Are these two concepts contradictory; trusting in God implicitly for direction before making any major decision, or on the other hand in meticulously researching and planning before making any decisions? If we trust in God does this mean that we do not, and perhaps even should not, have to plan ahead? Or, if we plan carefully and diligently does this mean that we are not really trusting in God? Let us see what the Bible says about trusting in and relying on God, and about our part in the decision making process, starting with the Old Testament.
Old Testament – not trusting in other gods
In Exodus 20 we read that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, with additional laws and instructions in the following chapters of Exodus, and with many more added in Leviticus. Prominent in all of these is the instruction not to have or to worship any other God, as in Exodus 20:3. Verse 5 goes even further in pronouncing a curse on anyone and their family who disobeyed this. In Leviticus God affirms that we are not to trust in any other god, and His displeasure for those who consult mediums.
Leviticus 19:4 “Do not put your trust in idols (or do not turn towards idols) or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:6 “I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.
Determining God’s will in the Old Testament
The ephod, a sacred garment worn by the high priest of Israel, played a significant role in seeking God’s guidance. The Urim and Thummim were gemstones that were carried by the high priest on the ephod. They were believed to be used to determine God’s will in important situations, and were used by various Israelite leaders, such as Joshua, Saul, and David, to seek God’s guidance in critical situations. For example in 1 Samuel 23 it is recorded that David inquired of the Lord through the ephod to understand whether he should fight the Philistines. Whenever David faced a trial, especially with his enemies, he always first sought to know God’s will, and each time he inquired the Lord graciously gave him a clear answer.
David’s trust in the Lord
David is recognised as having been a mighty warrior, yet he trusted in the Lord for each victory. There are nine occasion recorded in the Bible in which David first enquired of the Lord. David wrote the following in Psalms, which clearly show his commitment to and trust in the Lord.
Psalm 28:7 The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
Psalm 37:5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
Psalm 44:6 I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.
Psalm 62:8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
King Asa and King Hezekiah trusted in the Lord
We read in 2 Chronicles 14 that when Judah was faced with a mighty army from Ethiopia of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots King Asa ‘cried out to the Lord’ – it appears that he prayed directly to God – and the Lord gave them victory. Similarly when King Hezekiah received a threatening letter from the Assyrian king Sennacherib he prayed to God, calling on the Lord to save him. (2 Kings 19:14-19) and he sent his messengers to ask the prophet Isaiah to pray, who then prophesied that Hezekiah was not to be concerned and that he would be saved (Isaiah 37:1-38; 2 Chronicles 32:20-21).
King Solomon
King Solomon wrote many wise sayings relating to trusting in God, perhaps the most relevant in this context being Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
The key to understanding this instruction is in where we place our trust: is it in the Lord, and in His promises, His power, and in His love for us, or in our own abilities, resources etc. As we will see from several other scriptures, Solomon was not instructing us to disregard our using our minds and wisdom to plan carefully and meticulously, but rather not to allow ourselves to trust in our wisdom, intelligence, plans, experience, etc. to the extent that we do not acknowledge the superiority of the Lord’s wisdom, and ask for His guidance. Just look at the following two passages: Proverbs 28:26 Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord.
God can and does guide us in several different ways, and so when we call out to Him for His guidance we need to wait on Him and to be attentive and sensitive hear from Him / the Holy Spirit. These include the audible voice of God (not very common in New Testament times, but does still occur, an example being when the Lord spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus), through our own spirit, when a clear word springs to mind, or when we just intuitively ‘know’ what to do, through a prophetic word, or through the counsel of other believers. The key here is that we do not rely on our own wisdom or abilities but trust in the Lord to lead us, as we saw above in Provers 3:6, in whichever way He chooses to do so.
Five principles to follow in making decisions:
- Pray before making any significant decision – and trust in the Lord to guide you
When we pray we are both acknowledging our dependence on God, and either requesting His divine intervention in a situation or guidance in making an important decision: Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Proverbs 16:3 Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
- Ask in faith for wisdom to make sound decisions
Prayer must be matched with faith that God both hears and answers – if we lack faith in God we cannot expect to receive what we ask for, but when we do we can expect all of God’s blessings. James 1:5-7 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
- Commit yourself to follow God’s word to help make your decisions
We cannot act contrary to God’s word and still expect His blessing.
Psalm 119:105-6 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. 106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations (decrees or judgment).
- Take advice from trustworthy people
God can and does speak to us in many ways, and sometimes through the council of others.
Proverbs 12:15 Fools (perverse, foolish) think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.
Proverbs 15:22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.
- Decide to act in a way that honours God
God looks at our hearts – our motives and our intentions. His intention is always to bless us; ours must always be to honour Him.
Job 1:8 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless – a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”
James 4:3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong – you want only what will give you pleasure.
1 John 3:22 And we will receive from Him whatever we ask because we obey Him and do the things that please Him.
1 John 5:14-15 And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. 15 And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.
Conclusion: The Bible teaches us that careful planning and hard work are required, but also that our trust needs to be in the Lord at all times to lead and guide us
Proverbs 21:5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.
Dr Brian Drury