The Sunday School Verses: Proverbs 3:5-6

   

   I would like to hopefully begin a series of posts (Lord willing) on "The Sunday School Verses." These are the typical verses you learn by heart; maybe not because you actually put effort into learning them exactly...but because you hear them all the time. : ) The first I would like to do is Proverbs 3:5-6.

   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 straight your paths. 

                                                                                                     Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)


    Do you remember saying this verse? All the accents and phrasing your teachers used to help you remember it. They always had this joy whenever they said it, though; didn't they? Like, they just loved helping you learn memory verses that were simple yet so full of truth. We're here to understand just what truth it brings, and why in the world we memorized it. As we go along, we are going to define some terms to bring principles to life.

   Trust-assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone (or something); one in which confidence is placed

 
   To truly understand this definition we will define "assured reliance."

   Assured Reliance-(combining definitions) looking to someone for support without a doubt that they will fail you 

   The first look at this definition will probably make you think of some amazing friends or your close family. While they do support us, they are human too. They have the ability to fail (shocking, I know). So when it really comes down to it, Jesus is the only person we can really look to for support without a doubt.

   Notice the definition of "trust." It says "character, ability, strength, OR truth." Well, I've got some good news for you. Jesus all-encompasses this definition. He is not and "OR," He is an "AND." So we have the ability to TRUST (assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, AND truth) in Him. Isn't that amazing?

   So we have to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, meaning, we have assured reliance on Him and we believe it with our whole heart. What does that look like? We not only have to say it, but we also have to DO it. Again, going back to witnessing to our lost world around us; how do they know that something is different about us? By seeing that we trust in something greater than ourselves, something greater than humankind, something greater than this world.

   Alright, next is "Lean not on our own understanding." How many times do we try to do things by ourselves? Take a group project for instance. If only one person did the project, contrary to popular belief, it is not better. Part of the way you work together is by formulating a plan, and then everyone does their part by playing to their strengths. Only then is it a truly successful project. In a way, life is a project that is done with our partner, Christ. The best part is, we don't have to create the plan. He has a master plan that will accomplish His will. We only have to follow it.

   Not only that, but think on this. Humans were intended to worship the Creator. We were intended to have a relationship with God and look to Him for strength and guidance. So we as Christians can look to Him for help, guidance, and the master plan. Isn't that freeing to know that we don't have to figure it all out and do it all by ourselves?

   "In all your ways acknowledge Him." This concept is pretty simple. If we're trusting in the Lord and leaning on Him, we live for Him, which shines through our life into others. We can't just drop God after we've done our Bible study and go about our daily lives. We need to show others Christ "in all our ways."

   "And He will make straight your paths." This does not mean everything will be "easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy." In fact, hardly at all. The truth is, though, when we are trusting in Him, leaning on Him, and acknowledging Him, we are in His plan, and He will carry us through. We don't have to do it by ourselves. We can trust God.