Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV

This is one of my favorite verses. Unfortunately, it is one I often fail to live. I get carried away at times with my own plans and ideas, and I forget to include God in them. I fail to consult Him and seek His guidance. Often, I only remember I forgot to do this when things go awry.

This is a verse we should strive to live out daily. So, let’s look at this and see what we need to do. First, we are told to trust in the LORD with all our heart. When we trust in the LORD with all our heart, this removes any doubt. It removes fear and frustration. It gives us peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). This means we put all our trust in Him. We leave no room for fear because we walk in faith.

Then, we are told not to lean on our own understanding. What does this mean? Well, it means that we aren’t as smart as we think we are. When we trust in the Lord with all our heart, it doesn’t leave any room for our feelings to get in our way. We don’t make choices and decisions based on our emotions. And never, ever follow your heart. We are told in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

We should trust God to guide us. We are told in Psalms 119:105 that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. This is why Bible study is so important to our lives. God doesn’t come down and personally take our hand and guide us. We are guided through His word. This is why we must have a good understanding of it. Misunderstanding God’s word or twisting it to suit our own purposes can lead us astray. This is also why it is so important to find a church where the pastor teaches the Bible and not his own agenda.

Our Scripture passage then tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways. This is where prayer comes in. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing. Now if we take that verse in context using the verse before it and the verse after it. Verses 16-18 say, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We should always be in prayer.

According to an article in Psychology Today, published in 2018, some researchers believe that the average person makes about 35,000 decisions in a day. Others think the number is much lower and closer to 2,000. Either way, the average human being makes a lot of decisions. When we study God’s word and stay in prayer keeping an open line of communication with Him, we are bound to make better decisions. I know because I have lived this one out.

Our Scripture passage tells us that when we acknowledge Him in all we do, He will direct our paths. I know from personal experience when He directs my paths, they are always straighter and smoother.

There is a reason we are referred to as sheep in the Bible. Sheep aren’t that bright. This is why they need a shepherd. In Psalm 23:1 it says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” When we have God, we have all we need. We have someone to guide us and take care of us. When we think we are so smart, we don’t need Him, we are being foolish. This is why verse 7 in our Scripture passage says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes.”

If we are really smart, we will fear the LORD and depart from evil. Trust in Him with all your heart and acknowledge Him in all you do and you can’t go wrong.

Have a great day!