Week 51 - December 19th, 2021
Proverbs 3:5–6
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Context: The book of Proverbs is a collection of wisdom literature. As we meditate on the wise sayings found within the book and live our lives according to their principles we ourselves will become wise. Proverbs 3 is part of an introductory section that gives readers a point of reference for the wise sayings that are to come.
Meaning: The character of a wise person is found first and foremost in where they place their trust. This theme repeats throughout the wisdom of Proverbs—the wise man places his trust not in his own wisdom, wealth, or power, but in that of the LORD. To “acknowledge Him” goes beyond simply believing in the existence of God. Acknowledging God means submitting our lives to His direction and trusting Him for guidance. As we do this, we will find the path of our lives straightened; God’s wisdom will often bring protection from our own folly and the foolishness of others.
Life Application: We live in a world that regularly directs us inward to answer important questions in life. We say things like “follow your passion” or “above all, to thine own self be true.” Scripture challenges this paradigm. When we look for meaning, purpose, or direction in life we should look neither inward, to our own heart, nor outward to the culture around us. We should instead look upward, to the wisdom of God, and there find fullness of life and joy.
For Further Study: This passage directs our attention back to the Creation and Fall narrative of Genesis 2–3. The choice set before humans, embodied in the two trees, is the choice to live in the world according to God’s wisdom or to reject God’s wisdom and embrace their own. While humans made the wrong choice then, the Bible gives us the story of another human who perfectly embodies the wisdom of God. As Jesus faces His own test at a tree, He makes the right choice. He suffers and dies, bearing the guilt of every unwise and sinful choice, and as He rises from the dead He opens the way to life to all who will follow Him.