Bet you know this one by heart. Learned it as a child. Can still recite it today. Let’s look at it with fresh eyes and see what new truths we might find in this old chestnut.
After naming our #2 verse her favorite, Wanda shared a bit of her journey. “Ten years ago, when my husband passed away suddenly, my cousin sent a card with Proverbs 3:5-6 written inside. I grasped that passage as a drowning woman grasps a life preserver. God has provided for me, guided me, and loved me through the journey. I still cherish that card, but even more I cherish those sweet words that are now written on my heart.”
For Wanda—for all of us—here are those beloved verses, with a dozen grass-lined paths I’ve discovered here and there.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord… Proverbs 3:5
Trust. It’s the first thing a child learns. Mother stepped out of the room, but Mother will come back.
Slowly, slowly fears are replaced with trust. Cold air, loud sounds, dark corners lose their power to make us cry, though maybe not until we’re a little older. Like ten. Or twenty.
So it is with our relationship with the Lord. We begin by learning to “lean on, trust in, and be confident” (AMP) in him. Yet, in order to “place your trust” (VOICE) in God, you must lift something off your shoulders first—the need for control, the need to have all the answers—and deposit those things into his loving hands.
Then you must let go.
…with all your heart… Proverbs 3:5
The Hebrew word, kol, means “all.” Not some, not most. All. Holding back nothing, making no demands, you release your need to be in charge “completely” (ERV), and do so “from the bottom of your heart” (MSG), which is to say the whole of it. If you start at the bottom, the rest of your heart will come too.
Since we must leave our hearts safely beating in our chests, what does God really want from us? He wants our inner person, our mind, our will—leb, in Hebrew.
He knows very well what we have hidden inside, “for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought” (1 Chronicles 28:9).
He also understands what it will cost us to trust him. The sacrifice of self. The putting aside of pride. The laying down of arms. No more fighting him. No more insisting on our own way, as if we know best. As if.
…and lean not… Proverbs 3:5
I don’t mind having something to lean on now and again. A rail when I climb steps. The back of a chair when I have to pull on a shoe.
But this lean not isn’t asking us to avoid a physical thing. It means “don’t depend” (ERV) and “do not rely” (AMP) on that which is not dependable and unreliable.
The Hebrew word, shaan, means “to lean, to support oneself.” When you think about it, the idea of leaning on or supporting yourself is crazy! Where would you put your hand? Where would you rest your weight?
The Lord knows we can’t manage that balancing act spiritually either. Depend or rely on ourselves? Without God? We’re simply not built to do that.
…on your own understanding;… Proverbs 3:5
I chose this photo because that’s where our thinking will invariably lead us. Downward rather than upward. Into a darker realm rather than toward the light.
Whether you call it “insight” (AMP) or “intelligence” (CEB) or “judgment” (CEV), ours is not to be fully trusted. “What you think you know” (GNT) won’t carry you through life.
The Lord isn’t chastising us—after all, he formed our gray matter, he shaped our intellect—but he is cautioning us, “never depend upon your own ideas and inventions” (VOICE) and whatever you do, “don’t try to figure out everything on your own” (MSG).
Can we honor this wise proverb? Can we let go and let God? Valerie, who also chose this passage as her favorite, shares what she’s learned. “Watching parents die of cancer, having children with serious medical concerns, and facing the loss of my job for the second time, I set my heart on how I ‘think’ things are supposed to be, only to be disappointed. But with my heart set on the Lord—his words, his life, his promises—I have confidence that he is in control of every situation.”
He is, dear sister. Most assuredly, he is in control.
…in all your ways… Proverbs 3:6
There’s that word again. All. Hugely inclusive. Nothing left out. “Everywhere you go” (MSG) and “in everything you do” (GNT) pretty much covers it, with “always” (CEV) summing things up.
I especially like this translation—“with every step you take” (ERV)—since we’re walking along a path of God’s choosing, knowing it’s the best path for us, the right path for us.
The word derek in Hebrew means “way, road, distance, journey.” Again, we’re on a literal path, though we don’t need MapQuest to guide our steps.
We need to do just one thing.
…submit to him,… Proverbs 3:6
Humph. My old feminist self rises up at the very sound of the word submit. Do we have to? Especially when the Hebrew word used here, yada, simply means “to know”?
Oh, but it’s a deep knowing. An intimate kind of knowledge.
We are to know more about the Lord than we know about ourselves. To “listen for God’s voice” (MSG) and “think about what he wants” (ERV). We’re to “remember” (GNT) and “acknowledge” (ASV) and “recognize” (AMP) him, learning as much as we can about his character, his attributes, his nature.
Submitting to God means praising him at every turn, and giving him “credit for everything you accomplish” (VOICE).
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). By revelation, Jeremiah understood. By the power of the Holy Spirit, so can we.
This is God’s path, and we are his people. That’s what he is waiting for us to grasp.
…and he will… Proverbs 3:6
No maybe here. A promise. A guarantee. “He’s the one” (MSG)
The truth is, God is in control whether we allow him to be or not. We do not make him Lord. He is Lord. The moment we accept that truth, the very second we bend our hearts and knees to his power and might, we discover that our loving God is already blessing us, already taking us by the hand, already leading us.
…make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6
When I chose the photos for this post, I realized that a truly straight path is…well…boring. Who wants to see all the way to the end? It’s the unexpected curves, the bends in the road, the surprises along the way, that make life interesting.
Then I discovered the word straight isn’t in the original Hebrew. Instead, God promises he will “direct thy steps” (DRA) and “help you go the right way” (ERV)—which is his way, of course. That’s the only way you want to walk, beloved. Not because you aren’t smart enough to chart your own course, but because you’re smart enough to know his course is the best one for you.
He will “guide you on the right paths” (HCSB) and “keep you on track” (MSG), no matter how many twists and turns you encounter between here and heaven.
With that kind of assurance, no wonder we love these verses, which really are meant to go together. Left foot, right foot, let’s walk.
Another proverb reminds us, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). So let’s make a commitment. Let’s do our part, knowing absolutely that God has already done his part.
We will trust in him, rather than trust ourselves, and make it our life’s work to know him fully. And we’ll walk with the confidence of a child who is holding tightly to his father’s hand.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Now it’s your turn
Is it comforting to know the Lord is directing your steps? Or does it make you feel like you’re being dragged somewhere you aren’t sure you want to go? Follow this link to my website blog, then add your thoughts under Post a Comment at the bottom. Your honesty is what’s helping us all grow.
Just one verse left. Can you believe it? I’ll also have a list of all 20 verses for you. Until next time, may you sense God’s leading in a real and tangible way.
Your sister, Liz
Coming up next
Beginning Wednesday, September 6 we’ll spend ten weeks exploring those Bad Girls of the Bible. I’ll follow the book chapter by chapter and answer one of the Study Guide questions each week. Consider grabbing a copy and reading through it with us. If you have a previous edition of Bad Girls, that will work too. The 2013 edition includes new Discussion Questions and an in-depth Study Guide.
And don’t miss this
Through September 16, pre-order my new book, The Women of Christmas, anywhere you like to shop, including Amazon.com, ChristianBook.com, and Barnes&Noble.com, and receive a FREE copy from my publisher, mailed to you at no charge. Need lots of copies for gifts or for a Bible study? Pre-order away!