To access part 2, please CLICK HERE.
To access part 1, please CLICK HERE.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP)
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
The Benefits of Trusting in the Lord
The major benefit of trusting in the Lord with all your heart and not leaning on our own understanding is found in Proverbs 3:6. The verse reads: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
- To acknowledge the Lord means that you are in relationship with him.
- To acknowledge the Lord is to recognize who he is.
- To acknowledge the Lord is to be fully aware of his presence.
- To acknowledge the Lord is to welcome his presence, his power, and his provision into every aspect of your life.
Sometimes we may not feel like God is with us, but he is right there with us. He said in Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
God is with us continually. His presence is not based on how we feel. God said that he would never leave nor forsake us. Jesus Christ said, “I am with you always . . . .” The Bible also reveals that the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of every Christian, so we should develop the habit of acknowledging his presence. To acknowledge the Lord is to declare by faith that he is present in every situation that we face.
When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding and acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, the result is that he shall make straight and direct our paths. This means that:
- He will prevent us from wandering off the path of righteousness;
- He will remove the stumbling blocks that cause us to fall on our faces;
- And he will bring us safely to our destination.
In other words, God will lead us; he will bless us; and he will meet our needs. All he wants is for us to look to him as our source. May the blessings of God be yours in abundance.
In Christ,
Wilfred Graves Jr.
www.wilfredgraves.org
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Thank you for today’s insight Dr. Graves. At times I feel all alone, lost and without direction. But I will try to concentrate on today’s message for encouragement. I will try not to lean on my own understanding. I will try!
Remember, it’s okay (and necessary) for the people of God to use good thinking in our approach to life. To “lean on our own understanding” means to do things our way rather than God’s way. For example, Abraham and Sarah decided to help God out by involving Hagar, and look at the mess that resulted. We’re still feeling the ramifications of their misguided choice. Sometimes God’s will is not as clear in the moment, so we must make the best decision we can with the information we have. God knows our heart and will order our steps when we are humbly doing our best to follow his will.