Proverbs 3:5-6: “Adding Up God's Direction”

(5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Verses 5-6 present one of the most beautiful truths in the Word of God: that God will guide you through life. God is a personal God and very interested in your life. But before we get there, let’s look at the three parts to having God’s guidance.

These two verses could be written as a mathematical formula: (Trust in the Lord with all your heart + lean not on your own understanding) + in all your ways acknowledge Him = He shall direct your paths.

The couplet in verse 5 shows the importance of not relying on worldly wisdom. God’s ways are much different than our ways. If we do not trust Him completely, forsaking our own understanding, we will not be able to see His guiding. Instead, we will walk down the path of our own choosing, and it would most certainly not be the path that God would have us walk.

To make sure we trust God with all our heart, we are exhorted to acknowledge God in all our ways. This brings the important principle of seeing God at work in all areas of our lives. We may not understand what God is doing, but we should be aware that God is acting and acknowledge that it is indeed God who is at work. This is very important when trials come our way. When life is difficult, we frequently want to complain. However, instead of grumbling or complaining, we should thank God for acting in our lives, remembering that God is sovereign and will always do what is best for us.

The word “acknowledge” comes from the Hebrew word YADA and the word primarily means “to know relationally or experientially.” In all our ways we are “to know Him relationally.” We are to maintain a relationship with God through all circumstances, trusting Him, following Him. As we maintain our relationship with God through Bible study, prayer, and meditation, we will know His direction for our life.

 

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Related Scriptures: Mat. 6:33; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17

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“Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask--half our great theological and metaphysical problems--are like that.” ~ C. S. Lewis - A Grief Observed

Proverbs 3:1-4 “Faithfulness to the Father’s Teaching”

(1) My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; (2) for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you.

(3) Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, (4) and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

Chapter 3 begins with the 3^rd appeal by the father to his son, which covers verses 1-12. This appeal includes six sets of instructions. The first two sets (v. 1-4) is an exhortation to remain faithful to the father’s teaching. The last four sets (v. 5-12) is an exhortation to remain faithful to the Lord.

In the first of instructions (v. 1-2), the father urges his son not only to remember his teaching, but to put into practice the wisdom that has been taught. By living according to wise principles, the son will reap three benefits.

1. Length of days – This phrase speaks of a life lived in and satisfied only in the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:20). This life is given to those who walk in obedience (Psalm 91:16; Proverbs 3:2) and wisdom (Proverbs 3:16).
2. Long life – This includes both a life with many years and a life worth living.
3. Peace – Even though your life will be long, it will not be burdensome. You will have inward tranquility. Indeed, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind.

In the second set of instructions, the wise father appeals to his son not to forsake mercy and truth. Mercy and truth are to be applied externally (“bind them around your neck”) and internally (“write them on the tablet of your heart”).

The external application of mercy is performing good and charitable acts to others. The internal application is development the Godly character of mercy, of lovingkindness. This is given to those who keep His covenants and His testimonies. (Psalm 25:10)

The external application of truth is faithfulness, obedience to God by walking in His commands. The internal application is the rejection of all falsehood and hypocrisy of character.

As mercy and truth increase in your life, you will reap benefits in your relationship with both God and man. A wise man desires and seeks the favor of God and also wishes to have the favor man. These were characteristic of our Lord (Luke 2:52).

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Related Scriptures: Mat. 23:23; 1 Peter 3:3-4

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“Being all fashioned of the self-same dust, let us be merciful as well as just.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Proverbs 3:11-12 “The Blessing of Correction”

“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Correction often pricks our pride. The suffering with it often puts us in the foulest of moods and we blame others for our problems and misery. But this verse puts a different viewpoint on suffering. The Lord may be correcting us, and as such, we should cling to the Lord. Correction is a blessing! What joy it is to know that the sovereign, almighty Father loves us so much that He wants correct us before we stray too far! We should not despise God for bringing correction into our life, but rather thank Him and praise Him for it because it will deepen our intimacy with Him if we only submit.

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Related Scriptures: Job 5:17; Psalm 94:12; 1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:5-6; Revelation 3:19

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“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” – 1 Corinthians 4:16-17