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Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV):
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
When we have understanding, it means we have insight into or about something. When we have understanding, we have what we need to know the way to go or to make decisions. Having understanding is wonderful and needful. But we must know whose understanding we are to lean on as believers.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to lean on our own understanding. When you lean on something, you rest on it for support. So, when we lean on our understanding, it means we are resting on what we know for support. Unfortunately, our understanding has limits. Our understanding is in no way complete.
Psalm 147:5 (NKJV) states: Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
The above scripture tells us that God is “mighty in power”. It also tells us God’s understanding is “infinite”. No one else can boast of this!
Whenever we are inclined to lean on our own understanding, we should remind ourselves of the following:
- God is Omniscient – God has all knowledge. God’s knowledge is perfect. Psalm 139:5-6 (NKJV) states: You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
- God is Omnipresent – God is present everywhere and at all times. God sees everything. Jeremiah 23:24 (NKJV) states: Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
- God is Omnipotent – This means that God is all powerful. God can do all things. Matthew 19:26 (NKJV) states: But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Knowing that God knows all things and that nothing can or ever will take God by surprise, should spur us to seek God for understanding. To look to God for guidance.
Knowing that God is everywhere and sees all things, should encourage us to have confidence in the truth that the same God who has full sight and insight over all creation, is also watching over us.
And knowing that there is nothing that God cannot do, should remind us of our limitations and that we can only do so much. God, however, can do the impossible.
God loves us and wants the best for us. And God knows the path we should take in every instance or situation. So let us trust the Lord with all our heart. And let us lean on our own understanding.
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NKJV) states: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domain.
