Proverbs 3: 5-6

Proverbs 3: 5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him. and He will make your paths straight."

Leaning has the sense of putting your whole weight on something, resting on and trusting that person or thing. When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel we can't trust anyone - not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than even we are. We must trust Him completely in every choice we make. We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must not be wise in our own eyes. We should always be willing to listen and be corrected by God's Word and wise counsellors. Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God's leading. He will make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you.

Jesus emphasised the same thing about 1000 years later. Look at your values and priorities. What is important to you? In what areas have you not acknowledge Him? What is His advice? In many areas of your life you may already acknowledge God, but it is in the areas where you attempt to restrict or ignore His influence that will cause grief.

These verses should become the 'way to live by'. Every day it will become clearer and clearer to what it really means. It's all part of the faith walk, that path that God puts you on that takes you somewhere you have never been and to a destination you have no idea about. You will only know that you have reached your destination when God says that you're there.

Without the Holy Spirit, this walk will mess with your head. It will have you questioning yourself and the choices you make. It will have you asking yourself if what you chose was God or your emotions.

But then God speaks and tells you that it's all ok. You're not off. You're not crazy and you're not weird. You're on the right track.

As God show us this more and more, I have begun to notice it in action in the lives of people in the Bible. Joseph, who became the "father" of Jesus, probably wrestled with this as Mary told him that she was pregnant, but still a virgin. And then again when God gave him a dream and told him to flee to Egypt to protect his newborn Son from Herod.

Abraham, the “father of many nations”, dealt with this when he was told by God to leave and go “to a place I will show you”.

Genesis 12:1 "The Lord had said to Abram: 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go the land I will show you.' "

Think about that. He had to leave his country, his family and his father’s house. But he did so not even knowing where he was supposed to end up.

And then he was promised a son when he was 100 years old. Now that’s a mind bender right there.

But Abraham obeyed, and God was faithful to keep His promises.

There’s something we need to be clear about; God didn’t stop doing these kinds of things when the people in the Bible died. He still does them today in the lives of people like you and me.

We just have to be alert and discerning to hear Him and then follow His leading.

Yes, it’s odd at first. Yes, it’s scary sometimes. And yes, people might think you’re crazy if you tell them about it.

But that doesn’t make it any less real. And it doesn’t make God any less faithful.

He still does these things! He still shows us and tells us things that require His spirit for us to get understanding and then make the right moves.

God still speaks. Are you listening?