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Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments,
for length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
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.
Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
as a father the son in whom he delights.
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.
My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to do it.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who dwells trustingly beside you.
Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
for the devious person is an abomination to the LORD,
but the upright are in his confidence.
The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
Toward the scorners he is scornful,
but to the humble he gives favor.
The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get disgrace.
(ESV)
Proverbs 3 Commentary
by Hank Workman
I would perceive that these 2 verses are some of the most widely recognized and known of all. But do we really understand the depth of what they say? Bringing hope in a situation that is beyond the scope we know we are to “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding” yet, digging into this, there’s far more below the surface.
Let’s focus on one word: all. There’s also one more set of verses that interestingly follow with the word all as well we’ll consider.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
Proverbs 3:5-6,9-10
Trust – the word means to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. It is an unswerving belief. When it comes to God it is the understanding and knowledge of His character. He is who says He is.
When someone leans on something it’s putting their whole weight upon it; it’s resting on and trusting in that person or thing. Let’s be honest though, sometimes there are things that happen in our lives, in our spiritual walk even where we don’t trust anyone. We’ve been wounded or hurt or burnt even and we’ve lost that trust in humanity as well as God Himself.
Yet, we must not forget the sovereignty of God and what He allows to happen, where He directs us is by His own will in the matter. All things are under His control even when it doesn’t seem that way. This becomes that full out trust in Him and not our own reason in a situation where we are to lean not on ourselves and what we think but on God Himself. Despite what the circumstances state we are to lean upon, put our weight and rest and trust in and on Him.
This flows into our acknowledging Him in all our ways which He in turn will lead us where we need to go, direct us in decisions we have. This really means turning all things over to Him, every area of our lives. Consider your own values and priorities at the moment. What is important to you? Are you acknowledging Him in these areas as well?
But to me, the last ‘all’ is also an interesting aspect to trust and lean upon Him in… our finances. God desires we bring to Him our first-fruits, the best of what we have – including our money. For many in this day and age, they give God their leftovers financially or not at all. The triplicate of the word all I think is significant however.
God desires we trust Him with all our heart, acknowledge Him in all our ways, and bring all our crops to Him. Bringing our finances to Him, tithing as we are called to do, is a tangible trust and leaning on Him as we give back the first part of our income. This demonstrates that God not possessions has the first place in our lives and that our resources belong to Him.
Where do you need to trust and lean on God in all your ways?
Proverbs 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
It doesn’t matter if you are talking about running a business, a ministry, or a family; there is one trait that will often separate the successful from the unsuccessful.
Teachability.
How many of us know extremely talented individuals who never reached their potential? How many us know difficult people who will never admit when they’re wrong? Being unteachable stems from the deadly sin of pride and it infects every relationship we hold. Here in Proverbs 3, the chapter is littered with references to being teachable.
“My child, don’t forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. 2 My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life.”
Proverbs 3:1-2 GNB
“Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong.”
Proverbs 3:7 GNB
“My child, when the LORD corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning. 12 The LORD corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud.”
Proverbs 3:11-12 GNB
Teachability. Teachability. Teachability. Since God is proud of who He created us to be, He will not allow us to become proud. Teachability is really what separates the desires of man from the will of God.
What are the characteristics of an unteachable person?
- A bare minimum approach to the tasks of life
- Never taking responsibility and/or blaming others for failures
- Refuse to seek out a mentor or life coach to help provide guidance for spiritual growth
- Always talking but never listening
- Constantly making excuses
- Cannot handle others’ criticism/correction without holding a grudge or harboring bitterness
- Consistent avoidance of any opinion that will challenge their pre-determined ideas
Someone who is struggling with pride will fear failure and discipline. The Lord specifically states that He will discipline His children in order to teach them out of love. Therefore, pride is in direct opposition to a path of wisdom and knowledge from God. We think we know, so God allows us to be blind and deaf. This is why we need divine intervention. Without Him breaking down pride and revealing truth, we would all be lost.