PROVERBS 3:5-8 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

THEME OF THE DAY. NEVER, EVER, TRUST YOURSELF. We are told in many places throughout the scriptures not to do it. There are warnings of severe consequences if we do. And there is a pretty graphic description of the person who does it. King Solomon writes “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26). This thing we easily do is found in today’s scripture – leaning on our own understanding. It is quite easy to do for a couple of reasons.

First, we are not free from sin and particularly the sin of self-deception. Here is how this works. We have a yearning in our heart to go somewhere or do something. Behind this is the motive to please the Lord. As healthy Christians, we pray over this growing desire believing we want the will of the Lord in the fulfillment of this desire. But deep down inside, we are already planning, scheming, and maybe even taking steps to fulfill the desire without a prolonged period of doing two things; waiting on the Lord and seeking godly counsel. It is never good to make spiritual decisions without waiting on the Lord and seeking Godly counsel outside of ourselves, even outside of our spouses. The reason why these steps are so important is that we might even be “self-blinded” and “close-eared” to the fact our desire, though properly motivated spiritually, may not be God’s will. Remember the Apostle Paul? He wanted to go toward the Black Sea to preach but “the Spirit did not allow them” (Acts 16:6-10). Read this text. Good thing Paul listened to the Spirit and not his heart! If he didn’t, no Macedonian call and no Gospel penetration in those regions Be careful not to disobey today’s scripture and justify the disobedience by saying, “I prayed” but we failed to wait on the Lord and seek Godly counsel. We may actually be moving ourselves out of the will of God as we pray and desire the will of God.

A second reason why leaning on our own understanding in making spiritual decisions, and even life decisions, is easy and may lead us into severe spiritual consequences is we are in a constant battle against a divided heart. David prayed, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name” (Psalm 86:11). He prays “unite my heart” because he knew he was prone to have a divided heart. And here is where the battle is fought. We are people who love comfort, ease, rest, and none of those things will be the beds we lie upon if we are committed to Gospel labor, seeking the lost and edifying the church. The Christian life is constant war, not rest. The Christian labor in the harvest is a constant toil, not a vacation. But we are so easily prone to want the will of God, make a difference for Him, but to do so where we want to be, when we want to be, and without much sacrifice or effort. I know I do. I know I want to make a difference for the Lord Jesus but sometimes on my terms of ease, comfort, and earthly security. So I lean on my own understanding to have “my cake and eat it, too” – Gospel impact, but the way, the how, and the where I want. And remember, friends, God is no negotiator when it comes to His will.

So, do not lean on our own understanding. Be on guard of doing so. It is easy. Happens all the time, and not a few Christians regret the results of doing so.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for the times I trust myself, not Your Word, and take my heart to unhealthy places.”

QUOTE: “To trust one’s own understanding and heart is to bring spiritual consequences into a life which might be severe.”