Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
“Direct” here is to “make straight, or right”, “to make prosperous”.
My husband received these verses years ago when praying about how to receive direction, for the work he was called to do at the time.
It is of the heart not the head….
…what this means is, that we have to want to hear what the Lord is telling us…..we have to incline our ear…..lean toward Him, so we can really hear what the Lord is saying to us.
Again, this is of the heart.
(Jeremiah 25:4 “And the Lord hath sent unto you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.”)
He told me the story of when he was first brought into the ministry of tract passing and soul winning….even before he was called to preach.
He was always praying for opportunities to be used…and as he prayed, he learned how to get guidance for this work…..to yield to the Holy Spirit’s promptings….where people was concerned, and for the words to say.
But after a while, when he prayed……the Lord would impress him, with this one person he should speak to….
….but he did not want to speak to this particular person.
Finally, the Lord told my husband…..this person….or none.
And that settled it…..he spoke to this man.
You see, we can not pick and choose…..who, or where, or how…..if we are to let the Lord direct us.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
But the real secret to this direction from the Holy Spirit for our walk (our conversation, our calling, our ministry, our life)….is:
To acknowledge Him…..in all our ways…..and then He will direct our paths.
But to have this direction aright, we must do this in everything,….
…..not just the big, important things….but the little, everyday things as well.
It is seeking Him in our “paths”…..it is our everyday walk that matters.
And that is where the “trust in the Lord” comes in.
Trust is hanging on to Jesus….to hold Him….and not to let Him go….for His felt Presence with us, by the Holy Spirit, is our power.
Acknowledge comes from the root word “know”….and that is what it is all about.
What do we know about our God….
….that is what we tell Him….and ask Him, in accordance to that knowledge, to do for us.
Examples:
David after his sin with Bathsheba….
….David cried for mercy…getting honest with God……for he knew God was merciful:
Psalm 51:1, 6 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”
Jeremiah’s lamentation when Josiah, the last godly king, died…and he knew that terrible judgement which would come on Jerusalem and Judah…
….for they had forsaken God,and His commandments……even while they pretended to attend the sacrifices:
Lamentations 3:16-17, 47 “He (God) hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath covered me with ashes.
And Thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forget prosperity,
Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.”
Here was the cry of the Lord’s prophet knowing what would come to His people….
…but He also knows God….so he prays….
Lamentations 3:48-50 “Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughters of my people.
My eye tricketh down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Till the Lord looked down, and behold from heaven.”
Lamentations 3:22-23, 25 “It is of the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.”
And then Peter:
Peter had denied the Lord three times….after he had said he would “lay down his life” for Jesus (John 13:37)
But then Peter is given the opportunity to confess and get forgiveness….
But the subject is not sin…..although that was there….but love.
John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My Sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me?
Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me?
And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My Sheep.”
Why did Peter deny the Lord? Fear.
Why would Peter go on and do the Lord’s Will, feeding His lambs and sheep, now….against all that would come up? Love.
Love must be the motivating factor to our lives….love for Jesus. Peter would be empowered by the Holy Spirit when He was given on the day of Pentecost….but love must wave the banner over our lives.
“…And when He (Jesus) had spoken this, He saith unto him (Peter), Follow Me.” (John 21:19)
Peter must love the Lord (so must we)….if we are to “Trust in the Lord”….and get direction.
It must be love…..to trust and obey.
It is our privilege and duty to seek His direction in our paths….our everyday walk in this world….even when we have failed….
And He is more than willing to give it.
Let us….Trust in the Lord,….stop leaning on our own opinions….and since we know Him….and love Him….
…..let us go to Him in all our ways, and seek Him according to our knowledge of Him…..and He will guide us.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 