“5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. [7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.]”
Devotional - Hanni Moussa
These verses invite us and entice us: they invite us to turn away from the idolatry of sea-reliance and to place our trust where it belongs; and they entice by the promise that, if we do so, we will reap untold benefits—a straight path! The verses say the same thing twice using different words: relinquish control and let God be God, be truly wise by fearing Him and let that fear be manifest in how you live by turning away from evil.
When we lean on our own understanding, that is, seek to be in control of our lives, we do not acknowledge God as providentially governing our affairs. Even though we may not say this out loud or even think it explicitly but, in effect, we see ourselves wiser than God and therefore more worthy than He is to be in charge of our own paths. God is deposed and we are enthroned, and it's idolatrous. We must guard our hearts from self-reliance because it makes us into our own false gods and because it will shatter our souls as we run headlong over and over into the unshakeable walls of God's sovereign control over His world.
We are naturally very resistant to this way of thinking, especially when we suffer. But resistance is futile. It is better to suffer and surrender than to suffer and resist. Surrender opens the floodgates of God's grace, joy, and strength, and resistance only multiplies our frustration and deprives us of our greatest resource—God Himself.
The more we surrender to God, the more we receive of the straight path promise. This is not a promise of an easy, comfortable life but the promise of a path that God walks with us.
May we see this as an amazing promise of grace that is so attractive that, day by day, we trust the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our understanding.
“What is the law of God stated in the Ten Commandments?
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below—you shall not bow down to them or worship them. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.”
Fighter Verses
© Truth78, fighterverses.com
New City Catechism
© Crossway, newcitycatechism.com