Friday, August 21, 2026

Opening Scripture

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36

Opening Prayer

When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, but our toil he doth richly repay; not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, but is blest if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay; for the favor he shows, for the joy he bestows, are for them who will trust and obey. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet, or we’ll walk by his side in the way; what he says we will do, where he sends we will go; never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Proverbs 3:5-6

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.

Reflection  

Hopefully, today’s passage is one of the “life verses” you memorized a long time ago. It is a good corrective for us and an ever-present help in times of trouble!

As finite created beings, we are totally incapable of understanding the full extent of things. Our infinite Creator is the only One who completely grasps both the expanse of the material universe and the eternal breadth of the spiritual realm.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God’s ways are incomprehensible to humans. Only by His gracious condescension and merciful revelation are we given divine insight into the wonders and mysteries of His creation. All that we could ever achieve or acquire on our own is woefully insufficient to fully understand what is going on in this world…and the world to come. Today’s passage encourages us to set aside our pride and self-sufficiency and, in humility, trust Almighty God to direct our paths.

We are instructed to “trust” (batach) in Yahweh completely. That means more than simply believing God exists (the demons know that and tremble). It also means more than believing good things about God. It means leaning upon Him in complete confidence, feeling genuinely secure in Him. It means casting all our cares and anxieties on Him, without a backup plan.

We are warned never to “lean” (sha`an) or depend exclusively on ourselves. We should always do our best, but remain humble and wise enough to acknowledge our shortcomings and limitations. No matter how smart or capable we may be, our human capacity alone is a weak “crutch” or “staff” that will break under our full weight. Eventually, it will prove to be inadequate and “snap” beneath us.

The Hebrew word for “understanding” (biynah) refers to the ability to clearly grasp truth, to perfectly comprehend the nature of something with full knowledge. The writer of Proverbs personifies Understanding as a companion of Wisdom and says it should be passionately pursued. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

“Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. ‘I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech’” (Proverbs 8:10-13).

Our knowledge and understanding of life apart from God is a flimsy crutch, indeed!

However, as we observed on Monday, when we faithfully follow the Lord Jesus, day by day, we gain experiential knowledge (epignósis) and wise discernment (aisthésis). Mature Christians have the capacity to perceive, recognize, and judge rightly. It is not only memorization of information, but also Spirit-led sensitivity that distinguishes between what pleases God and what does not.

“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21).

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

When we trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean on Him rather than ourselves, He will guide us and make our paths clear. That does not mean a life free of trouble. Instead, it means God will walk with us, showing us where to go, removing some obstacles, helping us climb over other obstacles, and providing joy on the journey.

We looked at the prophet Elijah last week. As a result of the wickedness of King Ahab and the apostasy of God’s people in Israel, when divine judgment came on the land in the form of a three-year famine, Elijah was impacted, too. The drought was a significant punishment for the people’s wickedness and a symbolic confirmation that the false gods Baal and Asherah were powerless.

Elijah had faithfully obeyed God’s direction – confronting the evil Ahab and declaring Yahweh’s judgment – then he was instructed by God to hide next to a stream in the wilderness to wait things out.

“Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.’ So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook” (1 Kings 17:2-6).

From the magnificent exhibition of God’s power on Mount Carmel, to the beginning and ending of the drought, to the experience of living with the widow and her son, to the despondency of hiding in the desert, Elijah followed Proverbs 3:5-6. Through the good and bad, Elijah trusted Yahweh with all his heart and did not “lean on his own understanding.”

Elijah “acknowledged” (yada) God. This word expresses deep, personal relationship. It is not intellectual acknowledgement, but intimate interaction in every aspect of life. As a result, God made Elijah’s path “straight” (yashar). He showed him the way to go. God and His Word are “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” (Psalm 119:105).

Are you trusting in the Lord with all your heart?

Are you resisting the natural tendency to depend on your own understanding?

Are you intimately interacting with God each day?

If so, how do you see Him directing your path?

This week’s collective prayer: Lord, I come before You on behalf of my fellow believers here at our church. Make Yourself known to them and draw them to Yourself. Amen.

You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed!