Proverbs 3:5-8 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 3:5-8, which read, 

v.5 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.

A very familiar verse but also a very tough verse to apply.  We all love the "trust in the Lord" because that is like the motto on our currency "in God we trust."  We give that out as advice to others when we hear of their dilemma.  But what does it mean to trust in the Lord with all your heart?

The start of it is to lean not on your own understanding.  It is to recognize that God's understanding is better than your own.  It is actively and purposely going with God's wisdom and instruction rather than your own which could be just the opposite at times.  If I am going to trust in the Lord with all my heart then I have to lean on His understanding because it is all my trust on the Lord and nothing is left after my "all" has been given. 

v.6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

Here is another "all."  In all my ways I acknowledge that God is God.  What are all my ways?  All of my life meaning at my school, at my job, in my home, among my friends, at play, in public, in private, in my marriage, in my singleness, in my parenting, at my church, with brothers and sisters in Christ, with those who yet to know Christ, and the list goes on and on.

When I acknowledge God, God has my attention to make my paths straight, right, and pure as I trust Him with all my heart.  So I trust Him; I lean not on my understanding but His; and I acknowledge Him in all aspects of my life.  What else? 

v.7 - Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

What is your opinion on this subject?  It is whatever God says it should be.  You have went to His word for guidance to know how to speak and respond to the issue at hand.  He is Your first stop in forming a response. 

Is this sin?  What does God say above the thoughts and excuses running through your head to go forward?  How much time and energy do you give to search out what God's wisdom is on this event?  Do you pull out His words?  Do you seek out godly brothers and sisters and speak to them of it for godly counsel?  Do you stop to pray and invite God into the conversation that is going on in your head?

You "fear" the Lord.  You have a healthy respect and awe of who God is that you submit to who He is and what He says and in response you turn from evil.  You started turning from evil when you started turning to God.  What does this action bring? 

v.8 - It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.

"I'm chilled to the bone" is a common phrase to express something affecting us to the core.  When I trust in the Lord and set His understanding over my own; when I acknowledge God in all areas of my life; and when I fear the Lord with respect to what He says is right and wrong then it penetrates me to the core with healing and refreshment.  It nourishes me with nutrients that my soul needs and can use.

There is a lot of talk today in the health field about eating nutrient dense foods or superfoods.  These are foods that the body can use to repair itself and strengthen the immune system to fight off diseases.  God is our superfood.  He is what we need to take in to heal our souls and strengthen our hearts and minds to fight off the temptations of Satan.  We trust; we lean; we acknowledge; we be wise; we fear; and we turn to God and this is an "all" exercise of the wise Christian.

We set aside our understanding; we set aside our paths; and we set aside our desires to take up God's understanding, path, and desires for us.  This will result in a healing that we need and a refreshment our whole body longs for.  We don't even know what this is like until we follow through with our "all" to God.  Let's pray. 

"Lord, many of us live our lives so deficient of what they could be if we gave our all to You.  We are walking around with a compromised immune system against the attacks of Satan because we have not been on Your program.  Help us to give our all to You and see the results that only come with such a total commitment.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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