Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
This passage of scripture deals with a very important aspect of our lives, that of decision making. The Bible teaches us that in all of the major decisions of life, and even in the minor ones, God's will should be consulted. Our "own understanding often turns out to be our "own misunderstanding" when we exclude God from our decision making processes. Very often, when faced with an important decision to make, we come up with plans and then submit them to the Lord for approval or disapproval, and thus we limit God's choices to what we can see or think of in our finite minds.
However, the Bible brings to light a completely different method of planning. The scriptural way of resolving difficulties in our pathway, or making serious decisions that can adversely affect our well-being, is to go to God with no plans, humbly waiting on Him to show us what His plans for us are, and how we are to go about executing them. By doing so, we humbly acknowledge His infinite and perfect wisdom, and also His unique ability to know the end from the beginning, thus being able to put forward perfect strategies to accomplish His good will towards us. One of our most urgent needs in our fast-paced world is to learn how to wait upon God. Let's take for example the call of Abraham. When the Lord told him to leave his native land, Ur of the Chaldees, God did not give to Abraham a complete plan, or amap for his travels, neither did Abraham see it necessary to ask for one, for as long as God was leading him, the issue of plans and maps remained with God. Let's read what the scriptures say on this first call of Abraham:
Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
At seventy five years of age, there were many "valid questions" Abraham could have asked, for he was well established in his native land. He could have asked for a plan of action up front, before packing all his belongings and uprooting himself from the place he had called home for so many years. But Abraham did not see it necessary to ask all of these questions, for in his mind, planning for such a move was entirely in God's domain. The apostle Paul adds another dimension to this experience, that's worthy of our consideration. Let's read:
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
The same pattern can be clearly traced in all of Moses' experiences with the Lord, in journeying with the children of Israel through the wilderness. When the Hebrews clamored for water, Moses went to the Lord to find out God's plans, when they murmured because their food was depleted, Moses went to God to find out His plans, when it was time to cross the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army in hot pursuit, he waited for God to reveal the plan of action. This method of waiting upon God for His leadership, instead of suggesting two or three of our own options to Him, is the way The Lord intends that our relationship with Him should blossom. Even the Lord Jesus Christ lived according to His father's will by submitting to His all-wise planning everyday. We read at times throughout His life that he went aside, up into a mountain to pray. From thence he would return to the bustling throngs, having heard from The Father, what His plans for that particular day were. Let's read:
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
We live in a time where so many people boast of their independence, and we are bombarded with songs like "it's my life" and "I did it my way"; but the following text should be a caution to all of us that our way is not usually the best way. Let's read:
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
If we form the habit of waiting upon God, If we invite Him to plan for us, He would be able to save us from making fatal mistakes and exposing ourselves and our families to many unnecessary dangers. We hope and pray that this would be everyone's experience today and hereafter, for God has given a mighty promise to all who humbly wait on Him:
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
May this promise be ours now and forever. "Good night" and God bless!