Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Trusting God Over Your Own Understanding: Chris Bell on Proverbs 3:5-6
About this episode
Pastor Chris Bell of Three Circle Church in Fairhope, Alabama joins Philip Cameron for a grounded, scripture-anchored conversation on what it truly means to trust God in an anxious and unpredictable world. Drawing from a two-week sermon series on Proverbs 3:5-6, Chris unpacks one of the Bible's most quoted — and most demanding — passages: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight." Chris makes a sharp distinction between mere belief and genuine trust, citing a theologian who argued that "the distinguishing factor between saving faith and just believing there's a God is the element of trust." He illustrates mature faith through a disarming story about his Cavapoo, Teddy, who once fled in terror from a leaf blower but now rolls over to enjoy it — because a year of faithful care built an unshakeable track record. That, Chris says, is exactly where God wants every believer. The conversation also explores the biblical sequence of relationship before obedience, the meaning of "acknowledge" as alignment rather than mere recognition, and why God's conditional promise in Proverbs 3:6 — to make straight our paths — is one of the most practical and hope-filled guarantees in all of Scripture. Learn more about Three Circle Church at threecirclechurch.com.
Part of our Trust collection of conversations.
Quotes worth sharing
“After a year of living with me, my dog now, when I crank it up, will roll over and he wants me to blow him with it. He wants me to, because it feels good. That's trust. And the only way that happens is, I have a track record with that little guy. He knows that I will not hurt him. He knows that I only take care of him. And so no matter how scary the sound of that machine is, no matter how confusing it sounds, he just knows, 'I have no idea what that thing is in his hand, but I trust him.'”
“It's much easier to put it on a coffee mug than it is to get it into your heart.”
“Everyone thinks that when you and I talk about the blessings of God, we're talking about riches and money and provision. And I'm not saying those things aren't important, but the real thing God promises is direction. The wealth of heaven for the human life is the ordering of our steps.”
What's Discussed
Pastor Chris Bell of Three Circle Church in Fairhope, Alabama walks through Proverbs 3:5-6 in a conversation that is both theologically precise and deeply practical. He distinguishes saving faith from mere intellectual belief, arguing that trust — relational, track-record-based trust — is what sets them apart. Chris explains that the Bible's sequence is always relationship first, then obedience, and that "acknowledge" in verse 6 means alignment, not casual recognition. He warns against two equal ditches: all grace with no obedience, and religion that demands obedience before grace. The episode closes on God's conditional promise: trust Him, stop leaning on your own understanding, acknowledge His lordship, and He will make straight your path — a guarantee of divine direction that Chris calls the true wealth of heaven.
- Gospel Clarity in a Chaotic World
- Proverbs 3:5-6 Two-Week Series Overview
- Trust vs. Belief: Saving Faith Defined
- The Leaf Blower: A Picture of Mature Trust
- Lean Not on Your Own Understanding
- Acknowledge as Alignment, Not Recognition
- God's Conditional Promise to Direct Your Path
- Living as Salt and Light Through Trust
Scripture in this episode
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Hey, welcome to Daily Faith today. My name is Philip Cameron, and I am absolutely delighted to see you. I believe the Lord is going to talk to your heart today. I'm amazed at how He can maneuver us into positions to speak to us. My favorite chorus or song that sings in my mind all the time, "He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me." God has been planning this moment and this day for you to take you to the place that He can speak into your heart and give confidence and faith into your life.
Philip:We are living in incredible days today. I was watching the news this morning and oil went above $100 a barrel. And then there's all kinds of worries and concerns in the world — will this war continue, and what about Russia and Ukraine? My wife, Chrissy, and my daughter, Melody, is in Moldova, and they were going to our house in Ukraine tomorrow, and the Russians bombed the village where the frontier is, and you cross over from Moldova into Ukraine. And they bombed that village, and they've closed the border down. So our teams from the States that are in Moldova right now, they can't go to Ukraine tomorrow. They just called me a few moments ago.
