Proverbs 3: 5 – 8

Today we will cover verses 5 through 8 of chapter 3. These are verses that are quoted quite often in most Christian circles, so you will probably recognize them. They are verses that should be memorized early in life and will go a long way toward helping people live a Godly life, if they are planted in their hearts.

Proverbs 3: 5- 8

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones.

Verse 5 tells us that we shouldn’t depend on the way WE think things are, or should be, going, but we should put our trust in God and His ways. We should remember that verse from a couple of days ago that says that God’s ways aren’t our ways, etc.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

If we have studied the Bible, or are in the process of studying ALL of the Bible, He will lead us more and more into understanding the basic principals that He wants us to live by. By doing this, we will be acknowledging Him and He will know that we are trying to acknowledge Him in all of our ways, and He will “direct our paths.” Other translations say that He will “make our ways straight or smooth.” He has ways of letting us know which path He wants us on, and the more we learn to listen FOR HIS voice and learn of HIS ways, the more we understand which direction He wants us to go.

In Verse 7, we are warned not to be “wise in our own eyes,” but to fear the Lord and “depart” or stay away from evil. In today’s liberal, immoral culture, we have gotten so far away from God’s principals and the ways that He knows are best for us to live, that we often think that we are smarter than God.

For example, many young people today think that it is “wiser” to live with a person to “get to know them BEFORE making a commitment.” God knows that, as human beings, none of us are perfect, and a “commitment BEFORE God AND man, in marriage (a legally binding covenant)” is one of the things that will help people stay together and try to work things through.

Because so many people in this world of today are so messed up with ungodly ways of thinking and doing things, it is even more important to study God principals of “not getting unequally yoked” (often meaning not to marry outside of your religious beliefs, etc.) Doing these things—acknowledging Him and His ways – helps us to NOT lean on our own understanding, and to have an idea of the ways He would “direct our paths.” This is only ONE example of an area in our lives where we shouldn’t be “wise in our own eyes.” I’m sure you can think of many others, such as, in our health practices or in our financial practices…

If we DO choose to follow the paths that He directs us to take, things will go much smoother in life for us because we will stay farther away from evil. Evil… sin… lusts of the flesh… all end up causing stress in so many ways and it has been proven that stress messes us up physically, mentally and emotionally after a time. Conversely, by staying AWAY from “evil,” we won’t have that stress and will be healthier, and stronger, as verse 8 says. (Some other translations say “refreshment” instead of “strength” in this verse, but it boils down to the same thing.)

8 It will be health to your flesh,

And strength to your bones.