Who to Fall Back On.

Proverbs 3:5-7 (NASB95): 5 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. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 

Undeniably, there is a God. A God whose presence is felt by all, whether realizing it consciously or not. A God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. A God who is known throughout the generations. A God of all love, all peace, all comfort, and goodness. A God who cares deeply for his creation. A God who cares deeply for you and your soul.

Yet despite these truths, we often fall back on ourselves. We (as humans) lean on our wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 3). We push towards human solutions, and human wishes and desires. I know that there have certainly been times where I have been susceptible to this, and have leaned on my own understanding, while claiming to know God! While I intellectually knew God, I did not know Him in the way that He wishes for us to do. God wishes for us to know Him, first in “brain” knowledge (Greek: οἶδα), then in “heart” knowledge, meaning experientially (Greek: γινώσκω). God earnestly seeks for us to have a deep and personal relationship with him. This is a relationship that exceeds pure knowledge, and moves on to the heart.

When Solomon (through Holy Spirit inspiration) wrote Proverbs, he wrote it as a man who knew God, and knew his wrongdoings by God. A man who had sinned, a man who had fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Solomon knew who God was, he had experienced a life with God, and yet he still fell away from His presence and influence. He was no different than those who he was supposed to be leader of. He fell back on himself. I think back to the period of the Judges where in the very last verse of the book, it says “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”. When we turn to our own knowledge and understanding, we forgo the relationship that we should be trying to build with the Father.

So as you go into this week, think about these things. Strive towards the deep, personal, loving connection that God wants you to have with Him. Lean not on your own understanding, but trust in the Lord who knows all, is over all, and is in all. Trust in God, and HIS understanding, and He will carry you through whatever may come your way.

Written by: Mason MacDonald

 Bibliography:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995)