Philip:We are so excited about these days we're living in because this is the days that the prophet spoke about, and we're just excited to have you with us. We have a home in Moldova, in a village of homes called Vatra Village, where we take kids in off of the street or out of orphanages that have no hope. Every girl you're about to see in this video, if the trafficker gets ahold of her, each girl could earn $300,000 a year for their trafficker. It is unbelievable. But instead of that, they come to our houses, they hear the gospel, we put them back in school, and these amazing kids turn into missionaries. And all through the summertime, they've been having youth camps. And now as autumn comes, they're beginning to go into the villages and help widows and broken families, and they preach the gospel. So we got a whole bunch of new stuff, and they just sent me this video today, and I think you'll enjoy it. Watch this.
Today, new young people have walked through our doors, and it will change the course of their entire lives. They've come here to learn, to grow, to discover their gifts, and become the people they were created to be. And because of you, they now have the chance. Your support gives them more than education. It gives them hope and a future they once couldn't imagine. One day, they will look back and realize that their lives changed because someone chose to believe in them, and that someone is you.
Thank you for the opportunity to have a future. Thank you.
Philip:When they first arrive in Vatra Village, my wife has made up these big tubs, Rubbermaid tubs, and they have a welcome home party. And the kids — in that Rubbermaid tub is just a whole wardrobe, everything they're going to need to go to school. And the first time many of these kids... In fact, one of the houseparents in our homes at Vatra Village, I gave her the very first hug she'd ever had in her life. She had no memories of anyone ever hugging her. And the hug that I gave her was the first, and she now is married with two kids of her own and is now one of the houseparents at Vatra Village.
Philip:We are in a very busy season at this moment. As you can tell, we've just taken in new kids into Vatra Village. We have a brand-new ministry that we're opening right now in a town called Ungheni, and we've bought two houses on a farm that has an orchard and a barn. It was a working farm when we bought it. And we are turning this into two homes called Promise House for younger kids. These are kids between the age of four and 16.
Philip:We had a terrible thing happen a wee while ago. A little girl was offered to us by the mayor of her village because of the trauma in her family. The only issue with her was that she was underage. She was 14, and we could only take kids 16 and upwards. But we took her in, and she was in for several months, and a tremendous change was taking place in her life. And then they made us put her back to the village. The local children protection made us put her back to the village. And we drove her back to the village, and a week after we took her back, she was gang raped by 10 men and literally lost her mind. And it so broke us that we had nowhere for her to come, that we've been working ever since to put these two homes together, and they're almost finished.
Philip:We need you to help us. If you could pray, and be a part with us in this incredible outreach. We need funds to finish the buildings. We have one of them almost done, and there's one waiting to be worked on to be finished. And also, we need 300 people to give a dollar a day. You can save little girls and boys from unimaginable abuse by giving a gift of a dollar a day. That's all it takes. One dollar a day can change someone's life. And if you feel led in your heart right now, as you've watched that video, that the Lord wants you to be a part with us, you can be a part with us.
Philip:Right now, there's a church from Frisco, Texas, Elevate Church, and they have 21 people in a team, as we speak, in Moldova, working alongside our kids. And I spoke to the pastor that was there with the team, and he said, "You've been in our church, you've preached in our church, we've heard you, but it's nothing like being here." He said, "I've never seen anything like it in my life." And we challenge you to be a part of this incredible outreach. You can help us by sending a gift to the Orphan's Hands. Really simple. Orphan's Hands, PO Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716.
Philip:You can also go to dailyfaith.org, and there's a giving page there, and you can say, "Philip, count me in. I'll be one of these 300 people that you need to open this new house." You can also go — we've got a phone number, which is the way I would do it. I'm a dinosaur when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'll just dial a phone number, 833, and then dial Daily Faith, spell Daily Faith out on your keypad. And a real live person, not AI, a real live person will take your phone call. And if you could help, we're praying for people to help us in the funding to finish this second building. And whatever gift you can give towards that would be a great help as well. Please pray about it.
