Proverbs 3:4-5: In God We Trust

Rev. Avedis Boynerian graciously forwards me his Sunday sermon ahead of time. This Sunday January 18, 2026, Rev. Avedis Boynerian’s sermon was the Proverbs 3: 4-5. "In God We Trust" is also the official motto of the United States, mandated on all U.S. currency since 1956, appearing first on coins in 1864 during the Civil War for morale, and then on paper money in 1957, driven by Cold War anti-atheism efforts to distinguish the U.S. from the Soviet Union, though it remains a subject of debate. Use of credit card has given a mortal blow to the use of actual paper currency, and hence maybe reflecting on its motto. Attached is Rev. Avedis Boynerian’s reflection on “In God We Trust.”  Vaհe H Apelian

" The book of Proverbs is part of God’s people’s wisdom literature. 

King Solomon wrote the book primarily to teach God’s people how to live wisely and godly in everyday life. Proverbs chapter 3 is a father’s instruction to a child—a loving, pastoral appeal to walk in the fear of God. 

The chapter begins with a call to remember God’s teachings and to live with steadfast love and faithfulness. 

In the first 3 verses the writer says, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (1-3).

Before Solomon speaks about trusting God, he speaks about character.

Verse 3 urges God’s people to bind love and faithfulness around their hearts.

Verse 4 shows the result: a life marked by favor and respect  in the sight of God and others.

Verse 5 reveals the foundation: wholehearted trust in God rather than self-reliance.

In other words, (trusting God is not an abstract idea—it is the root of a faithful life.

Solomon contrasts two ways of living: trusting God with the whole heart or leaning on our own limited understanding.

This teaching was important for God’s people, who are constantly tempted to rely on human wisdom rather than rely on God. These verses remind us that true wisdom begins with dependence on God. A life that trusts God leads to integrity and blessing because it is anchored in God’s faithfulness.

Let us bring this a bit closer:

Every day we make decisions—some small, some life-changing.  We rely on experience, advice, and even our emotions to guide us.  God’s Word speaks directly into this tension in our text (Proverbs 3:5–6) in which God invites us to a different way of living—not self-reliance, but God-reliance.

Our text shows us two ways to live and one powerful promise.

The Bible does not say we have no understanding—it says do not lean on it.

A person who leans on their own understanding, they trust their experience. They say, “I know what’s best for me” and they pray after decisions instead of before. 

Let us think about someone choosing a job. The salary and benefits are great and they make sense on paper. But there is no time for family, church or spiritual growth. Instead of asking God first, the decision is made—and later we ask God to bless it. Now, that’s leaning on our own understanding.

God does not ask for partial trust—He asks for all our heart. Trusting God means, 

— Submitting decisions to Him before acting

— Saying, “Lord, you know better than I do.”

— Obeying even when the outcome is unclear

— Walking by faith, not by sight

Abraham, who did not know where God was taking him—but he put his trust in God and obeyed Him. Peter, the disciple, stepped out of the boat without understanding how water would hold him—but he trusted Jesus and walked on sea. Trust does not mean we understand everything. Trust means we believe God understands everything.

Solomon commands his son to acknowledge Him. To “acknowledge God” means we invite Him into every area of our lives. Before responding to a difficult person, you pause and pray.

. Before making a financial decision, you ask, “Lord, is this honoring You?”

Before reacting emotionally, you seek God’s wisdom.

We do not acknowledge God only in church—we acknowledge Him in real life.

God does not promise:

An easy path

A fast path

A problem-free path.

But He does promise, to direct our path and take us under His care.

You may have heard this quote, “Sometimes God closes a door and opens another.” The question is not, “Do I believe in God?” The real question is, “Who am I trusting?”

Many people today would say, “Yes, I believe in God.”

They believe in other gods and/religions. 

         They believe in love — they say, “Love is all we need.”

         They believe in peace.

         They believe doing good is enough.

It is possible to mix faith—taking 

a little from Jesus, 

a little from the world, and 

a little from other religions—hoping it will bring peace. But Proverbs does not say, 

“Trust in wisdom,” or 

“Trust in peace,” or 

“Trust in love.”

Our text says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.” Trust is wholehearted surrender and not convenient trust, but dependence on God. Trust is choosing God’s faithfulness over our experience and on our feelings. This Lord is none other than Jesus, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

When we lean on Jesus, we are leaning on Him, who, 

Loved us enough to go to the cross

Conquered sin and death through His resurrection

He lives today and leads us in the right path. So today, God invites us to lay down our,

.  self-reliance

. mixed trust and

. divided hearts and 

choose wholehearted trust in Jesus alone, Who directs our paths. Let’s: 

. Instead of forcing our plan, because it “makes sense,” we need to pray and take steps God guides us to take.

. Instead of panicking over what we cannot control, we need to trust God to carry us through.

. Instead of complaining, we need to trust God and His wisdom for our everyday life.

Leaning on God is not about seeing the whole picture—it’s about taking one step at a time. As we near to close, I want to speak to two hearts.

Some of you may believe in God—but today you sense Jesus inviting you to trust Him personally. 

Others of you already follow Jesus, yet you know you have been leaning on yourself. 

And today, God is lovingly calling you to renew your trust and return to wholehearted faith.

If today you are ready—whether for the first time or for a renewal—to say, “Jesus, I trust You, I invite you to respond by simply opening your heart to God.

Personal story: “There was a season in my life when I thought I had everything planned. I prayed, but honestly, I had already decided what the outcome should be. In my mind, I had the timing, the solution, and the direction all figured out. Things did not go as I expected. A door I was sure God would open stayed closed. Plans I felt confident about quietly fell apart. And I remember feeling frustrated —confused—asking God, “God, I am trusting You. So why isn’t this working?”

It was only later that I realized something: I was trusting God with my words, but leaning heavily on my own understanding. I wanted God to bless my plan, instead of surrendering myself to His plan.

Over time, God redirected my path— not suddenly, not dramatically—but gently, step by step. Looking back now, I can see that the closed door was actually God’s protection. The delay was God’s preparation and the redirection was God’s grace and care for me. What I thought was a setback became a deeper place of trust. And that’s when our text stopped being just a verse I quoted and became a truth I lived: When we stop leaning on ourselves and truly trust God, 

He does direct our paths—often in ways we could not have planned, but always in ways that are better, much, much better."