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. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
This passage of scripture encourages us to make God front and center of all our decision-making processes, whether it be in the spiritual or temporal realm, because the word "All" means all. The reason why this counsel is so pertinent and applicable to our everyday experiences, is that we are prone to make mistakes in our finite judgment, but God who knows and sees the end from the beginning, can guide us in right paths, so that we may avoid the many pitfalls and snares that have been laid for the feet of the unwary. In addition to this, we want to be certain, that as Christians, we are walking in harmony with His will at all times and in all places, because, as the psalmist says, our delight should be to do God's will. Let's read:
Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about".... 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
One of the problems we often encounter in acknowledging God in all our ways, is that there are often times when His ways conflict with ours, and then we sometimes have a problem of surrendering our will to His. Furthermore, there are certain situations where we often prefer not to have God's input in the matter, for then we believe that our own desires may get squelched in the process. For instance, many Christians will pray about getting a job, or being made whole when we come down with sickness or disease, but many will not pray and invite God's presence and guidance when going shopping, for we often fear, that with Jesus in the vessel, our liberties to spend in an unrestrained fashion, may hinder us from making purchases which are not necessary, or spending fortunes on the vain things of life.
But the word "All' means all in our first passage, and therefore we should be willing to follow where Christ leads the way in any and all matters. For instance, if a Christian goes to a car dealership to purchase a new vehicle, and He prays before, for God to direct him in his buying decisions, The Lord can then caution him against getting himself in over his head with a car that may be too expensive for his budget, and The Lord can also protect him from becoming overwhelmed with the glitter and fancy of the moment, so that sensible, rational decisions can be made with no regrets.
But if the same Christian thinks that with God at his side, he may not be able to do as he well pleases, then he may be left to make blunders and errors in judgment, which in many cases are the result of man's own finite reasoning on the spur of the moment. This very experience I had many years ago, when it was not in my mind to pray about such matters, and so said so done, for I went ahead blindly and purchased a Chrysler vehicle without consulting with God. This purchase turned out to be a real nightmare, for there were problems upon problems with the vehicle, until it finally caught fire at a gas station whilst I was pumping gas, and so, through that one error, satan sought to burn both me and my purchase to ashes.
Were it not for the grace and mercies of God that day, I would not be writing this blog today, and it is because of such experiences why the scriptures teach us to invite God into all our plans, before any major decision is made, so that He can guide us with wisdom and discretion at the front end, instead of deliverance and reproof at the back end. Let us therefore cultivate a humble and teachable spirit that is willing to follow in the footsteps of Christ who once prayed, "Not My will, but Thy will be done."
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to trust the goodness and wisdom of God in all matters, for He only gives good gifts to His children, and takes delight in our well-being and happiness. Let's read:
Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!