Proverbs 3 verses 5-7 (NIV)
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.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
As soon as a child learns to communicate and ask questions, we often see them go through a phase, which can sometimes be very amusing. Many times in a day, to satisfy their inquisitive wee minds, we might hear the words “why?” or “how” and sometimes, the rest of the question is so big it surprises us and we may not know the answer. For example, “What makes the sky blue?” We may try our best to answer their questions, but there are times when we have to acknowledge that we don’t know the answer. As we grow older, we often still like to know the answers to our “whys?” which can be just as big in our minds as the ones in the mind of a toddler. God in His grace may reveal the reason why to us. Unlike us, He always knows the answer, but He doesn’t always tell us. These verses in the book of Proverbs explain that He wants us to put our complete trust in Him since He knows exactly the reason why we find ourselves in a situation, and what He wants it to teach us.
The NLT version of verse 6 reads,” Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” I however in this instance prefer the NIV translation of the verse. In my opinion to submit to God goes further than just seeking His will. I googled the biblical definition of ‘submission’ and found a blog post written by a man called Scott Wylie, on the principle of submission in the Bible. He writes, “Submission, a fundamental biblical concept, signifies a voluntary act of surrendering one’s will, desires, and authority to a higher power or authority, often in the context of God’s authority or human relationships. Rooted in the Bible, submission is a virtue that reflects humility, obedience, and trust in God’s divine plan.”
(https://www.wisdomonline.org/blog/submission) To submit therefore means that we have given up wanting to do our own thing, to know all the reasons why, and to try and work things out for ourselves. We have actively given up our desire to be in control of our lives and have given them over to the Lord. However wise we may be, we do not have the wisdom of God. The wisest thing that any of us can do is leave things to Him. If we do that, He will keep us on the right path and we will never go wrong.
Dear Lord,
I’m grateful that there is no situation in our lives that You don’t know the answer for, or the reason why.
Help me to relinquish my need to always know why and how things cross my path, but to trust You and submit them to You, knowing that with You in control, I am on the right road for my life. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.