Welcome to the POG Blog! Help me Lord Jesus listen well to you this day and follow your word, will and Spirit obediently! Amen
Proverbs 3 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
As I read these words what sticks out to me is what I am "not" to do! That is good for me to know because I am notorious for concerning myself with things that I really should "not" be doing. Sometimes I am concerned about the wrong things and find myself not being able to prioritize well. I spend too much time and energy focusing on the wrong things and not leaving bandwidth and energy for the things I really am suppose to be doing - the things that should be a priority for me!
So what is in the "not do" category? I am not to "lean on my own understanding" and I am not to "be wise in my own eyes"!
What is in the "to do" category? What am I suppose to be concerned with - pour energy into - hold as a high priority? I am supposed to "trust in the Lord with all my heart" and "in all my ways submit to Him" and "fear the Lord and shun evil". That is a good list of "to do's"! I get to trust, submit, fear and shun! That is what I am to be concerned with!
But there is more! The verses have a more in them than just what I am to do and not do! There is another player here that makes it all work - God!
What is God promising "to do"? God is promising to "make my paths straight"! God is working things out. This verse is reminding me that I need to let the Lord of history be Lord of my story! The promise that He is working out the end result is huge. I get to let go of control and trust! I get to spend my life trusting, submitting, fearing the Lord and shunning evil. He is in charge of the paths of my life and their straightness!
For some reason breaking down this verse into my "to do's", "not do's" and His "do's" helps me a lot. Life maybe isn't all that complicated. Maybe I was making it that way by concerning myself with stuff that simply wasn't my job.
I feel a bit more free - and a bit more focused!
Enjoy!
delton