Encouragement
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A number of us have at one time or another experienced periods in our lives when everything was at a stand still. At such times, the future seems so bleak that you ask questions like "why me?" Some come away from such experiences confused and frustrated. Others lose hope because they cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel; and even when they are told its there, they do not listen because they want to see to believe.
The truth is we all need direction at one time or another in our lives and by saying that "he shall direct thy paths" the scripture above underscores the fact that it is possible for us to receive direction.
God is always willing to direct our steps, he desires to guide us away from confusion to the right path for our lives and to ensure that we get to the light at the end of the tunnel. A look at the following scriptures confirm this:
Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
How do we get to the point where our paths are directed by the LORD? How do we connect with him in the way necesary for him to direct our steps on the right path for our lives? How do we find our way in the maze that life sometimes presents before us? Let us now look at the tips given us in the scripture above:
1. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart..." This means you must trust him totally, you must have absolute confidence in him. A double minded trust will not do, rather, it is a whole hearted trust that is required; one that is not dependent on the intensity of our circumstances but on the character of God. God is faithful, he loves us dearly and he always keeps his promises.
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie;
neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said,
and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not
make it good?
The International Standard Version puts it this way,
"God is not a human male— he doesn’t lie, nor is he a
human being— he never vacillates. Once he speaks up,
he’s going to act, isn’t he? Once he makes a promise, he’ll
fulfill it, won’t he?"
The Message Bible renders it thus: "God is not man one
given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind.
Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise
and not come through?"
This scripture is simply saying that God is dependable, in other words, he is trustworthy. Bear this in mind: God is worthy of your trust. In the Book of Jeremiah 1:12, God himself confirms this when he says "I will hasten my word to perform it" that is, I will make sure I fulfill my promise.
2. Do not Depend on your Understanding. To understand the next point let us observe the entire verse again: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding". As good as our human understanding is, it is actually very limited in several ways, we find an example of this in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. In that scripture, Samuel was sent by God to anoint one of the sons of Jesse to succeed Saul as king. Verse 6 and 7 says that when Jesse's sons stood before Samuel and he looked at Eliab, the eldest, he appraised him by his appearance and became convinced that he was Israel's next king. It is worthy of note that at this point, Samuel was leaning on his own understanding and would have ended up anointing the wrong person but for the LORD'S timely intervention. This is what the LORD said to him,"... I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. This shows how limited our understanding is, it can only see the external but cannot see the heart, only the LORD can. This means that there are certain things our wisdom, knowledge, understanding, experience and the like are not equipped to handle, consequently, our understanding must not supersede our dependence on the LORD; it must not displace our confidence in God.
3. Acknowledge him in all your ways. This means having regard for God and his instructions. It is making sure that everything you do is done in a manner that honours the LORD. In the way we do our jobs, relate with people, deal with offences, handle our relationships, set profit margins and live our lives in general, we must consider his preferences and submit to them. Acknowledging him in all our ways simply means giving him first place in all we do.
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This article offers very sound advice to many people, even Christians who still vacillate in their belief and trust in God. They want things their way and if they don't get them, their faith is tested. Thanks for sharing this piece. Many 'believers' out there need to read it.
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