Philip:I'm so happy to have with us today Chris Bell. He pastors an amazing church in Fairhope, Alabama, called Three Circle Church, and God is using him to do tremendous things for the kingdom of God. And I'm so thankful that he agreed to come be with us again on Daily Faith. Chris, I am so thankful to have you with us. How are you doing, my brother?
Chris Bell:I'm doing so well, Philip. It's always such an honor to be on your program. I love what you're doing. And just hearing what's happening in Moldova — we have some ministry going on there as well. And just love to hear how you guys are literally on a rescue mission, which I can't imagine anything aligning with Christ more than a rescue mission, right?
Philip:That is so true. And I talked to my wife just before I came on the program right now. And by FaceTime, she was in one of our vans driving back from this new ministry we're opening in Ungheni, called Promise House, and they were leaving tomorrow morning to drive up to Odessa, where we also have a home there. And the village that is at the border was bombed by the Russians.
Chris Bell:Wow.
Philip:And as I was talking to her, and she was telling me this, one of the team from Texas joined in the conversation and said, "They closed the airspace over the airport just after we landed yesterday." So that's how tenuous the situation is right now.
Philip:I said to Chris, I said, "Ah, no big deal. Go up. God will keep you safe." But I think they've decided just not to go to Ukraine right now because of the situation. But we are living, Chris — and before you talk, give us your overview. We're watching all these hotspots, Russia and Ukraine, Israel, Iran — it seems that the temperature of the pot is being raised up all the time. Things are getting...
Chris Bell:It really does. I agree. I think what I'm reminded of is the timeless message of the gospel. I think that the more confusing the world becomes, the more violent, the more unpredictable, the more we need to preach with clarity the gospel. Because I can't answer all the questions on what's going to happen tomorrow, and I don't have all the predictions. Here's what I do have that's rock solid — the message and the good news of Christ. And I don't have to be afraid of a thing. I saw an article this morning, people really, really heating up about AI and what AI is going to do and how it's going to affect everyone. And people are really scared. And I got to be honest with you, Philip, because of Christ, I'm not afraid. The Bible says we have nothing to fear because of Christ. And so I think that's a message that we need to be so clear on for the world right now.
Gospel Clarity in a Chaotic World
Philip:But the thing is, I look at these things, and I'm aware, and I get concerned as to safety. And God knows if Iran were ever to get a nuclear device, they would certainly use it. It wouldn't be a maybe or an if thing. When President Trump took on the North Koreans, and he says, "Hey, rocket man, if you launch anything, we will obliterate you." You can scare those kind of people, but you can't scare someone who is so twisted by their ideology that they think they can end the world and bring whatever they believe in. And not to mention the false religion of Islam, the spread of Islam across the world.
Chris Bell:Absolutely. It's amazing. And so more than ever, we need to be warriors with the clarity of the gospel. It's the only message, it's the only way to the Father, it's the only hope for humanity. And we got to be clear about it, for sure.
Philip:I'm excited, though. I'm with you, I'm very excited about what... I wake up every day excited to see what God's going to do next and how we get to be a part of it. I think we have been chosen to live in one of the most eventful times in human history. And I'm just really grateful for that honor. You've been speaking and teaching in the church the last couple of Sundays out of the Book of Proverbs. Tell us what the Lord's been putting in your heart.
Chris Bell:Yeah, man, I'm glad you asked. We did a mini-series — which, for us a series is normally six to eight weeks, but we did a two-week series — we called it One Two Punch, looking at one of the most famous passages in the Bible, and it's Proverbs 3:5 through 6. And we said that this is one of those verses and passages that end up on coffee mugs. But it's much easier to put it on a coffee mug than it is to get it into your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Two-Week Series Overview
Chris Bell:This is a hard one to live, and it simply says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your paths straight." And so we spent two weeks kind of looking at the two halves of that. The first half is all about trust, relationship. The second half is about obedience, and those two things go together. There's a lot of modern kind of things happening in Christianity. On one side it's all grace and no obedience, and then on the other side, religion gets the sequence out of order and it says you got to obey and then comes the grace. And neither one of those — those are two ditches to fall into.
