Most of us naturally trust ourselves. We think we are smart enough or clever enough to handle whatever comes our way. When someone disagrees with us, we assume that they are wrong unless and until we're proved otherwise! But Proverbs reminds us that our way is not the wisest.
Read Proverbs 3:1
Wisdom and humility
This passage contains six calls to wisdom, each followed by a promise or reason why we should listen. Each one of these calls to wisdom is an invitation to humility, to trust in God and give him glory rather than trying to bring honour to your own name.
• Pick out, from these verses, each time you see a command from God, and each time you spot a promise or a reason:
• v 1; v 2; v 3; v 4; v 5-7
What not to lean on
• What does verse 5 tell us to do?
• What does it tell us not to do?
Back in Proverbs 1:7, Solomon told us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Here in 3 v 5, we receive specific instructions that show us how to put that fear of the LORD into practice.
• We must trust in Him. We must believe His promises with all of our hearts.
• We must avoid our natural temptation to lean on our own understanding. Our hearts are easily fooled into thinking sin will bring joy and life, when really it brings us pain and sorrow. A wise person will distrust themselves to some extent.
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PRAY
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the ways in which you lean on your own understanding rather than trusting God.
Confess those things to God and ask for His help as you seek to trust Him more and more.
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APPLY
Repeat Proverbs 3 v 5 to yourself, out loud, until you’ve learned it off by heart.
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This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
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