Proverbs 3: 5-8
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”
In my bible, this section of scripture is titled, “Guidance for the Young.” Life is full of not-so-obvious “youngs.” Teenage years see us under the supervised boundaries of parents and other adults. The twenties have us continuously trying to find steady ground in school, finances, relationships, and living situations. In our thirties, we might start leading young families and find ourselves responsible for new little lives. Beyond that, we relinquish children to freedom, learn to be useful and content in an empty nest, and navigate the waters of aging bodies and figuring out where our old ideals fit into the rapidly changing world.
In all of these new transitions in life, we deceive ourselves if we think we automatically have all the wisdom possible simply because of our levels of experience. Just as a small child has few answers to a big world, we must again adopt the mind of a child and lean completely on God our Father to guide us. Jesus himself says that “Anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17. We must reenter that place of innocence, of total dependency, in order to relinquish control.
“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
The word “ways” comes from the Hebrew word that means “way, road, distance, journey, manner.” This means in your travelling, in your adventure, in your daily routine, in your attitude, in your actions, in every aspect of your life, submit to God. This is what it takes to see the path he has set before you made 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.”
This verse can be easily connected with Isaiah 55:9, “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” The moment we begin relying on our own wisdom is when we begin settling for much less than is possible. Because God’s ways are infinitely higher than ours, his wisdom far surpasses our own. This leads to refreshment that revitalizes us to the core. Leaning not on ourselves, but on Him—that is when we will thrive.
Photography: @fordyates