Chris Bell:The Bible has a sequence. Philip, throughout the Bible, the sequence is relationship, that always leads to obedience. And so even the children of Israel, God did not give them the Ten Commandments in Egypt. He introduces himself to them, he demonstrates his power. He tells them, "You are now my children, my people." Then he gives them the Ten Commandments. Well, here in Proverbs, it's the same thing. It starts with the relationship, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart."
Trust vs. Belief: Saving Faith Defined
Chris Bell:And we looked at that and we said, okay, trust. That's a big deal. That's relational. And if you go to the Book of James it says even the demons believe there's a God. So believing there's a God, that's not saving faith. And one theologian from 300 years ago said this, he believed that the distinguishing factor between saving faith and just believing there's a God is the element of trust. It's relational. And I love that the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart." He does not want outward compliance. This isn't religion — he wants your heart. He wants in the depths of our heart that we trust him.
Philip:That is very good. Trust — I often say this — trust is mature faith. Trust is knowing that he's gonna show up. Trust is knowing that he has got my best interest at his heart. Faith can be, oh, we're gonna pump up our faith like air in a tire. Trust is a different thing altogether. I just know he's gonna see me through.
Chris Bell:That's right. Are you a dog person, Philip? Do you have pets?
Philip:No, we've traveled so much that we've never had pets.
Chris Bell:I understand. Well, I have kids at home. We have a little dog, and we got him a year ago. He's a Cavapoo named Teddy, named after the great Teddy Roosevelt. And when I first got him, the little guy would be on the back porch, and when I would blow the leaves and stuff off the back porch, when I would crank up that little leaf blower, it would scare him to death. He would run for his life. It was terrifying to him. Do you know that after a year of living with me, my dog now, when I crank it up, will roll over and he wants me to blow him with it. He wants me to, because it feels good. That's trust. And the only way that happens is, I have a track record with that little guy. He knows that I will not hurt him. He knows that I only take care of him. And so no matter how scary the sound of that machine is, no matter how confusing it sounds, he just knows, "I have no idea what that thing is in his hand, but I trust him."
The Leaf Blower: A Picture of Mature Trust
Philip:Isn't that amazing? And that's where God wants us to get to the point that we're not driven circumstantially. He doesn't want us to be up and down by the circumstance. We've got to know that we're fixed on him, we are trusting in him, and no matter what happens, he's gonna see us through. He's never failed us yet.
Chris Bell:That's right. And trust is mature faith. I love it, and it brings joy. There's nothing worse than being insecure in your relationship with God. And here's the truth. The truth is life is scary. It's like the leaf blower for my little dog. Sometimes I wake up and I don't know what's coming at me. But if I trust God, I can trust anything. I just don't have to be afraid.
Chris Bell:So trust the Lord with all your heart, but the requirement is the hard part, Philip. I think it's hard for me, probably hard for all of your listeners and viewers, is to lean not on your own understanding. The truth is, I think we all think we know what we're doing. And we are finite creatures. We are fragile, we have limited knowledge, we have limited experience. And so God says, "If you're gonna trust me, here's what it's gonna demand. You're gonna have to learn to not lean on your own understanding." And that's a personal one for me, because you know what? I think you're like me, Philip. You've traveled, you've done a lot of stuff. People listen to you when you talk. It's really easy for me to go, "Hey, I've got this." And I don't. I do not have this. The older I get, the more I know I know little.
Lean Not on Your Own Understanding
Philip:That's so true. It's so true, and life has a way of humbling you, right?
Chris Bell:That is the truth. So for me, I just think one of the disciplines I have to have is I have to stop leaning on my own understanding. And that's the humility. It's a humility to go, you know what? I've been married 26 years. I don't know how to do marriage, but I need God's help. I'm raising three kids. I need God's help. I need to involve Him in my life, and that's that next part. It says, "Acknowledge Him in all your ways." And I just think our word acknowledge, Philip, in the English language, it's not strong enough to grab the original intent. Because when I acknowledge someone, I just kind of go, "Hey, how are you?" But when the Bible says acknowledge, it means align, alignment. That's what it means.
