Lean Not To Your Own Understanding

Lean Not To Your Own Understanding

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I was fretting over a situation a few weeks ago, and I was just bouncing various scenarios back and forth in my head when I heard the Lord say “daughter, lean not to your own understanding” Those words hit me like a ton of bricks, because I knew that God was telling me to take my hands off of the situation that I was fretting about. I became frustrated, because I know the Father’s voice and I knew that I had to take my hands off, but I did not want to.

 I wanted to move forward with my plans anyway, but I could not get over the startling feeling that I had when I heard the voice of God. Then one morning I woke up and I literally felt the peace of God resting on me like my favorite comfort blanket, and it was peace that truly surpassed my understanding. In this intimate time with the Lord, He reminded me of when the children of Israel were finally set free from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they started marching out to freedom and the first thing they came to was the Red Sea. There were impassable mountain ranges on two sides of them, the sea in front of them.

Behind them, in hot pursuit, was the Egyptian army, because Pharaoh had changed his mind about letting them go. The path before the Israelites looked like a dead end. Have you ever been in a place where everything just looks like a dead end and you are pressed on both sides? I surely have, but beloved, God knew exactly what He wanted to do. He had not made a mistake. He could see what they could not see. He opened the Red Sea and they walked through to safety. Years later, the Israelites looked back and sang, "Your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there!" (Psalm 77:19 LB).

You may be facing a dead end right now—financially, emotionally, relational even in your ministry or job—but God can see a path that you don't know about. If you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don't see a way, He will make a way. One of my favorite scriptures, when I am in the valley of decision, is Proverbs 16:3 (AMP) “Roll your works up on the Lord; trust them wholly to Him and He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable with His will so your plans will be established and succeed. “

 You may not understand all that is happening right now, but dear heart what is happening is not happening to you it is happening for you. The good news is the bad news is wrong. God has a plan and it will become more understandable as you head down the path He sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day" (NIV). One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You'll see God's purpose behind the path He specifically chose for you and you will even see the purpose behind your pain.

 You may be asking what I do in the meantime. You do what Proverbs 3 says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." What does it mean "don't lean on your own understanding"? You don't need to try to figure it out. In truth, you're not going to understand most of the things that happen in your life until you get to heaven. 

Be patient. God knows what He's doing. God knows what's best for you. He can see the end result although you can’t, but rest assured God has already finished started you. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays -- all the things that make you ask "why" -- one day it will all be clear in the light of God's love for you.

But for now, trust God and beloved, remember that when God is silent, He is trusting YOU with His intimacy.

Peace to you

Mwende