Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
This is probably one of the most quoted passages in all of Proverbs. There’s so much in those two verses… BUT if you look around that verse, you find the first three chapters in Proverbs; in fact, the basis of the entire book is wisdom. These verses – don’t depend on your own understanding. Seek God’s will and you will gain HIS wisdom and will know which path to take.
How often do you involve God in those “this or that” decisions? Ever? Often? And I’m not talking about the moments of crisis… those are inevitably going to involve prayer and pleading with God. I am talking about the decisions that have the chance to change the trajectory of your life… which college to choose? Should I go into trade work? Which job offer should I take? Where do I ultimately want to live? And many others. At some point, we will all face BIG decisions and have to make a choice. Are you going to rely only on your own lived experiences and knowledge? Or are you going to filter those things WITH God as you discern what to choose? One of those ways might work out… The other is guaranteed to keep you on the right path and will ultimately be better for you regardless of what your heart might want.
The challenge this week as you read Proverbs is to try and hear God’s voice in your daily life and involve him in those things that you need to choose. He may not have an opinion on where you need to eat lunch today, but God definitely is invested in you and your pathway today, tomorrow, and every day!
Questions for reflection:
- Why is it so hard to include God in our choices?
- When was the last time a decision you made ended poorly? When was the last time you invited God into the process?