Acknowledge as Alignment, Not Recognition
Chris Bell:And so to acknowledge God in all my ways means I look at what God wants, I look at the reality of my life, and I move the reality of my life in line with His commands and His purposes.
Philip:As you're talking, I can see what would happen is in the old days, when a king would be on the throne and an ambassador from another country would come, the first thing he would do is go to the king and acknowledge his superiority over the circumstance and the relationship, and the king would, in turn, acknowledge the ambassador. In that acknowledgement, which formed the relationship of trust for going forward. And what we would do when we come into the presence of God and when any circumstance arises and we acknowledge the lordship of Jesus, the kingship of his presence in the circumstance, then everything down from that, He acknowledges us. If we acknowledge Him, He acknowledges us. And believe me, we are the greater beneficiary of that acknowledgement.
Chris Bell:That's so true, Philip. And you look at the end of the passage we're talking about, and that's exactly where that plane lands. "He will make straight your path." I find this to be interesting. It's one of the only places in the Bible where God tells us if we'll do a few things, He'll do something. Like salvation's not a give and take between us and God. The Bible says it's all the work of God. It's His sovereign hand. He chooses, He saves, He redeems. Salvation's a gift of God. But this is for people who are believers. This passage is for those of us who know God. He says, "Here's the deal. If you will trust me, if you'll lean not on your own understanding, and if you'll acknowledge me in all your ways," He says, "I will make straight your path." In other words, He's going to get involved in directing and ordering our lives. But it's conditional. We've got to do our part first.
God's Conditional Promise to Direct Your Path
Philip:That's right. We've got to trust. Don't lean, acknowledge Him. Once we establish that, then that opens up the reservoir of heaven into our lives. And the reservoir — everyone thinks that when you and I talk about the blessings of God, we're talking about riches and money and provision. And I'm not saying those things aren't important, but the real thing God promises is direction. The wealth of heaven for the human life is the ordering of our steps. And His guarantee here is that He'll get involved in directing our lives, and that's going to lead us to joy and purpose and less confusion and more clarity.
Chris Bell:And in a world like the one we're in, Philip, where it feels hopeless at times, I need to remember this. I need to remember that God will order my steps if I'll trust Him.
Philip:So what you're saying is, and how the Lord's brought this all back together from what we talked about at the beginning, in the days we're living in, this is the most important time to trust. Don't lean on your own understanding. Because — or anyone else's understanding. And again, I'm a conservative, politically I'm conservative, but I'm sorry, my King is Jesus. The only one I fully trust is — everyone's going to let each other down. Any political candidate's going to let you down, every single time. We shouldn't even be surprised by that.
Philip:The Bible doesn't tell us to trust in ideologies or political movements, or even ourselves. It says learn to trust in the Lord. Back in England just now, we've just changed prime minister. The last guy, Starmer, was an absolute joke. And he finally got into power with the biggest mandate of any prime minister for eons, and he completely blew it. And the biggest thing was illegal immigrants. These boats coming across from France into England.
Philip:So this new guy comes in, and the first thing he said is, "I'm going to stop this. I'm going to stop this illegal immigration into Great Britain." Because the British paid the French 1 billion euros to keep them from coming over, and the French are putting them on these boats and sending them over all the time. And instead of doing what he said, the first thing he's done, he's broken his promise, and he's opened up the floodgates again for these illegal aliens to come in. And everyone is so mad at him. And I'm laughing. I'm thinking, are you surprised? They will always disappoint you. There's no trust to be had in these people. The only thing you can trust in — on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. And boy, that is a word.
