Proverbs 3:5-6 |
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===proverbs 3:5-6:
Psalm 37:4-6 ~ Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
”The danger, of course, is that we lean on our own understanding and thereby miss God’s will. This warning doesn’t suggest that God’s children turn off their brains and ignore their intelligence and common sense. It simply cautions us not to depend on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom and experience of others.” --Warren Wiersbe
Is our part in this wisdom is just to wait upon the Lord? Is there something we are supposed to do?
When the Bible says "do not lean on your own understanding," the Bible is being serious. Your heart is deceitful, your emotions fluctuate, your understanding does not see the overall, big picture. God never lies, God never changes, God knows all. Trust Him.
Matthew 7:9-11:
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 6:31-34:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 
When the Bible tells us in this verse not to lean on our own understanding, it is not encouraging us to be irrational. The Bible puts up no wall of separation between our intellect and faith. In fact, the book of Proverbs speaks very highly of understanding:
What we’re told not to lean on is our “own understanding,” meaning conclusions based primarily on our own perceptions. Because our own understanding simply will not bear the full weight of reality. It was never intended to. -Desiring God 
For the better part of three weeks, ahead of another 14- or 15-hour day sitting inside Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Sharon Doornink would wake up early at her Yakima home and pack herself a light lunch – half a peanut butter sandwich and an apple most days.
That was enough to sustain her through the darkest days of her husband’s prolonged fight with COVID-19. That, and prayer. “Lots and lots of prayer,” Sharon said. There was one scripture she recited from memory to her husband, Dr. Dan Doornink, the Washington State University Hall of Fame running back and a stalwart Seahawks player in the 1980s, as he lay unconscious in intensive care. The verse, from Proverbs 3 (“Trust in the Lord with all your heart …”), had helped bring the couple together shortly after they met in biology class at Wapato (Washington) High School. Sharon was 14; Dan was 15. He gifted her a Bible and scribbled that verse on the inside cover. They’ve been practically inseparable in the 50 years since. -Adam Jude Thankfully, God has not made us robots who are meant to blindly trust Him. He wants a relationship with us in which we are trusting Him in every way. Because of that, God is gracious and gives us time to discover how He works in various circumstances. As time passes, we learn more about Him through His Word, our own experiences, and the stories of others. Time eventually proves to us that God is worthy of our trust!
He is completely responsive to who we are as people. Jesus, living as He did, is completely able to relate to the things we are going through (Hebrews 4:15). God is not some disconnected dictator who is only concerned with large-scale matters. Instead, He is very dialed into our needs and even knows what we need before we ask it (Matthew 6:8). Many things are obviously unique about God, but I believe what sets Him apart from everyone and everything is that He has no creator. He is the Creator! Everything else has come from Him even life itself. Because I believe this is truly unique about God, I am able to trust Him regardless of what I’m facing, needing, worrying about, etc knowing nothing is too much for Him to handle because He is before ALL things! Jesus came seeking to serve, not be served. The humbleness and selflessness of Jesus was on full display as He died for us on the cross even though He knew many He would die for would eventually reject Him. God didn’t not have to serve us, but He chose to do so because it would teach us about His heart for us. -The Grove Church 
How often have we all decided abruptly to do something that later cost us more than it was worth? Instead of trusting God and getting there on a straight route with a brief interruption, I was going in a circle and wasting time. The Israelites are a prime example of how we can waste time when we allow what we see to stop us from getting to our promised lands. Instead of trusting God, we can spend so much time wondering and wandering when we chose to take our lives into our own hands. The Israelites called out to God for help and God heard them. “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt,” (Exodus 3:7). -Dr Froswa Booker-Drew
1. His ways are perfect. Our ways are flawed.
God’s ways – “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 18:30). 2. His heart is pure and righteous. Our heart can be deceptive. God’s heart – “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does” (Psalm 145:17). Man’s heart – “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). 3. His ways do not change. Our hearts can change. “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). 4. He sees from an eternal perspective. We see from day to day. God’s vision – “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2). “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). Man’s vision – “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). 5. We make plans, but they only come to pass if God wills it. “We may make our plans, but God has the last word” (Proverbs 16:1, GNT). “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them” (Proverbs 16:9, AMP). -Bible Study Tools Paul said in one verse what Solomon said in two when he said, “Wherefore let him that THINKETH he standeth take heed lest he fall” 1 Corinthians 10:12. Becoming self-sufficient is the slow, deceptive and dangerous way of removing God from your life. How can a person truly prosper without the direction of an Almighty God? --Pastor Kevin Kabel
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January 23, 2023: Amarillo Globe News reported: City honors Rick Husband legacy with wreath at astronaut's statue on Columbia anniversary. Rick Husband’s favorite Bible verse was Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” The aforementioned verse adorns the nine-foot-high statue of Husband that stands as a centerpiece of the airport that now bears his name – Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. The statue is a testament to Husband’s faith – which is part of the lasting legacy of Amarillo’s native son.
Husband died on Feb. 1, 2003, when the space shuttle Columbia sustained catastrophic damage upon reentry into the atmosphere following a 16-day trip to space. Husband, the shuttle commander, was one of seven astronauts to perish in the tragedy that gripped the nation and the world, according to Globe-News archives. Oct 28, 2023
How do we lean on God... instead of on our understanding of things? In this video, Pastor Nelson answers your question: What does it mean to lean not on your own understanding in Proverbs 3:5?
