Proverbs 3:5-6

October 1, 2023

“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.”

These passages out of the book of Proverbs are some of the most powerful verses that many people reflect on today. Written by King Solomon and addressed to “his son” (grandson, son, child, or member of a group) it provided direction and instruction. Although Solomon may not have always been the perfect father that he wanted to be, he definitely provided many people with words of wisdom that is irreplaceable.

Before diving into these particular verses, let’s take a look at the ones right before this one. Proverbs 3:1-4 provides very specific instructions, “My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.” Here we can see that King Solomon is giving his son directions on how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. He lists many things to follow that are extremely important:

He advises that he is not to forget the law of the Lord but instead he is to ensure that his heart keeps the commands of our Heavenly Father. Then he discloses the importance as to why it is so significant to follow the rules and stipulations given by the Lord: it will provide him with a long and peaceful life.

He then advises him that he is to remain truthful and compassionate. Then he explains that the best way to make sure that he does this is to write them on his heart. In other words practice these positive qualities until they become saturated in his heart. Then he discloses the importance of this particular instruction: he will find favor with God and the rest of humanity.

Solomon was the wisest king to ever live in his time and when he gave directions it wasn’t something that was taken lightly. They are just as important to us today as they were back then. We have to be able to get to a place in our spiritual life that we take God’s Word at face value and listen for God’s voice in everything that we do.

Now we can take a closer look at the passages of Scripture that I have highlighted above out of the book of Proverbs. They are a continuation of Solomon’s guidelines for his son that also applies to us today. He advises him that he is not to follow “thy ways” and follow “thy paths” but he is to trust in the Lord with all of his heart.

This is one of the most difficult things that a lot of Christians struggle with today. It is one thing to trust the Lord in the things that you are willing to surrender, but what about the things that you still want to hold on to? Those areas that are not fully surrendered to the Lord are open doors that the enemy can come in and invade. God is searching for your entire heart and not 99% of it.

The word “trust” used in the verses of Scripture is the Hebrew word “bāṭaḥ” which means: trust and have confidence in God. The words “with all” is the Hebrew word “kōl” which means: all, the whole, any, each, and every. So Solomon is making it clear that we are to trust the Lord with our whole heart. Your heart should be so consumed with Him and His love that there is no room for anything else.

That is how you protect it from outside thoughts and negative emotions that the devil tries penetrate your mind and heart with. Then he says that we are to lean not to our own insight, our own intelligence, or our own human wisdom. Why is that so important? When we try to take matters into our own hands that is when we get ourselves into trouble. We don’t know what is best for us, but God does.

There are things that we will not be able to see with our own eyes and so we need the divine protection of the Lord. The final piece of advice that Solomon gives to his son and to us today is: “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” The words “acknowledge Him” is the Hebrew word “yāḏaʿ” which means: to know, to perceive, and to consider.

Then he reveals that this type of acknowledgement is what will allow the Lord to “direct your paths.” The words “shall direct” is the Hebrew word “yāšar” which means: to be right, be straight, be level, and to be straightforward. What is the Lord directing? He is directing your footsteps making sure that you have straight paths everywhere that you go.

So when we review this last portion of Scripture given by Solomon we can conclude that if we acknowledge the Lord in everything that we do, He will make those crooked paths straight. So what does that look like? It really means that you are to go to Him for everything and I mean everything.

For example

Who you’re to marry

What job you should take

Whether or not you should move

What ministry you should join

A house that you might want to purchase

Guidance pertaining to your spouse or children

In other words, you want to include the Lord in every decision that you make. Remember, He is your Heavenly Father and He will never steer you in the wrong direction. You want to remain in a state of constant prayer and constant communication with the Lord. When you follow His guidance, His guarantee to us is that He will make our paths straight. What an amazing assurance to stand on!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is King Solomon?

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 1

The Spiritual Laws of God-Poverty Part 2

The Spiritual Laws of God-Restoration