Chris Bell:Absolutely, and honored to share it with you. I just think that we're called to be salt and light in the world. Part of that is sharing the gospel. Part of it though is living a life of trust, because a life trusting God is one that's not as anxious, not as worried, not as fearful, not as freaked out about everything. As Christians, we live with a confidence that is very attractive to the world because everyone else freaks out, and then they look at Christians who are trusting in God and they go, "Oh, wow. They're not freaked out about the same stuff I am. What's that about?" And then we get to answer the question. "Well, it's because we trust our Father." So I think it's huge. We can be the salt and light in people's lives by trusting in the Lord, showing them trust.
Living as Salt and Light Through Trust
Philip:When I first adopted Andrew, he'd been starved all his life, and we went one night into his little bedroom, and he had taken bread from the kitchen and put it in his drawer, and the plastic was sticking out of the drawer, and I opened the door, and here was this loaf of bread. And when I seen the bread, he was all embarrassed, and I took him to the kitchen, and I opened all the pantry, and I said, "Look, this is Andrew's, and this is Andrew's, and this is Andrew's." And I was communicating to him that his world changed to trust us.
Chris Bell:What a great reward. That's so good, man.
Philip:Listen, thank you for being out. If you're anywhere in the Fairhope, Alabama area, I want you to go to Three Circle Church and hear this incredible man of God that is doing incredible things for the kingdom of God. And so it's Three Circle Church. The website is threecirclechurch.com. And I'm sure there'll be some information and some ministry items there you can avail yourself of. Chris, thank you so much for being with me today. Please come back in the future again.
Chris Bell:Thank you, Phil. It's always great.
Philip:We love having you with us on Daily Faith. For those that are watching, we want you to be a part with us in our work in Moldova, these new houses we're looking at, and allow the Lord to use you to be part of this answer. Thank you for joining us today on Daily Faith. We appreciate you so very much. Trust in the Lord. Lean not on your own understanding, and He will direct your paths. It's truth. We'll talk to you again. Bye-bye.
For over 25 years, the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova. From providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells, to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing. They champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons, and in the process, orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their Heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus. God helped the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness. Now, no longer orphans, they want to return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ.
The Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in The Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and the Ukraine. If you want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people, please contact us today by calling 833-DAILYFAITH. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv, or by writing to Post Office Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do. Thank you for loving the lost.
Common questions
What does Chris Bell say is the difference between just believing in God and actually having saving faith?
Chris Bell points to trust as the key distinction. He cites a theologian who argued that even demons believe there is a God, so mere belief isn't saving faith — the distinguishing factor is the relational element of trust. God doesn't want outward compliance; He wants the depths of your heart.
How does Chris Bell explain what it means to 'lean not on your own understanding' from Proverbs 3:5-6?
Bell says it's a call to humility — recognizing that we are finite, fragile creatures with limited knowledge and experience. He applies it personally, admitting that even after 26 years of marriage and raising three kids, he still needs God's help and can't rely on his own track record or expertise.
What does Chris Bell say 'acknowledge Him in all your ways' actually means in the original biblical sense?
Bell argues the English word 'acknowledge' is too weak to capture the original intent. In the biblical sense, it means alignment — you look at what God wants, look at the reality of your life, and move your life into line with His commands and purposes. It's far more active than just a casual nod of recognition.
How does Chris Bell illustrate what mature trust in God looks like?
He uses the example of his Cavapoo, Teddy. When he first got the dog, the sound of a leaf blower terrified it. But after a year of building a track record of care, the dog now rolls over and enjoys being blown by it. Bell says that's trust — not understanding the thing in God's hand, but knowing from experience that He won't hurt you.
What does Chris Bell say is the right sequence between relationship and obedience in the Christian life?
Bell says the Bible's sequence is always relationship first, then obedience — never the other way around. He points out that God didn't give Israel the Ten Commandments while they were still in Egypt; He first revealed Himself, demonstrated His power, and claimed them as His people. Proverbs 3:5-6 follows the same pattern: trust (relationship) comes before the call to acknowledge and obey.
Topics
chris bellproverbs 3:5-6trustfaithobediencethree circle churchchristian living