April 8, 2022: Robert J Tamasy wrote: There have been many times along the way that my paths seemed more crooked than straight, but in retrospect I can see God knew exactly what He was doing, every step along the way. I love the promise He gave to the ancient Israelites – one we can also claim as believers today: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Jan 7, 2021: Hobbie McCreary wrote: “He shall direct your paths.” It is rewarding to trust in the Lord and not ourselves. There is comfort not knowing the way ahead but knowing the one who does which makes the words of the song “The Unseen Hand” very personal. He will remove the obstacles from our pathway and bring us to His appointed goal. If we acknowledge Him, give Him the proper recognition of praise and attention to His word, then He will reward us according to His word guiding and directing us through life and this difficult time.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).
November 6, 2021: Shane Hoover wrote: In Acts 23:1 the apostle Paul states that he had always “lived in all good conscience before God”. This is the same man who had severely persecuted the Lord’s church. Acts 8:3 tells us, “He made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.” Paul admitted, “I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” (Acts 22: 4) When confronted by Christ, Paul was asked the question, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 26:14) How could Paul have done these terrible things with a good conscience toward God? It is a fact that his conscience was clear. Paul thought he was doing the right things, but he was wrong because he was acting on information that was not true. The conscience must be educated with truth, before it can function properly.
December 11, 2021: Lisa Hann wrote: We may never understand all the “whys” of unanswered prayers or prayers that are not answered as we desire, especially those that seem right and good as far as we can see. But God’s Word calls us to “walk by faith (in God) and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). We are instructed to "Trust in the Lord in all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make our path straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6). February 11, 2020: Rev Chris Shelton wrote: Moses was an example of one who feared the Lord and entrusted his life to the Lord. When he was in the presence of the Lord (Exodus 3) he hid his face. He was overwhelmed by the majesty of the Lord. The fear of the Lord gave him courage to confront Pharaoh and all Egypt; one man before the most powerful man and country. We are told in Hebrews 11 that Moses valued the reproach of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Moses had a fear of the Lord, he loved and trusted the Lord, and consequently (and this is always the case) he willingly offered up his life to the Lord. February 23, 2019: Pastor Kevin Kabel wrote: Proverbs 3:5-6 should never be separated. They belong together like peas and carrots. Like a man and a woman in marriage, they give each other purpose. On their own, they offer sound advice. However, when combined, these two verses form one harmonious voice that heralds some of the greatest counsel Scripture has to offer. These paired verses offer two approaches to life: lean on ourselves OR lean on God. We can lean on ourselves OR we can lean on God but we cannot do both. If we lean on our intellect and abilities, then we have no need to acknowledge God. This is the definition of self-sufficiency. If we have no need to acknowledge God, then we will obviously have no need to trust God. On the flip side, if we don’t trust ourselves, then we will have a sincere need for God. If we have a need for God, then we will acknowledge Him which will then move Him to direct our paths. It is that Divine direction that presents the opportunity to trust God with all our heart. This is the definition of God-sufficiency. |
April 9, 2017: Chevone Denson, as a Teacher of the Year Finalist said: “The backyard of my childhood became the foundation for making my dreams a reality. Surrounded by a basketball goal, neighborhood friends, a whistle and prized running shoes, my dream of teaching began to unfold,” Denson, a government and world history teacher at Dougherty High School, said. She believed in the scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Her path, however, was not an easy one.
“My first experience of ‘leaning not to my own understanding’ was very difficult and I didn’t understand why bad things were happening to me,” Denson said. “Although I always wanted to be a teacher, I experienced bullying at school because of the car my parents drove, the neighborhood I grew up in, and because I was shy and lacked social skills. My father would always encourage me to stand up to the bullies and to complete my education.
“My father said, ‘You will have hurdles and stumbling blocks, but don’t let that stop you from achieving your dreams.’”
“My first experience of ‘leaning not to my own understanding’ was very difficult and I didn’t understand why bad things were happening to me,” Denson said. “Although I always wanted to be a teacher, I experienced bullying at school because of the car my parents drove, the neighborhood I grew up in, and because I was shy and lacked social skills. My father would always encourage me to stand up to the bullies and to complete my education.
“My father said, ‘You will have hurdles and stumbling blocks, but don’t let that stop you from achieving your dreams.’”
September 14, 2016: Faithwork Centre posted: It wasn’t easy for Joseph to face the fact that his brothers hated him enough to kill him, but he endured all that went with their foiled plot, believing God was directing him where he needed to go.It wasn’t easy for Peter and other early Christians to be ridiculed, beaten, thrown in jail, and killed because of their faith. But they knew that Jesus meant what he said when he told them to teach the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) and they weren’t about to let Him down.
Proverbs 3:5-6 is arguably one of the most known and quoted verses of Scripture. However, if we are honest, it is seldom lived. Do we truly acknowledge our Lord in all our ways? Join Scott Pauley as he brings this message.
This message was preached at the Temple Baptist Church, in Powell, TN. Given on May 7, 2015.