Promises, promises

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Having looked at three negative factors that attack the disciple we now turn to a positive encapsulating gift of God that strengthens us; trust.

People often say, “I wish I could have faith!” But everybody lives by faith! All day long, people trust one another. They trust the doctor and the pharmacist; they trust the cook in the restaurant; they even trust the fellow driving in the other lane on the highway. If we can trust men, why can we not trust God? In fact Warren Wiersbe goes so far as to say, “And not to trust Him is to make Him a liar.”

A man who lived on Long Island was able one day to satisfy a lifelong ambition by purchasing for himself a very fine barometer. When the instrument arrived at his home, he was extremely disappointed to find that the indicating needle appeared to be stuck, pointing to the sector marked “HURRICANE.” After shaking the barometer very vigorously several times, its new owner sat down and wrote a scorching letter to the store from which he had purchased the instrument. The following morning on the way to his office in New York, he mailed the letter. That evening he returned to Long Island to find not only the barometer missing, but his house also. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 offers two approaches to life: lean on ourselves OR lean on God.  We can lean on ourselves OR we can lean on God but we cannot do both.  If we lean on our intellect and abilities, then we have no need to acknowledge God.  This is the definition of self-sufficiency.  If we have no need to acknowledge God, then we will obviously have no need to trust God.  On the flip side, if we don’t trust ourselves, then we will have a sincere need for God.  If we have a need for God, then we will acknowledge Him which will then move Him to direct our paths. It is that Divine direction that presents the opportunity to trust God with all our heart.  This is the definition of God-sufficiency. 

These verses form a circular bond that repeats itself in progression. 

If you trust God with all your heart, you won’t lean on your own understanding.

If you don’t lean on your own understanding, you will acknowledge God.

If you acknowledge God, He will direct your paths.

If God directs your paths, you can trust that direction with all your heart.

If you then trust God with all your heart, you won’t lean on your own understanding.

If you don’t lean on your own understanding, you will acknowledge God.

If you acknowledge God, He will direct your paths.

If God directs your paths, you can trust that direction with all of your heart. 

Please help us to trust you with all our heart, lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways help us to acknowledge you. We believe, we trust that you will make our paths straight. May it be so, we pray in Jesus name, Amen.