“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived, a gift of great wisdom received from God. (Remember he asked God for it – just as we can. “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”) God led Solomon to write down the wisdom God gave him in the book of Proverbs. Here we find two of the most loved and memorized verses in the Bible – Proverbs 3:5-6.
In verse 5 Solomon sets up a great contrast for us to consider. This
verse presents a choice that every person must make – a choice
between two paths – two ways to live our lives.
Path 1: Trust in the Lord The wisest man ever tells us that the
first path is to place our faith in the Lord. This is obviously the option
that Solomon believes is the wise route for he states it as a command.
Trust The Hebrew word ‘trust’ means to lie helpless, facedown. It is illustrated by a servant waiting for this master’s command. He does not know what that command will be but the servant readies himself to obey. To the Israelites trusting in God was not merely an abstract concept but a practical expression of faith which was to be visibly demonstrated through obedience and worship.
Trust is a concept that is associated with confidence in something because it is solid, firm, and secure. Solomon’s tells us it is wise to
place our confidence in the Lord because we know that He can be trusted. We will be secure in doing this.
In the Lord Solomon tells the source of our confidence, our trust. Here he uses God’s name, YAHWEH or Jehovah. This name refers to God’s eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. When we read this name we remember we trust because we know the character of our God. This is one reason whey we find the phrase “That you man know” used in many verses throughout the Bible. It is God’s great desire that we know Him (what atheists claim cannot happen) because in doing so, we can more fully understand God’s character. That is the way doubt is removed and our faith grows. That is why Hebrews 11:1 tells us true faith has substance. What is that substance – the knowledge of who God is.
With all your heart The wisest man in the world uses a qualifier as he write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Solomon knows that our faith must grow. Strong’s Concordance says that “in the Hebrew Bible, ’leb’ primarily refers to the heart, not just as a physical organ but as the center of human emotion, thought, will, and moral character. It encompasses the inner life of a person, including feelings, desires, intellect, and decision-making processes”. Solomon tells us that all aspects of the heart are to be brought into subjection to faith in God. This is the same principle as what we learn in Deuteronomy6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In both verses
we see the totality of our being that is to be driven by faith to offer to God as a living sacrifice.
What can we learn? In just one verse Solomon gives us the key to victorious Christian living, If we want our faith to grow, learn more about God and bring our entire life – decisions, feelings and desires in
line with His character. The wise man says this is the right path. But there is anther path that will try to entice us to walk in its way. We must choose.