Detail: "Trust in Jesus with All Your Heart" ~Acrylic Painting by S.D. Harden © 2009 All Rights Reserved.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."~ Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust In God With All Your Heart
In this detail from my painting based on Proverbs 3:5-6, Jesus, the Good Shepherd is leading one of His little lambs along a path He has chosen for her. He lovingly looks down at His child and gently holds her hand as He leads her. He does not force her to follow Him.
He seems to be asking her to make the choice, "Will you follow Me down this path I have chosen for you?"
However, the child does not seem eager to follow her Shepherd, but reluctantly holds one hand behind her back while her feet stay planted on the shores of indecision.
Her head hangs down unwilling to meet the eyes of her Lord.
Something is preventing her from wanting to pursue the path He's chosen for her. Is it fear, doubt, worry, insecurity?
She cannot really see a path before her at all---only the ever relentlessly shifting waves of the endless sea before them.
Perhaps she wonders how can she walk upon such an unstable foundation?
If only she could see an end to the murky path before her, but she sees only an endless horizon of water whose depths she can't even fathom.
Her faithful Good Shepherd whom she has always trusted now seems to be asking her to plunge with Him into a depthless pool where there is no footing.
He seems to be asking her to leave behind everything she's always been able to depend on, and embark upon a path where she will have only Him to rely on for all her needs.
He seems be asking her to simply trust Him, to trust His word no matter what her eyes and ears may tell her to the contrary because He is faithful to all His promises and He cannot lie. He asks her to just believe that He will take care of her no matter what challenges come up. If she will only trust Him and keep her hand in His, nothing shall be able to overtake her.
"Will you trust in Me, My child?
I'll not lead you astray.
Will You trust in Me, My Child,
Though all the earth gives way,
I'll shield you from all harm, My child,
Your heart I'll not betray;
Although My path for you seems dark
An endless, depthless sea,
Strewn with wind & stormy waves,
Your safe always with Me.
And though you cannot see the end
I see it and I know,
That you will be all right, My child,
So never give up hope.
Never lose your faith in Me,
But Trust, oh trust always,
Know I love you, little one,
And in your heart remain.
© 2014 SDH
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Thank You that You love us and will never lead us down a path where You won't also be with us, guiding us by Your indwelling Holy Spirit. You are our Good Shepherd who leads us in paths of righteousness for Thy name's sake. You are working all things out in our life for our good. May You reassure us of these truths when we are challenged by the storms of life. For Thy word promises that You, Oh Lord, are FOR us, and if God be For us, who can be against us?! You are our Hope and our Victory no matter what the world throws at us. For in the end, as You triumphed over the world, we too shall triumph as long as we abide in You. For You have promised us, "Greater is He that is in us, than he who is in the world."
We love You, Lord! In Thy great name dear Jesus, we give thanks and pray, amen.
Peaceful Prayer Songs, Messages of Hope: "Trust in God with All Your Heart" Prayer Poem © 2014
and Illustration © 2009 by Suzanne Davis Harden All Rights Reserved.