ALL MEANS ALL From: Karen Parrish "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes…Proverbs 3:5-7.” This is one of my favorite verses! It is my favorite, because my walk with my Savior has been an increase in my trusting Him! You have heard me say often that I was a bit of a control freak, and so I mostly trusted myself for way too many years! It was self-preservation at its worst! We humans, for the most part, are rather arrogant in our thinking. We are surrounded by false statements, like "God helps those who help themselves", "think for yourself", "I can figure this out", and on and on. The above verse is contrary to how most humans think -Period. Leaning on our own understanding can lead to pain, frustration and disappointment. The verse goes on to say DON'T trust your own perspective, because that's what most of us do! In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, not some, not a few, but ALL! If you are still unsure of what He is saying to us, he goes further to say, "Do not be wise in your own eyes!" It doesn't get any clearer than that! So, should I not think for myself at all? No, for me, it means asking for His wisdom in ALL areas of my life. It means when I do make a decision, I make it in accordance with His will, not mine. It means when I am feeling discouraged or am full of doubt, I keep trusting Him, no matter what I see or feel. In addition, knowing that Christ abides in each of us also keeps me focused on His abiding presence. Knowing that I am never alone makes it easier to trust and lean on Him. Trusting in the Lord is so contrary to human nature, but as we draw upon the love of Christ in us, He enables us to trust Him! May these verses minister to you as they do me, and may your walk be full of leaning more on the Christ within us! Praise God from whom all blessings and trusting flows!