Thursday, September 21, 2023
Walk Rightly with God – Proverbs 3:5-8 Submitted by Kay Crumley
Most of Proverbs was written by Solomon, son of King David, and the third and last king of the United Kingdom of Israel. When Solomon was made King, he recognized his weaknesses and asked God for a discerning heart to govern His people and to distinguish between right and wrong, 1 King 3:9. God was pleased with that request and granted him what he requested and more. 1 Kings 3:12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. He also granted him wealth and honor. Solomon’s instruction to his son, Proverbs 1-9, is instruction we can trust and put into practice as disciples of Jesus.
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
We have heard as well as memorized the first half of that passage. However, the last section is one that is necessary as we learn to submit to Him.
Trust in the Lord. The definition of the word translated trust is to ‘lie helpless, facedown’ at the feet of the master. That is putting complete confidence in another to do whatever is right or best. That can only be achieved if we trust wholeheartedly, completely. We should endeavor to give God all our conscious trust. The opposite of that wholehearted trust is too ‘lean’ on or rely on our own human understanding. To claim self-sufficiency is like leaning on a broken crutch. A broken crutch isn’t trustworthy, it isn’t reliable, nor is it to be trusted to support us in time of need. The consequence of self-dependence is sin and separation from God. IF you trust fully in Him, submit to Him and not self, Him will direct your path. THEN He will make you way straight. He will guide us into what is right before Him and pleasing to us. Our responsibility is to surrender our lives to Him. He, through Jesus, has made a way to know Him and live a life pleasing to Him. It requires our submission to His will over our own.
Do not be wise in your own eyes. Do not regard our own wisdom as better than God’s. We see in the conceited, arrogant, or puffed-up personalities we encounter. Those who will not take anyone else’s advice or even consider their opinion as potentially valid. We have all met, been related to, or worked with those who believe themselves to be wise beyond all others. That is not the attitude we are to have with God. Again, Solomon presents the opposite attitude for us to follow. Rather than putting self-opinions first, fear the Lord. Give Him the deserved reverence and awe as we trust Him. Fear of the Lord can be defined as “the continual awareness that our loving Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say, and do.” Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” When we acknowledge that we cannot hide our sins from Him we should change our behaviors. As we draw closer to Him, we turn away from, shun, evil. IF we fear the Lord and turn away from evil because of our fear or awe of Him, THEN we have better health and a greater sense of strength than one who is separated from God. That does not mean we will not face illness or disease. It does mean we are spiritually whole, healthy, and strong. You can’t just talk about trusting God without walking the talk.
