, peace begins where control ends. Trusting God isn’t a one-time decision — it’s a daily surrender, a continual leaning into His wisdom over ours.

He’s not asking you to have it all figured out. He’s simply asking you to trust the One who already does.

Let’s live today with open hands, a surrendered heart, and the confidence that God is making our paths straight. 💛

✨ This devotion is inspired by the latest episode of Fuel Your Life: Trusting God completely on the She Speaks Life Podcast.🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts — and go deeper with your Serenity Journal (Contentment section) — all right here on my website!